Have you ever wanted to own a piece of amber dating back over 100 million years and containing an insect or the feathers of a small dinosaur? Amber is fossilized tree resin which has been appreciated for its beauty for decades and sometime acts as a time capsule trapping whatever falls into it before it hardens. But how were this beautiful pieces actually found? Find out more about the origin of amber below and visit our Fossils auctions where we have some great pieces of history waiting for a new home.
A forbidden love story
A very popular story about the origin of amber is a story from Lithuania of Queen Jüratè and fisherman Kastytis. Jüratè lived under the Baltic Sea in a beautiful amber castle, where she ruled the sea and all creatures therein. One day her peaceful life was disturbed by Kastytis, when he was fishing. To maintain peace in the sea, the queen wanted to punish the fisherman, but instead of punishing Kastytis, Jüratè fell in love with him. When Perkûnas, the god of thunder, found out about the forbidden love, he became furious and destroyed the amber castle. This is why, according to the legend, pieces of amber come ashore after storms in the Baltic Sea. The amber is also known as the tears of Queen Jüratè.
Sticky substance
For a more scientific explanation on amber we have to travel back millions of years, to the southern regions of present-day Scandinavia and regions nearby the bed of the Baltic Sea. Conifer trees grew in these area and as the climate grew warmer the conifers started to release sticky substance known as resin. Over time, the resin would harden and form amber as we know it today.
Frozen in time
The resins of the ancient conifer trees started out very fluid, but solidified very quickly through evaporation. Due to its stickiness, a fly or an ant easily got caught in the resin and because the resin solidified very quickly, the insects remained trapped for centuries, frozen in time.
The insects were mostly trapped while still alive. Most insects that are trapped, are perfectly preserved inside the amber; the tiniest hairs and scales can be seen.
The history of the amber stones is almost as colourful as the stone itself, you can find these stones in our weekly Fossils auctions. Take a look and find your very own tear of Queen Jüratè or prehistoric time capsule. If you already own some beautiful pieces of amber and are looking to sell them, you can register here to become a seller and start offering up your amber or other treasures for auction on Catawiki.