New Jersey amber is grouped by Anderson 1992 as a Class Ib amber, being composed of
labdanoid diterpenes, and lacking a presence of
succinic acid in the structure. The color of the amber ranges from clear yellows and yellow oranges through opaque yellows and reds. The amber is noted to be brittle and
friable, with specimens noted to crack and
craze. Deep-red amber specimens are also noted to form deep needle-like cracks. A series of tests on ambers, including New Jersey amber, was published in 2012 by Bisulca
et al. Exposure to a combination of light and humidity changes can cause significant crazing. The amber also has a distinct light absorbance curve that peaks in the
ultraviolet B range at 385
nm. This is similar to the slightly older
Burmese amber, which has an absorbance peak of 380 nm. Exposure to increase in temperature over a period of time has been shown to result in "yellowing" or darkening of the amber over a long period of time, though not to as significant a degree as seen in
Baltic amber. Overall the stability of New Jersey amber is low due its UV absorption, making specimens susceptible to UV deterioration. The only conditions that Bisulca
et al identified which seemed to produce stable New Jersey amber specimens were those that were anoxic. ==Botanical origin==