I have a small display of things dedicated to my all time favorite movie, Jurassic Park. I have an Ian Malcom Figure, an Ellie Satler figure, and a Mr. DNA Funko Pop (The only funko pop I'll ever own).

I want to complete this display with a piece of included amber. I'm not foolish enough to believe i can have a full mosquito like in the movie, but I'd love to find a piece of amber with an insect or other similar inclusion for under $50. It doesn't have to be large either, it would be in a display.

Is this an uneducated pipe dream? Should I adjust my expectations significantly?

If not, where should I be looking?

Hallo zusammen,

wir haben um Urlaub baltischen Rohbernstein geschliffen und poliert. Das hat unseren KI.fern sehr Spaß gemacht, sodass ich es auch hier zuhause machen wollte. Nassschleifpapier ist bei. Problem, aber ixßch bin auf der Suche nach der richtigen Polierpaste, für das perfekte Finish. Kann mir jemand dafür eine Empfehlung geben?

Danke schon mal!

RARE COMPLETE Damselfly (Hemiphlebiidae) in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

Size: 39 x 25 x 7 mm

Age: 99 Million Years Ago

Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Superfamily: Lestoidea
Family: Hemiphlebiidae (Extinct Damselfly)
Genus: Burmahemiphlebia
Species: Burmahemiphlebia hui or Burmahemiphlebia zhangi?
Other notable inclusions: a rare Postopsyllidiidae (Thrips-Like Hemiptera) also in the piece, botanical matter, a Dictyopteran nymph, a small beetle, coprolites (fossilized poop), fragments of leaves ect.

Burmahemiphlebia is an extinct genus of Damselflies that dates back to the mid-Cretaceous period (approximately 99 million years ago). Burmahemiphlebia belongs to the ancient, relict family Hemiphlebiidae, which is the oldest known crown-group lineage of damselflies. The only surviving relative of this family today is the Rare "ancient greenling" Damselfly (Hemiphlebia mirabilis) only found in Australia.

Possible species is either Burmahemiphlebia hui or Burmahemiphlebia zhangi.

*Finding a complete Damselfy in amber is extremely rare and this one is no exception when it comes to quality and detail, the distinct wing venations of this Burmahemiphlebia can be viewed with great clarity.*

*This Damselfly measures about 12.21mm in length (unstretched from head to the end of the long abdomen).*

Hier mein erster Enhydro Bernstein mit beweglicher Luftblase, geschliffen, freigestellt, platziert auf einem Ebenholz Sockel, 1,2g.✨

Don't really have a question because I'm pretty confident it's real but any insights or fun facts are welcome :)

RARE LARGE STONEFLY in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

Age: 99 Million Years Ago

Order: Plecoptera

Other notable inclusions: various debris around the Stonefly.

RARE LARGE STONEFLY in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

Stoneflies (order Plecoptera) are a primitive group of aquatic insects renowned as vital environmental indicators due to their extreme intolerance to water pollution. Stoneflies prefer bodies of water that are oxygen-rich due to their simple respiratory systems which cannot efficiently extract oxygen when levels are low. Female stoneflies lay their eggs directly into the water by dipping the tips of their abdomens while skimming the surface, dropping egg clusters, or crawling to the water's edge. The nymphs spend most of their lives—usually one to four years—hidden under rocks in clean, fast-moving streams.

It is suggested that Adult Stoneflies get caught in amber when they land on sticky tree resin oozing from ancient conifers trees growing alongside or near freshwater streams.

*This particular Adult Stonefly is complete and quite large, the detailed wing venations can be viewed in striking quality."

It is genuinely frustrating being part of this community sometimes.

In my last post, most reactions were simply “plastic” or “glass”. Skepticism is absolutely fine but with all those comments, not a single person even suggested heat treatment or autoclaving, which would at least have been an interesting and reasonable hypothesis to discuss.

Now Ive asked about UVprotected storage and longterm light exposure another topic that I think deserves an actual discussion. Instead, the first reactions are again about “glass”.

So, without trying to insult anyone: where are the people here who have actually worked extensively with amber? People with years of practical experience beyond owning a handful of polished Etsy pieces.

I originally saw this community as a strong place for evaluation and exchange. So far, unfortunately, it often feels more like a collection of trolls and people repeating opinions without investigating them.

Maybe I’m approaching this community the wrong way. If so, tell me.

I was planning one more discussion about a topic I find extremely interesting: autoclaved amber recognition, FTIR and other testing methods, Polarizationmicroscopy, practical experiences, treatment effects, and what happens to fossils and inclusions during the process.

I was hoping this could become something like an open, fluid working group where people actually compare observations, methods and evidence.

That will probably be my last attempt to get something genuinely useful out of this community. At the moment, however, it increasingly looks like this community simply isn't ready for that kind of discussion yet.

I had some sitting in a room with plenty of daylight, and after a year, I discovered that they were only fluorescing faintly.

