On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural organic and biogenic materials · Organic or biogenic material · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Green Amber
A trade colour name for green-toned Amber; the green may be related to treatment, background or viewing conditions, and it is not a separate mineral species. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Green Amber forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Green AmberHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Green AmberThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Green AmberCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Green AmberEach value with its source and check date
- Green Amber in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Listing and disclosing Green AmberThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Green AmberWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
"Green amber" is a commercial (colour) name for amber divided by green hue; it is not an independent mineral species or material type. The amber it denotes is a biogenic organic gem formed when resin secreted by ancient trees hardened and fossilized, its parent resin maturing after burial in sediment (drying, loss of volatiles/labile components, possible polymerization/cross-linking). NOTE: the authoritative sources used here, when describing amber colours, list only yellow to orange (and rare red) and do not describe green amber, so this record makes no claim about the specific cause of its green colour and honestly flags a colour-cause source gap.
Scope: Applies to the formation and maturation of the amber referred to as "green amber", and defines it as a trade name based on colour; no assertion is made on the origin of the green colour (source gap).
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
Where it forms
Resin exuded by ancient trees is buried in sediment, where it undergoes maturation.
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
How it forms, step by step
Resin, or sap, is exuded by ancient trees.
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
The resin is buried in sediment and matures.
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
The resin then solidifies, becoming amber.
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
NOTE: the sources do not describe the cause of green amber, so no green-colour step is listed.
Sources GIA Amber Description · Journal article (resin maturation)
Link to appearance
NOTE: the sources used here do not describe green amber or its colour cause, so no appearance claim is made.
Sources GIA Amber Description
Timescale
The sources require amber to be older than a million years and report that its creation took place tens of millions of years in the past.
Sources GIA Amber Description
Related base materials
- Amber (fossil resin): Green amber is a commercial colour name for amber classified by its green tone, not a separate material type
Supporting findings
Amber is a biogenic organic gem, formed when resin secreted by ancient trees hardened and fossilized.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to amber overall; not the colour name.
Sources GIA Amber Description · G&G Winter 2023
The parent resin, buried in sediment, matures: drying, loss of volatiles/labile components, and possible polymerization/cross-linking into a macromolecule.
Evidence grade AScope: A maturation mechanism from experimental simulation; describes fossilization.
Sources Journal article (resin maturation)
The sources require amber to be older than a million years and report that its creation took place tens of millions of years in the past.
Evidence grade BScope: Gives amber's age boundary; not the colour name.
Sources GIA Amber Description
Other research findings
"Green amber" is a commercial (colour) name for amber divided by green hue, not an independent mineral species or material type; the cited authoritative sources give no definition of this Chinese trade name.
Evidence grade CScope: Defines it as a commercial colour name; no authoritative mineralogical definition.
Sources GIA Amber Description
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- "Green amber" is a commercial colour name for amber; none of the authoritative sources consulted gives it a mineralogical definition.
- The authoritative sources consulted do not describe green amber or what causes its colour, so the cause of the green colour has no source behind it.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Green Amber
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.3 “Amber” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.2.1 “Amber”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Heated / Heat-treated, Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Green Amber" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.3, row 琥珀 (Amber)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Green Amber" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name.
- Suggested listing name
- Green Amber
Care and wear
The item-by-item care advice that the GIA Care and Cleaning Guide gives for the whole class, and so for Green Amber, is set out in full under care on the Amber entry.
Care
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Irradiation | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Colour change by heating under pressure | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| heating under pressure | — | — | — | heating under pressure (yellow, green); heating under pressure (yellow / green) | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Amber); JJA/AGL 2025
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
How lab reports word it
Report wording for Green Amber is set out under report wording on the Amber entry.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesThe Chinese formal name for Green Amber comes from GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.3, and the suggested listing name is Green Amber; green amber is a trade name, not a mineralogical species name, and the English description is a trade category name for green-toned amber. Names in four languagesNames are given in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Green Amber) and Japanese. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts on file have no wording for this name, which has been checked; GIA and Gem-A are unchecked, and bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesFor Japan's GSJ formal name, the entry's own Japanese name means green amber, and Japan's GSJ wording for this name is not yet verified by this site.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 緑色琥珀 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 绿珀 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.3)
- Mineralogical name
- Green-coloured amber trade category
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 绿珀
- 繁體中文
- 綠珀
- English
- Green Amber
- 日本語
- 緑色琥珀
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural organic and biogenic materials
- Browsing family
- Amber and natural resin materials
- Identity tier
- Organic or biogenic material
- Mineral chemical class
- Not applicable
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T Table B.1Green Amber applies the “Amber” row of GB/T 16552—2017 Annex B, Table B.1: heating is an optimization; filling and coating are defined by grade; irradiation, colour change by heat and pressure, and dyeing are all treatments. The graded definitions of filling and coating, and the notes to Table B.1, are on the Gem treatments page. JJA/AGL designationsThe Japanese JJA/AGL 2025 designations place Amber under the species amber, with colours recorded as yellow, green and yellow/green, and the treatment listed as heating under pressure (heat treatment); a note states that it is listed under the name Amber and the original does not name Green Amber specifically.
