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AMBER
VERSUS COPAL and
FAKE
AMBER FOSSIL INCLUSIONS
Dispelling
the Misinformation and Hype from Unscrupulous Fossil Dealers
The
issues surrounding purchasing genuine FOSSIL AMBER are two-fold and will be
discussed as such:
TOPIC 1
We must
BE
VERY WARY of being sold COPAL which is NOT TRUE FOSSIL AMBER
at all but a much younger form of tree resin. There IS a difference and
it can be identified. Furthermore, copal contains inclusions
of modern living life-forms whereas true fossil amber contains inclusions
mostly of EXTINCT prehistoric life.
TOPIC 2
We must make sure that
the substance being called amber is even genuine tree resin versus plastic
OR, that the inclusions are natural and not manmade - a problem in today's
amber market. This is true with any rare inclusions (flowers, lizards,
scorpions, bird feathers, mammal hair, reptilian skin, and blood filled
ticks). INCLUSIONS OF ANY
VERTEBRATES SHOULD BE HIGHLY SUSPECT AND AUTHENTICATED!
Before we
discuss the above points, we will first look at what exactly IS
fossil amber.
What is
AMBER?
by Garry
Platt (reprinted with permission),
edited
by Paleo Direct, Inc.
Amber is the ancient resin
of trees. The resin has gone through a number of changes over millions
of years. The result of this metamorphosis is an exceptional gem with
extraordinary properties. It is exploited and used by both craftsmen
and scientist.
It is probably only from
the Carboniferous onwards that land based plant species evolved capable of
producing resin which subsequently turned into amber. From that time on,
various tree species have produced different deposits of amber.
Tree Sources
The worlds two current
major deposits of true fossil amber, Dominican Republic and Baltic, had two separate tree
types which produced the original resin. The Baltic source tree has
been named Pinites succinifer. In appearance, it would have
probably resembled a pine or spruce tree and the forests in which it grew
were sub tropical in nature. It may not have looked unfamiliar
today. From
amongst the numerous inclusions found in Baltic amber other trees species
have been identified as being present. Some of the trees which must
have grown in the ancient amber forest are Cycadacea
(Ferns & Palms), Coniferae (Cypresses, Cedars, Pine, Thujas),
Juniperinae (Junipers), Fagaceae (Beeches and Oaks), Salicaceae (Willows),
Santalaceae (Sandalwoods), Magnoliaeae (Magnolias), Lauraceae (Laurels) and
Aceraceae (Maples).
The Dominican Republic
resin tree was Hymenaea protera for which had its origins in
Africa. Close relatives of this tree (Hymenaea verrucosa) still exist
within the sub continent of Africa and on some of the West Indian
islands.
Many of the major amber
deposits have had their tree source identified. Key amongst them are:
Country / Species Family
Alaska / Agathis
Undetermined plant family
Baltic / Pinites
succinifer
Burma / Nummulites
biaritzensis
Canada - Cedar Lake /
Agathis Undetermined plant family
Dominican Republic /
Hymenaea protera
Germany - Bitterfield /
Cupressospermum saxonicum (Now disputed)
Mexico - Chiapas /
Hymenaea Undetermined plant family
Middle East / Agathis
Undetermined plant family
Romania - Colti /
Sequoioxylon gypsaceum
In nearly all of these
cases, the climate under which these trees grew was sub tropical. The
climatic conditions where amber is now found may have changed dramatically
since the time of the resin bearing trees. The Baltic for instance is
no longer sub tropical.
It is interesting to note
that few potential amber forming forests now exist. The North Island
of New Zealand had in the earlier part of this year one of the most
extensive resin bearing forests in the world. This location produced
the famous kuari gum and the tree responsible for these massive deposits was
Agathis australis. Few of these trees now remain of the once huge
forests.
NEXT
TO
PAGE 2 - "Amber versus Copal"
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