Madagascan Copal Specimen with Insect Inclusions

An absolutely stunning Madagascan Copal Specimen with Insect Inclusions, which is sold as seen.

Specimen measures 10.5cms x 1-1.25cms with a minimum of 5 insect inclusions and weighs 8g. A true collectors piece. 

“Madagascar copal" is a young, semi-fossilized resin, produced by the leguminous tree Hymenaea Verrucosa that frequently contains trapped insects and plant material such as termites,  beetles, wasps, spiders, and/or leaves and flowers, creating a natural time capsule. Copal with its youthful age estimated at between 200 – 100,000 years, represents the intermediately evolutionary step between fresh tree sap and true, ancient amber. It still contains volatile/aromatic components that are usually “baked off” in older amber by a process called polymerization, when high heat, pressure and the passage of millions of years cause the softer copal to  naturally transform into hard, fossilized amber. 

Historically, Madagascar Copal resin was traded as incense and primarily burned to purify spaces, clear negative energy, and elevate prayers to the divine. 

Please Note: Long term exposure to bright light can cause copal to crack and craze.