Where Is Amber Found?
The world’s two current sources of amber are the Baltic region and the Dominican Republic. That is not to say that amber is not found elsewhere. The earliest record of amber being used or possessed by humans comes from France and other south European countries. The Baltic region became a major source after the ice age when the glaciers thawed and retreated. It existed or was found on the East Anglia coast of England. Amber or copal is also found in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Romania, the Middle East, Russia, Brazil, South East Asis, New Zealand and in Paris of Africa as well.
• Baltic Amber • Dominican Amber • What Is a Species? • Amber Inclusions • Animal Interactions • Plant Inclusions • The Search for DNA • Biography • Key to Identifying Arthropods The book contains hundreds of colour photographs that sumptuously illustrate the authors notes and writing. Nearly all of the photographs are new and original, with less than 10 occurring elsewhere. This is not always the case with some books showing dozens of stock photographs which have been reproduced on numerous occasions in other volumes. I know of one insect inclusion photograph, which has appeared in 3 books to date. The content of the chapters and explanations are simple and easy to understand. Complicated topics are reduced to simple descriptions that the casual reader can quickly assimilate and understand. A nice balance has been struck in terms of the details included and the information provided. I rashly count myself amongst a group of people who might be termed knowledgeable about amber but I fou
The most common place to find Amber it is on the shores of the Baltic Sea or in the Dominican Republic although it is sometimes found in many other areas including washed up on the beaches of the east coast of the UK. Amber can be collected from these deposits washed upon the beaches but it can also be commercially mined. The Amber deposits of the Dominican Republic and the Baltic are believed to be the world’s largest and hence most of the Amber used in jewellery comes from these sources. If you are lucky you may even be able to find a piece of Amber yourself on the seashore. For the rest of us there is always eBay! Have a look at our other articles about Amber including our very useful Amber buyer’s guide-don’t get caught out and end up buying fake amber.
Amber deposits are found in many different parts of the world, but most of the sources are small and localized. The majority of these areas do not produce commercial quality amber, but a select few have supplied most of the amber we see today. The two main areas that commercially mine amber are Europe’s Baltic Coast and the Dominican Republic (less productive sites include Mexico, Burma, and New Jersey). Both sites are generally regarded as the two best amber-producing localities in the world. Most of the amber we offer on our website will be from either the Baltic Region or the Dominican Republic.
