A generic term used for organic resins that are not old enough to have polymerized sufficiently to become amber. (Caveat emptor: A large percentage of the "copal" sold at mineral shows in Europe, America and Japan, rich in insect remains and alleged to be thousands of years old, is in fact less than 10 years old and should be considered as merely fresh tree resin and is certainly not "copal" or "amber".)
