Amber is an amorphous mixture of organic compounds, including hydrocarbons, resins, succinic acid, and oils. Amorphous means that it has no crystalline structure. Organic refers to having its origin in living things. It is commonly referred to as fossilized resin of ancient conifers. However, it is not a fossil in the common sense.
Most fossils begin by having an animal or plant buried in the earth.
Over a period of millennia, the organic material is slowly replaced with elements from the mineral kingdom. Amber, on the other hand, has not had its organic elements replaced. Instead, the resin has gone through a chemical transformation. Amber has become a polymer, a natural plastic. This gem comes in many colors, with the most common being yellow, orange and brown.