This is the fabled Chiapas amber from the Mayan mines in Chiapas, Mexico. It is fairly difficult to get a hold of and is highly prized for its impressive color and transparency. You can find reds, blues, greens and of course amber colors. This is real color, not like altered Baltic amber. This is quite a find and not seen often! You can do just about anything you want with this amber. My suggestion is for jewelry - the depth of color is seldom seen in any amber from anywhere else!

Here is another great aspect to this:  These are on sale (50 grams for $70)

A smallish piece that contains what looks like mammalian hair. Upon a very concentrated observation of this piece, I think it is from a botanical source (fibers) rather than hair.  Now I am counting on that since if this was real mammalian hairs, it would be very expensive.  It is a good piece and great fun to look at with a magnifier.

Found on this page. (#3)

CBS Morning (January 2024) show ran an interview with Joarla Caridad about larimar.  Featured is Jorela Caridad and Jorge Caridad.  Good short video to watch.

Here is another post that is very interesting about Joarla Caridad

I do not see ticks very often.  That being said, to find the perfect tick is something that I consider to be almost impossible.  Here it is though!  It is a beautiful (and clear) piece of Dominican amber, found near the La Toca mines in 2024.  It is about 1.25 inches long and .3 inches deep.  Not only is this the perfect tick, when you look at the specimen, there appears to be blood emanating from the body for about 1/16 on a inch.  The finest piece I have ever seen.  The details of the body are spectacular.  You can see the mouth, the legs and body curves so well, this will take your breath away.

Seen on this page

A miner in an amber mine - Dominican Republic. Mining is done by hand since blasting would damage the in-situ amber.

Now this is cool: Scientists have exhumed the body of Gregory Mendell and are using it for DNA studies. Also DNA sequencing!

Jorge Caridad

Above:  Picture of Doug Lundberg and Jorge Caridad in a fossil shop, Tucson, Arizona.  Mr. Caridad is the owner of the Amber World Museum in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

doug lundberg

Picture above:  Wolfgang Weitschat, Kazimieras Mizgiris and Doug Lundberg

Join the AMBER list:

There now is a discussion group devoted to the study of amber. The intent of this discussion is public discourse on amber formation, types, general questions, almost anything that relates to amber. Also encouraged on this discussion group will be questions on jewelry making, and web sites about amber. The discussion group is not moderated. This means that all postings will go through without moderation (no one will censor them.)  This is an international group, covering just about any country you can imagine (some of which I have never heard of!) Most people just watch and listen to the discussions that go on. You are encouraged to participate, but certainly do not need to.

Click here Join the AMBER list

This discussion group was formed and is maintained by Doug Lundberg. His e-mail address is lundberg@ambericawest.com. All questions about the discussion group should be directed to him.

Short article in the International Amber Association's magazine "Bursztynisko, the AMBER MAGAZINE"

 

Scientific American, February 2020, had a picture showing the land continents with major ‘discoveries’ (page 20).    One arrow pointed to Brazil and under that, it said:

“Despite the long dry spells in Brazil’s Caatinga region, scientists found the tree Hymenaea cangaceira drizzles copious nectar from flowers to attract pollinating bats: a full-sized tree can release 240 gallons of the stuff, with 38 distinct scent compounds, over a single dry season.”

Here is the reason for this inclusion on this amber page.  Hymenaea is the tree in New Zealand that produces copious amounts of resin that is called ‘kauri gum’.  Not sure about this relationship, but if I am a betting person (I am), I would put money that there is a direct relationship between the flowers and resin production.

____________________________________

Article from Science News about "Spider moms have been caring for their young for a long time."

Amberica West  just sold the largest piece of amber in the world to the Amber Museum in Poland

(68 Kg - or -150 pounds): 


A View from Amberica WestThis is a view of the rocky mountains.
You can see Pikes Peak in the background and the
United States Air Force Academy somewhere near the middle.

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