Dominican amber

Dominican amber is found on the island of Hispaniola, almost exclusively in the territory of the Dominican Republic. Among the amber deposits in the world of Dominican amber has regard to its wealth of fossil inclusions after the Baltic amber are the most important. However, it was in 1987 taken by the government in Santo Domingo that amber fossils are only allowed with the express permission of the National Museum of Natural History out of the country. Nevertheless, the collection of the State Museum of Natural History ( Lion Gate Museum ) in Stuttgart is probably the most important scientific collection Dominican amber with inclusions organic world.

Furthermore, the popularity of Dominican amber is based on the large number of clear pieces that excellently suitable for jewelery making and its variety of colors, including the rare "Blue Amber ", the " color" is due to fluorescent molecules. An offer several explanations for the origin of this color variation is a subsequent heating of the fossil resin as a result of volcanic activity. The blue fluorescent Dominican amber has nothing to do with the blue Pectolite, which is sometimes processed in the same factories in Puerto Plata and in the same way and sold under the name Larimar as a gemstone.

The amber is predominantly mostly mined in shafts and tunnels by hand. Very small amounts go up to the present time on beach finds, in particular as to the Costambar ( Amber Coast ) designated stretch of coast near Puerto Plata back. Sometimes big individual pieces are found with a weight of several kilograms lot.

Deposits and age

Amber in the areas Cordillera Oriental and Cordillera Septentrional in Hispaniola stored in tertiary sandstone. Because of holes is believed that there are still considerable amounts Bernstein. The Cordillera Septentrional are predominantly covered by sedimentary rock tertiary age. Most amber mines in this mountain region occur ( Poinar uses the term " Altamira facies of the El Mamey Formation ") in the La Toca formation. In this formation there is a rounded conglomerates with pebbles interspersed shale - sandstone. Frequently occur on organic material and extensive coal transitions, where the amber is lignitischem sandstone or the Lignitgängen. On the basis of coccoliths the age of the shale and sandstone of El Mamey 40 million years ago ( Upper Eocene ) was determined. Iturraldo - Vinent indicates that all amber mines in the Dominican Republic in approximately 15 to 20 million years ( Middle Miocene ) dated La Toca Formation and of about the same age Yanigua lineup are created. According to ( somewhat controversial ) opinion of some authors the found in Miocene amber deposit was partially migrated. Paläoentomologische studies show that Dominican amber is definitely probably younger than Baltic amber. Small, Amber amounts found in coal deposits of Miocene age on the neighboring island of Costa Rica and amber finds in Jamaica are probably the same genesis as Dominican amber.

Resin producer

Based on the findings in amber plant is assumed that the resin from which the Dominican amber created was generated by the tree Hymenaea protera. This fossil species of leguminous plants was most similar to the extant tree Hymenaea verrucosa, which is found in East Africa and the offshore islands. A related species ( Hymenaea courbaril ) comes today in the Dominican Republic before, the local name is " Algarrobo ". Investigations by means of infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry confirmed the similarity of the Dominican amber with the resin of Recent Hymenaea species, in particular the Hymenaea verrucosa.

History

Historical reports of amber in the Dominican Republic, up to the diaries of Christopher Columbus traced. Again and again, also reports on Indian jewelry, which is made from amber. The first hints about organic inclusions in Dominican amber dates from the year 1939. During the 30 years of the 20th century, also a company from the U.S. has tried to promote the Dominican amber, but put his activities a, as the tunnel after a water intrusion collapsed. On the German market Dominican amber came only in the 1970s.

Amber promotion on Hispaniola

The amber -bearing formations extend via both countries (Dominican Republic and Haiti) in the Caribbean island. A systematic promotion of amber, however, is known only from the Dominican Republic. Although the occurrence in Haiti are probably also not insignificant, over here, there are few information. It is certain that it has been found in the central plateau of Haiti Bernstein in a lignite deposit.

The mining extraction in the Dominican Republic covers the area around Puerto Plata and Santiago ( Cordillera Septentrional ), and - further east - in Bayaguana in the Cordillera Oriental. In the vicinity of La Toca ( north-east of Santiago), the amber is produced from both open pits So, from the slope -driven, low-pitched narrow tunnel with a depth of up to about 100 meters, by being knocked out of the bedrock. These studs are usually exploited within three years. The shafts and tunnels are created disorganized, are inadequately secured and run, especially in the rainy season, often full of water. Similarly, the extraction of amber occurs in almost all other mining areas in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. As a particularly productive the mines are in the area of Palo Alto (north of Santiago). In the Cordillera Oriental, the desired material is obtained also in the Duckelbergbau. Such wells are usually exploited in a few weeks. Reliable information on the number of actively operated mines, tunnels and shafts are not available. But it is estimated that around 3,000 workers in the Amber encouraging active, many of which are seasonal. Since in a system significantly less than ten people are usually busy, should reduce the number of active " mines " in the hundreds, which the abandoned well into the thousands.

Economic importance for the country

In addition to the more or less regular employees in the " mines " ( 3000 ) between 500 and 1000 artisans are engaged in the processing of the raw material. The number of persons employed in sales regularly goes far beyond 1000. The total funding of one year subject to wide fluctuations, but does not exceed five tons addition. Although this amount represents only about 1% of that at the Baltic amber, Dominican amber is from a commercial perspective of the world's most important after the Baltic amber.