Facts about Amber
- 08
Amber's electrical properties allow it to accumulate static charge when rubbed, a phenomenon documented by ancient Greeks around 600 BCE who named the stone electron after observing it attract lightweight materials.
- 07
Myanmar amber from the Hukawng Valley, dated to 99 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, has yielded over 1,000 documented insect species and even a feathered dinosaur tail preserved in perfect detail.
- 06
Amber's fluorescence under ultraviolet light occurs because of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the fossilized resin, causing specimens to glow blue or violet when exposed to UV wavelengths between 365 and 254 nanometers.
- 05
Dominican amber, formed 15 to 20 million years ago, frequently contains perfectly preserved mosquitoes and other insects that scientists have used to extract ancient DNA for genetic research.
- 04
Succinite, the most common and valuable variety of amber, contains up to 8 percent succinic acid, which gives Baltic amber its characteristic golden hue and made it highly prized in ancient Roman trade routes.
- 03
Copal, amber's younger fossilized resin cousin, requires only 100 to 1000 years to form compared to amber's millions of years, yet remains sticky enough to damage insect specimens.
- 02
Baltic amber from the Baltic Sea region, formed approximately 44 million years ago during the Eocene epoch, comprises roughly 70 percent of the world's amber supply today.
- 01
The oldest known amber specimen, dated to approximately 320 million years ago, was discovered in Illinois and contains preserved arthropods from the Carboniferous period.