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Amber” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Coating Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Irradiation Treatment; Colour change by heating under pressure Treatment; Dyeing Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Amber page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
JJA/AGL (Japan) table of principal gem names, 2025
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Gem name | Species | Colour | Listed in the table | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber | Amber | yellow, green | heating under pressure (Heated / Heat-treated) | listed under “Amber” in the table; this page is related (the source does not name it) |
| Amber | Amber | yellow / green | heating under pressure (Heated / Heat-treated) | listed under “Amber” in the table; this page is related (the source does not name it); the Japanese name may also be written in katakana, with the kanji for amber, or as the loanword for amber; all are acceptable; the species column of this row reads “Amber/Copal”; the source does not explain the distinction |
JJA/AGL definitions and nomenclature (2025 revision), table of principal gem names, p.11, 12
How to read the JJA/AGL table: see the Gem treatments page.
What it is and how it's identified
Green Amber is transparent amber in light green to green, and is relatively rare. Apart from the definition, all registered material facts for Green Amber are taken from "amber (the whole class)", not measured on Green Amber alone. For amber as a whole class: structure amorphous, Mohs hardness 2–2.5, cleavage none, density 0.96–1.1 g/cm³, where the site note explains that the range is derived from the value 1.08 given in the cited clause together with its permitted tolerance (+0.02, −0.12); when untreated, it melts and gives off an aromatic odour when touched with a thermal needle, the quality factor (lustre) is resinous, and pleochroism is none. Optically, for amber as a whole class: optical character isotropic, with strain often causing anomalous extinction and interference colours in amber; refractive index 1.54, where the site note explains that this is a reading commonly obtained with the spot method, a common value rather than an absolute limit, and the clause has finer sub-ranges with the overall value used; birefringence none.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, long-wave UV luminescence, short-wave UV luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for amber (whole class), so they are not repeated on the Green Amber page; see the material facts on the Amber entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Green Amber (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Green Amber: transparent amber of light green to green; it is uncommon.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 Additional notes (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Structure
Green Amber — structure (overall): amorphous (not crystalline)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Green Amber — Mohs hardness: 2–2.5
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Green Amber — cleavage: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Green Amber — stability: may melt on contact with a hot needle, giving off an aromatic smell.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Green Amber — density: 0.96–1.1 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.08, with a stated tolerance of +0.02 / -0.12. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Green Amber — triboelectricity: may become electrically charged when rubbed
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Green Amber — optic character: isotropic, but stress often gives anomalous extinction along with interference colours.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Green Amber — refractive index: 1.54
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives this as a value commonly read by the spot (distant-vision) method. It is a common value, not an absolute limit.
- General note
- the clause has finer ranges
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Green Amber — birefringence: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Green Amber — pleochroism: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Quality factors
Green Amber — quality factor (lustre): resinous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- amber (whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.3.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.54 / 1.03; Closest values: 1Turtle Shell 1.545 / 1.31, 2Plastic 1.58 / 1.3, 3Jet 1.66 / 1.32, 4Black Coral 1.565 / 1.71, 5Mammoth Ivory 1.53 / 1.75
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
The CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Green Amber under “Amber” (§6.2.1): see identification on the Amber entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Amber.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Green Amber has a clause-level definition in GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A under the term Green Amber, with the definition summary green-coloured amber trade category; the cross-check shows it is listed directly by GB/T, and CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Amber | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | Green-coloured amber trade category | Listed directly by GB/T; CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Amber on this site: 10 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Green Amber) is marked.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Amber and natural resin materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Heated / Heat-treated, Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Green Amber entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.