This is a GORGEOUS, GEM QUALITY piece of Burmite Amber with a Rare Ant from the late Cretaceous of Myanmar! The ant is in PRISTINE condition, with all legs, segments, and antennae articulated and showing fantastic detail! The ant measures about 4 mm which is fairly large for a burmite insect which usually measure about 1 mm! The amber is a beautiful light citrine with EXCELLENT GEM QUALITY clarity! It comes with a 1.5 x 2 inch picture of the ant with a label detailing the age and location the piece was found as shown in the pictures! Makes a fantastic gift for fossil and science lovers, or a stone in jewelry!
At 99 million years old, burmite ants are among the oldest if not the oldest ant fossils in the world, dating to the time when ants as a family (Formicidae) first evolved!
Amber is petrified tree resin (not sap, resin is much thicker). It forms when trees secrete resin, and the resin is quickly washed away by water and deposited in a lake where it is covered by sediment (if the resin isn’t washed away it decomposes or gets eaten). Along the way, small particles of dust, bits of plant material, and even small animals like insects and lizards can become trapped in the resin which hardens and preserves whatever is trapped within (aka inclusions). Myanmar amber, also known as Burmite, is world renowned gem quality amber known for excellent inclusions of insects, plants, and even small vertebrates! The preservation in amber can be so good it inspired a major portion of Jurassic Park, where blood sucking insects trapped in amber provided the DNA needed to clone dinosaurs! While the science of cloning dinosaurs from amber is, for better or worse, not a reality the pristine fossils of small animals that are rarely fossilized in any other way is very real! Makes for a terrific addition to any fossil collection or even a gem for high end jewelry!
Fake Amber is a plague on the fossil market, this piece has been tested to guarantee authenticity!
I do combined shipping upon request.
All my items come with a Certificate of Authenticity!
Inclusions: Ant
Size: 4 mm (Ant)
Clarity: Incredible
Color: Light Citrine
Found: Hukawng Valley, Myanmar
Age: 99 million years old
Alteration: polished