Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 29, 2026

Copaline

Copaline, also termed fossil resin or Highgate resin, is a naturally occurring organic substance found as irregular pieces of a pale yellow colour, for example in the London Clay at Highgate Hill. It has a resinous aromatic odour when freshly broken, volatilizes at a moderate temperature, and burns readily with a yellow, smoky flame, leaving scarcely any ash.

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Copaline (or copalite), also termed fossil resin or Highgate resin, is a naturally occurring organic substance found as irregular pieces of a pale yellow colour, for example in the London Clay at Highgate Hill. It has a resinous aromatic odour when freshly broken, volatilizes at a moderate temperature, and burns readily with a yellow, smoky flame, leaving scarcely any ash.1

Copaline is copal that has been partly mineralised.2

References

References

  1. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Copalite". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 94.
  2. WordNet Dictionary (derived from the Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 version) by the C. & G. Merriam Co. Springfield, Massachusetts, USA).