How long does it take tree resin to become amber?
The process of amber formation from tree resin takes millions of years for the resin to harden into amber, different publications say some ten millions. Molecular polymerization caused by pressure and heat transforms the resin first into copal and then over time through the evaporation of turpenes it is transformed into amber. This process is called succinosis. The sources – inter alia – show details of chemical and physical processes.
