Egg white as material

Meaning

Egg white supplies a working material for coloured bodies called succinum, imitation pearls and coral, and varnish. Succinum here names manufactured amber or amber-like material produced within the example, distinct from the amber among resinous materials called caraba in Book Four. This use connects transmutation with fabrication and binding. The explicit distinction between appearance and natural virtue prevents a shared material name from establishing identical origin or properties.