Insect & Amber Fossils

Hard as stone, amber is the fossilized remnant of the resin that once flowed through tree tissues. Brilliant in color, amber has the added benefit of often trapping in its core insects and other flora, transforming the simply beautiful solid into an historical time capsule.

Amber has played a crucial role throughout history as means of personal adornment. Considered by many early cultures to have talismanic properties, amber was once worn to protect the individual. As it warms to body temperature, amber is considered particularly powerful in warding off or remedying various diseases. Amber has also been used a gemstone of sorts, as its rich, warm shades of yellow and brown are a fitting complement to skin tones as well as other gems.

Amber has also been appreciated more recently for the small bits of prehistory that it holds. The study of these contents has proved particularly important in science's understanding of prehistoric biomes. They have also become the object of some of the world's greatest collections. It is important to note that not all amber is old enough to include remnants of the dinosaur age, and the art of amber forgery has unfortunately grown in popularity since the 19th century. Nevertheless, the discovery of an authentic piece of amber deserves celebration.

Quick Facts

• The ancient Greeks were rumored to put a small fragment of amber in their wine vessels as a preservative
• From golden honey and butterscotch to green and citrine, amber has more than 250 identified shades
• The largest hunk of amber ever unearthed was discovered on the island of Borneo. Initially, it weighed 150 pounds, but was broken into smaller pieces as it was extracted from the ground