Cride dammar gum occurs as irregular white to yellow or brownish tears, fragments or powder. Sometimes admixed with fragments of bark. Refined grades are white to yellowish and are free of fragments of ligneous matter dammar gum is practically odourless, although refined grades may carry and odour of the essential oils used in the refining process.
Damar is a Malay word meaning resin or torch made from resin. It is applied today as a collective term to a wide variety of hard resins. Their main use is in the manufacture of paper or wood varnishes and lacquers, particularly as a varnish for the fine art , and some paints, although consumption has inevitably declined over the years with the widespread use of synthetic materials. It is a water-resistant coating, sometimes also used for its glazing functionality, and found in the indigenous system of medicine.