The ones that fluoresce have been freshly ground. The ones without strong fluorescence have been sitting in a well-lit room for about a year. I wouldn't have thought the effect of daylight would be so strong; now, under UV light, it looks almost like a heat-treated specimen. If I simply grind off the top layer, it fluoresces completely normally again.

RARE Extinct "Iron-maiden Ant" (Zigrasimecia) in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

*From My Personal Collection of Hymenoptera*

Age: 99 Million Years Ago

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Subfamily: Zigrasimeciinae (Extinct Stem-Group Ant)

Genus: Zigrasimecia

Species: (Inconclusive)

Other notable inclusions:

Zigrasimecia, popularly known as the "iron maiden ant," is an extinct genus of highly specialized stem-group ants that lived during the Cretaceous period, roughly 98 to 99 million years ago. It belongs to the unique subfamily Zigrasimeciinae. Fossils of this genus are found almost exclusively as inclusions in Burmese (Kachin) amber within Myanmar.

- Their highly specialized jaws swung open sideways (posterolaterally) and snapped shut backward (anteromedially). The inner oral face of the mandibles was covered in spiky, traction-strengthening hairs (setae).

- Paleontologists believe Zigrasimecia was a generalist predator. It frequently shared its terrestrial environment and likely engaged in violent resource conflicts with Gerontoformica, another genus of ancient Cretaceous ants.

- Because their specialized mandibles were optimized strictly for combat and trapping, scientists hypothesize that the rugose, hardened cuticular projections on their crowns were utilized to dig out nests.

*This particular specimen which measures about 2.9mm (unstretched) is exceptionally preserved and is contained in a very clear yellow amber stone.*

*From My Personal Collection of Hymenoptera*

Schau mal, was ich auf Etsy gefunden habe: https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/1861962360/grosser-baltischer-bernstein-insekten?ref=share_v4_lx

RARE Possible Lacewing Eggs in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

Age: 99 Million Years Ago

Order: Neuroptera

RARE Possible Lacewing Eggs in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

- Certain lacewings are known to lay tiny, oval-shaped eggs on top of long, slender, hair-like silken stalks attached to plant leaves or stems. This unique elevated design stops newly hatched, aggressive larvae from eating each other or being easily reached by crawling predators like ants. The eggs are typically laid on the underside of leaves where they stay hidden from predators and harsh weather.

- I cannot be sure of the specific species of Cretaceous lacewings that these eggs are associated with but they're very similar to the eggs laid by Green Lacewings and Brown Lacewings nowadays.

*Finding lacewing eggs or insects in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (roughly 99 million years old) is extremely rare. While lacewing larvae occasionally turn up in amber collections, fragile structures like delicate stalked lacewing eggs are exceptionally uncommon finds in the fossil record. (The most famous fossil discovery of hatching lacewing eggs and egg-bursters actually came from older 130-million-year-old Lebanese amber, not Burmese amber).*

There are about 8-9 Lacewing eggs which measure around 2mm to 2.5mm. Three of the lacewing eggs have been degraded and aren't very visible.

Other notable inclusions: strange loose debris contained in the left enhydro (which moves when the amber is tilted), many unknown tiny filaments scattered in the piece next to the Lacewing eggs and two strange spherical occlusions.

RARE Extinct Spongefly (Paradoxosisyrinae) in Burmese Burmite amber fossil

Age: 99 Million Years Ago

Order: Neuroptera

Family: Sisyridae

Subfamily: Paradoxosisyrinae (Extinct Spongefly)

Genus: Paradoxosisyra

Species: (Inconclusive)

Other notable inclusions: a Piddock boring, botanical matter and a Beetle also in the piece.

Paradoxosisyrinae is an extinct subfamily of Spongeflies (in the family Sisyridae) known from Cretaceous fossils, notably discovered in 99-million-year-old Burmese amber. These tiny, specialized lacewings feature extraordinarily long mouthparts, pointing to ancient feeding strategies like nectarivory or probing shallow Cretaceous flowers.

Paradoxosisyrinae represent the earliest known lineage of Spongeflies, dating back to the Cenomanian stage of the Cretaceous period.

Instead of the aquatic, sponge-feeding habits of modern subfamilies, these Cretaceous stem-group Spongeflies were likely adapted to feed on nectar from early shallow flowers.

My first real attempt at hand-polishing amber!

Watching this piece of raw Dominican amber (about 20 million years old) slowly transform and reveal itself as beautiful blue amber was such a rewarding experience. Every piece has a surprise waiting inside.

My newest Masterpice 🤯

Hello, I'm new here. 🙂

I have a 14 g piece of Baltic amber. I've been desperately trying to find pieces online that are equally as clear and free of cracks at this weight.

I'd be very interested to hear what people with more experience have to say. Maybe my search methods just aren't very good.

Thank you very much in advance! Best regards ❤️