Amber

Amber, fossil resin that, in prehistoric times, exuded from various now-extinct coniferous trees. It is usually a yellow or yellow-brown color. Found in either round, irregular lumps, grains, or drops, it is slightly brittle and emits an agreeable odor when rubbed. Amber burns with a bright flame and pleasant smell and becomes negatively electric by friction. Extinct and extant species of insects are sometimes found encased in samples of amber. It was obtained in antiquity from the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, where it is still found. It is also found in small quantities in Sicily, Romania, Siberia, Greenland, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), Australia, and the United States. Amber is used in the arts and in the manufacture of jewelry, cigarette holders, and pipestems.