“Is That a Scorpion in Amber?” – A Collector's First Visit to the Amber Office

Your ultimate guide to real amber fossils, Enhydro bubbles, rare inclusions, and the difference between Dominican and Burmese amber.

Mike: I can’t believe I’m finally here in the amber office! I’ve been watching your TikToks forever. You really sell these live?

Ryan: Every week, Mike. Real amber fossils, museum grade, and straight out of the field — mostly from Myanmar and the Dominican Republic. Want to hold a 100-million-year-old scorpion tail?

Mike (laughing): Wait… was that a scorpion in amber?

Ryan: Yep. That piece right there? That’s Burmese amber, about 99–100 million years old, and that inclusion is a scorpion telson — basically the tail and stinger. Go ahead, take a look.

Scorpion tail in Burmese Amber

🟡 What Is Museum Grade Amber?

Mike: Okay, I’ve seen you mention "museum grade" a bunch of times. What makes something museum grade?

Ryan: Great question. Museum grade amber means the piece has at least one of these traits:

• Extremely rare inclusion (like a scorpion, snail, or a winged ant in mid-flight)

• Exceptional clarity or preservation

• Enhydro features (more on that in a sec)

• Large size with intact flow lines or polish

Not every inclusion fossil is museum quality. Sometimes it's about the story it tells. L ike a baby cricket curled under its mother or an assassin bug with visible eyes.

Museum-Grade Neuroptera in Burmese Amber

🔬 Real Amber with Insects vs Fake Stuff

Mike: How can you identify real amber? I've seen so many fakes on eBay.

Ryan: You're not wrong — it’s a jungle out there. Here’s the cheat sheet:

• Real amber will usually show flow lines — streaks or striations from the resin as it hardened.

• Under UV light, Dominican amber glows blue, while Burmese amber often glows purple.

• Fakes are often glass or plastic. If you see “perfect” insects standing upright with no distortion — run.

• Most authentic amber with insects shows some distortion, and real fossils are typically surrounded by plant matter, bubbles, or debris.

Look at this piece pictured on the left — might be a lacewing or even a dragonfly, all four wings are visible. And that’s the real deal.

What’s an Enhydro Amber Fossil?

Mike: Okay, you keep saying “ENHYDRO” — what does that even mean?

Ryan: Enhydro just means there’s liquid trapped inside the amber — often prehistoric water or gas bubbles. Sometimes the bubble moves when you tilt it, and some even contain microscopic organisms.

It’s like holding a tiny time capsule from the Cretaceous period. You can see one at⏱️ 46:45.

Mike: Wait. So you’re telling me I can buy enhdyro amber with bubbles that are 100 million years old?

Ryan: Exactly. That’s why these sell out fast. Especially the clear ones where you can see the bubble dancing around.

Enhydro bubbles in Bumese Amber

Dominican Amber for Sale vs Burmese Amber: What’s the Difference?

Mike: So… Dominican vs Burmese. What’s the better amber?

Ryan: Here’s the breakdown:

Feature	Burmese Amber	Dominican Amber
Age	~99 million years (Cretaceous)	~16–20 million years (Miocene)
Clarity	Often golden, red, or multicolored	Usually honey
Inclusions	Extremely diverse, including feathers, scorpions, ticks	Less diverse but often clearer
Source	Myanmar (conflict-prone)	Dominican Republic (ethical mines)
Glow	White/yellow under UV	Blue under UV

If you want museum-grade ancient fossils, go Burmese.If you want blue amber glow and clean clarity, go Dominican.

Check out this blue Dominican amber ring at⏱️ 2:39:00 — insane clarity.

The Wildest Insects in Amber This Week

Mike:What’s the coolest fossil you’ve sold recently?

Ryan:Oh man… today’s haul was wild.

Let’s go through the greatest hits:

• Baby crickets riding on a larger cricket⏱️ 1:09:00 — rare family behavior fossilized.

• A massive assassin bug⏱️ 1:12:30 — with perfect legs, visible eyes, and great color.

• Pseudo-scorpion in Burmese amber⏱️ 1:14:50 — tiny but fierce, with pincers clearly visible.

• Centipede with all its legs extended⏱️ 1:17:00 — rare to see these without breakage.

• Mayfly or damselfly⏱️ 1:18:40 — beautiful clear wing structure.

• 
  

Each of these was a one-of-one fossil. Real amber with insects like this isn’t mass produced — it’s what you get when you're pulling from the ancient forest floor.

Does Amber Preserve DNA?

Mike: Be honest — is there any chance we could extract DNA from this stuff?

Ryan: Short answer: no — not like in Jurassic Park.

But long answer? Sometimes. Researchers have found fragmentary DNA in amber, especially from younger Dominican pieces. The resin preserves soft tissues and cell structures really well, which is why we can identify things like tick mouthparts or wasp antennae.

No dinosaurs yet, but the right inclusion — like a midge with blood in its belly — is the stuff of dreams.

Amber Fossils for Sale – Where to Start?

Mike: Okay… you’ve got me. I need to start collecting. Where do I even begin?

Ryan: Start small:

• Look for Dominican amber for sale with clear inclusions — great learning tools.

• Try a cheap Burmese piece with flow lines or a small insect.

• Ask me during a livestream for help picking — I’ll walk you through it in real time.

And always look for keywords like:

• Museum grade amber

• Buy ENHYDRO amber

• Real amber with insects

• Scorpion in amber

• Amber fossils for sale

That’s how you find the good stuff, whether it's on my website or anywhere else.

Mike: Man, this was awesome. I feel like I just took a mini course on amber.

Ryan: That’s the goal. The livestream isn’t just a shop — it’s a fossil museum that moves. And now you’re part of it.

Want to start your own amber collection? Shop real amber with insects, enhydro fossils, and rare inclusions at AmberBugs.com. Or join us live on TikTok every week — you might just snag your dream fossil.