Dominican amber

Dominican amber is a type of amber from the Dominican Republic. It is a subgroup of the Caribbean amber. It was created from the resin of the extinct tree Hymenaea Protera which is believed to be the source of most of the amber which can be found in the tropics.

Some sources claim that Dominican amber is up to 40 million years old. However, according to other sources, Dominican amber was created from Oligocene to Miocene is about 25 million years old. Its sources can be found in the Dominican Republic in the north in La Cordillera Septentrional, and Bayaguana and Saban de la Mar in the east.

The Singularity / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Dominican amber deposits and mining

Dominican amber is mined through the so-called bell pitting which is extremely dangerous. It is a foxhole dug with whatever tools available. It goes as deep or safe is possible. The mines are located high in the mountains, where the weather is cool and the humidity inside is always at 100%. Miners are forced to crawl around on their knees using picks, shovels, and machetes. Candles are the only source of light in the mines. During rain, works are stopped because holes fill up with water quickly and mines are too dangerous to continue amber exploitation.

Fluorescent is mostly found in Palo Quemado mine in La Cumbre. Dominican amber is known for its transparency and a higher number of fossil inclusion than the Baltic amber. Thanks to the inclusions found in the amber, reconstruction of the ecosystem of a long-vanished tropical forest was possible.

Dominican amber price – one of the most expensive ambers

Due to extremely dangerous mining Dominican amber is one of the most expensive types available on the market. It is used to produce jewelry of the highest beauty. Dominican amber can be found in many colors such as different shades of yellow, honey, orange or cognac. There are also amber pieces that occur in red and green shades, and the rare blue amber which is called fluorescent. 

Vassil / Public domain

Fluorescent amber

Fluorescent is mostly found in Palo Quemado mine in La Cumbre. Dominican amber is known for its transparency and a higher number of fossil inclusion than the Baltic amber. Thanks to the inclusions found in the amber, reconstruction of the ecosystem of a long-vanished tropical forest was possible.

Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Works Used:

• De Andrade, M. L, The ant genus Aphaenogaster in Dominican and Mexican amber (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IX: Pheidolini, Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, 1995
• John Pojeta Jr., Dale Springer, Evolution and the Fossil Record, American Geological Institute; Paleontological Society, 2001
• Michael J. Benton, David A. T. Harper, Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record [1 ed.], Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
• Woodruff, R.E., A new fossil species of stag beetle from Dominican Republic amber, with Australasian connections (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Insecta Mundi, 2009
• Engel, MS; Grimaldi, DA, The neuropterid fauna of Dominican and Mexican amber (Neuropterida, Megaloptera, Neuroptera), American Museum Novitates, 2007