Dominican amber: history, properties, types, jewelry

Blue amber is one of the rarest varieties of this stone. Such specimens are mined only in one corner of our planet - in the Palo Quemado mine south of La Cumbre in the Dominican Republic.

It is noteworthy that blue amber is valued not only for its rarity and beautiful appearance. This is a special type of stone from this group, which is also distinguished by its pure transparency and a relatively large number of fossil inclusions - inclusions. Blue amber also has a special energetic power, which gives it healing and magical properties.

Dominican amber

Why, upon its arrival in Europe, did this gem not gain popularity among the public? In fact, the Europeans already had Baltic amber. The development of those deposits fully fed the people. The "Sunstone" from Hispaniola came to attention only after the Second World War. Now it is also popular and is almost on the same level as Baltic amber.

Production

Mining of blue amber began only in the 1960s, when gold was losing its relevance. During the first few years of mining, European involvement and export volumes were a concern for the Dominican government. In 1979, a law was passed banning the export of gemstones mined by foreign companies. Ten years later, a law prohibited the export of any amber containing animal or insect inclusions without the approval of the Natural History Museum.

Blue mineral

Most of the stones are mined in the Palo Quemadomine mine. Using primitive tools - shovels and short picks, workers manually comb the rock in search of jewelry. Collapses often occur in mines, and accidents claim many victims. Despite the lack of minimum safety conditions, there are people willing to work in the mines - with an average salary in the region of about $80, miners receive $85–500 a week.

Features of Dominican amber

Each mineral has its own characteristics. So scientists are most interested in Dominican amber in its origin, because it is more than interesting. The types of this mineral and the methods of its extraction are intriguing. Only amber is characterized by such a feature as the preservation of living organisms inside the stone. This could be an insect or plant parts.

Origin

If a person could now travel back in time to about 20 - 40 million years ago, he would see dense forests in the Caribbean region. Attention should be paid to a special type of tree - Himenaea Protera. This is a plant from the legume family, which was actively dying out in those ancient times. When the tree received some kind of injury, it released resin. This is the future Dominican amber. Due to tectonic processes, trees along with the ground sank under water, where the resin hardened and turned into stone.

Amber mining

Unfortunately, due to the same plate movements and volcanic activity underwater, the reserves of the current Dominican amber are located in very inaccessible places. Nowadays, stone extraction is carried out exclusively by artisanal methods in small mines. The most popular deposits are located on the Amber Coast between Puerto Plata and Santiago.

Interestingly, small as yet undiscovered burial sites of Dominican amber are located on the northern coastal ridge of the Cordillera Septentrional. Moreover, their height varies from 500 to 1200 meters.

What does Dominican amber look like?

Most people think of amber exclusively as yellow or orange. In the case of Dominican amber, this opinion is wrong. There is a stone of different colors:

Type of amber	a brief description of	Photo
Yellow-brown	The most popular variety, which is found in almost all mines. Most often, the stone is almost transparent; in its depths one can see particles of previously living organisms.
Green	One of the rarest varieties. Scientists believe that the stone acquired this color due to the aquatic environment into which the resin fell.
Blue or cyan	The rarest and, perhaps, the most famous type of Dominican amber. It is mined in only one mine in the world - La Cumbre. It is considered a very hard and expensive mineral.

Inclusions (inclusions) of Dominican amber

According to statistics, 50 – 60% of amber found in the Dominican Republic is found with inclusion. These are inclusions of living organisms or their parts in the crystal lattice of the stone. Such cases occur exclusively with amber. How does this happen?

An ancient spider sat on the bark of a tree. A drop of resin approached him, which absorbed the body of the insect. Millions of years passed, the resin hardened and became amber, but the spider remained inside the stone.

Such phenomena are not just decoration, but also excellent material for science. In this way, scientists can study those living organisms that lived on our planet many millions of years ago. It is interesting that scientists have a unique opportunity to study not just a cast of the same insect, but its body in natural sizes. It is also worth considering that not only external organs are preserved, but also internal ones. The most famous finds:

Arboreal small lizard;
Chameleon 7 cm long;
Big frog;
A giant butterfly whose wingspan reached 126 centimeters;
Remains of ancient flowers and extinct plants.

If we talk about the current fruits of studying this topic, then examples can be given endlessly. Thus, in the east of the island of Homa Mayor province, the remains of an ancient flower were found in amber. Scientists were able not only to study this fossil plant, but also to look into bygone eras. This is how the structure of the tropical forests, which disappeared from the island’s land millions of years ago, was restored. The reasons, the process of disappearance itself, and even the consequences were clarified. But it all started with a small flower.

Use in jewelry

Unique properties, rare origin and complexity of cutting make Dominican blue amber one of the most expensive jewelry in the world. Alas, only 50 kg of this precious stone is mined per year. Compared to 20 tons of diamonds, you can understand why blue amber is found only in luxury jewelry.

Ring with blue amber

Blue amber is harder than other types of fossilized resins, so only the most experienced craftsmen undertake to work with it. Jewelry replenishes the collections of the richest people in the world. Interestingly, in the Middle East the jewel is especially prized for its blue Misbahi prayer beads and is used in expensive rosaries.

