Retinite

As RETINIT (from the Greek retine = resin ) very different (fossil ) resins are known that contain little or no succinic acid. RETINIT due to its organic origin is therefore not a mineral.

History

The name was already in the 19th century to distinguish it from Baltic amber ( Succinit ), which was regarded as " real" Bernstein used by other fossil resins. Such resins often occurred on lignite deposits and were therefore well known. Since the 30s of the 20th century, fossil resins have been found outside of the deposits of Baltic amber, which also contain succinic acid, the name, however, is no longer suitable to distinguish him from other Baltic amber amber types.

Today's approach

General RETINIT is still used both as a type of resin and unspecific viewed as a collective term for amber without succinic acid or succinic acid with a content of less than 3%. But accessory, fossil resins in both solid and powder form of lignite and its accompanying layers are referred to as RETINIT. Such retinite are often microscopic in size and are mostly still in the plant body of the plant that produced the resin. This is the botanical origin of such resins sure determinable, while fossil resins, such as Baltic amber, in general, only indirect evidence on their botanical origin contain ( for example, vegetable inclusions, chemical composition ). In this context RETINIT is not generally regarded as amber, but at best as a possible intermediate stage in the genesis of fresh resin for amber. The use of the term RETINIT is critically discussed in the literature.

Synonyms use of the term

"In the Makropetrographie are bituminous substances of Coal" referred to as RETINIT. In the Mikropetographie one speaks of " Resinit ".