Dominican amber

After processing, blue amber also exhibits phosphorescent properties and begins to emit a milky blue glow.

The most amazing examples can be seen at the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata. Here you can see natural masterpieces, the history of the origin of amber, and there is a gift shop at the end where you can buy souvenirs and jewelry.

Jewelry with blue amber

In jewelry stores, the cost of jewelry starts from $500. There are cheaper handicraft jewelry in the markets, but the risk of running into a fake increases. The raw stone will be sold right next to the mining site. From residents of the north of the Dominican Republic, you can bargain for a blue stone the size of a fist for $300.

We recommend watching the video, which tells about the most expensive blue amber.

Blue amber

As mentioned above, blue Dominican amber is the rarest and most expensive type of this mineral. It is mined in only one mine in the world. Presumably its age ranges from 15 to 30 million years.

Scientists believe that this shade appeared due to the mixing of tree resin, volcanic ash, and ocean water pressure. New shifts in tectonic plates occurred, and stone mining became available. The first Dominican blue amber was mined by the Indians, who made jewelry and figurines from it, and then gave several stones to Columbus.

Benefits of Dominican amber

Even in ancient times, amber was called the “Sun Stone”. Dominican amber is no exception. People attributed a variety of properties to the mineral, for example:

Anti-inflammatory effect on the body;
Preservation of beauty;
Rejuvenation;
Antibacterial effect;
Filling a person with strength and energy.

Similar properties were associated with the unusual color. Even treatment with amber was practiced. For example, small pieces of it were applied to inflamed or contaminated wounds, and they healed and cleaned faster. Since amber is the stone of the sun, it was credited with the property of being imbued with strength and energy in accordance with the nature of the star itself.

Amber also had esoteric abilities:

Protection from evil and unkind spirits;
Rescue from nightmares and bad dreams;
Talisman and amulet for pregnant women and their children.

That is why not only jewelry was made from amber, but also unique amulets and figurines.

Astrologers also say that amber can be worn by people with the following zodiac signs:

Scorpion;
Aquarius;
Cancer;
Fish;
Scales;
Twins.

Sunstone structure

The structure of a sunstone
Since the origin of the stone is associated with the aquatic environment, it is not surprising that the outlines of the remains of a living organism can be traced inside the mineral. Contains inside:

particles of animal and plant life;
seaweed;
fish teeth

For some time, the resin retained a soft shape, which was attractive to marine fauna. Many scientists are excited about the idea of extracting DNA and breeding dinosaurs and other representatives of the prehistoric period.

Dominican amber jewelry

Over the past 50 years, the stone has gained enormous popularity. It began to be actively used in jewelry. An interesting feature is the division of jewelry into two groups:

Amber jewelry: the stone is inserted into the jewelry without cutting or setting.
Jewelry with amber: the stone undergoes serious processing.

The most popular and recognizable are beads made from semi-processed stones. They are strung on a string, have different shapes and sometimes even colors.

Most often, amber is used in the manufacture of:

Necklace;
Seryozhek;
Brooches;
Bracelets;
Coulombs;
Rings.

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Caring for Dominican Amber

Amber is not the hardest mineral. On the scale it has a value of 2.6. Therefore, handling it requires appropriate care.

Jewelry should be protected from falls and impacts.
Do not wash dishes or cook while wearing jewelry.
You can wash the jewelry only with a soft cloth and under warm water.
Jewelry should be stored away from other metals.

If you follow all these simple rules, then the jewelry will delight its owner for a long time.

How to distinguish an original from a fake?

Since amber has become very popular, there are many people who want to pass off a fake as a natural stone. That is why, when purchasing such a serious piece of jewelry, you need to carefully check its originality. You can use the following methods and tricks:

If you wipe the fake with a cloth soaked in ether, the stone will become sticky.
You can look at it through a magnifying glass. Dye stains may be visible.
If you run a regular needle across natural stone, a scratch will definitely appear. There will be no trace left on the fake.
If you put amber in salt water, it will float. The fake will sink.
If you shine ultraviolet light on a natural mineral, you will get a bluish tint. The artificial stone is white.

Cost of Dominican amber

The cost of Dominican amber depends on:

Color range;
The size of the stone itself;
Degree of processing;
Frame material;
Presence of inclusions in stone.

However, Dominican amber itself is no less expensive, because the stone is quite rare. Let's present approximate prices depending on the frame:

gold – 8000 – 42000 rubles;
gilded silver – 3000 – 6000 rubles;
silver – 1000 – 3000 rub.

You should not spare money on jewelry made from Dominican amber. Price is not just numbers, but sometimes a guarantee of quality. The interesting thing is that in the Dominican Republic itself, prices will be about half as much, especially if the mineral is not processed.

Origin story

In the 15th century, Christopher Columbus in his notes mentioned meeting blue amber on the island of Hispaniola (the ancient name for Haiti). The Aborigines offered the captain shoes beautifully decorated with blue amber in exchange for a strand of European beads. At that time, fossil minerals were not of particular value, and the Spaniards were not interested in the curiosity.

Amber blue

Archaeological excavations have revealed many other blue amber products on the island - carvings and jewelry. Today, Dominican blue amber has become the most valuable material for jewelry.