Mike Visits the Amber Table: What’s the Deal With Raw Amber, Insects, and Fossil Jewelry?

Ryan Zschomler
Jul 1
4 min read

Mike: I keep seeing your live shows blow up, man. People are buying amber like it’s going out of style. Be honest with me — is amber with insects actually valuable?

You: Good question, Mike — and yeah, 100%. Amber with insects is incredibly collectible. The value depends on a few things: species type, visibility, clarity, origin, and even age. For example, I sold a museum-grade Burmese mosquito last night — crazy clear — and it got scooped up fast for $45.

Mike: So what makes it "museum-grade"? I mean, isn’t all real amber kind of cool?

You: Sure, but “museum-grade” usually means crystal clarity, excellent preservation, and scientific value. You can literally see leg hairs, wing veins — sometimes even egg-laying behavior or mating pairs.

Mike: Hold up — bubbles? What are ENHYDROs?

You: ENHYDROs are trapped pockets of ancient air or water sealed in the amber. They're one of the most collectible features. When you shine a light or tilt the amber, you can often see the bubble move. We had a few Dominican raw pieces last night that were excellent ENHYDRO candidates, especially at 8:12.

**Raw Dominican amber that may have an enhydro**

Mike: Wild. So can you actually polish these raw pieces yourself? Like, is it something a beginner could do?

You: Totally. At 4:40, I was telling someone it’s better than video games for the kids. You can polish raw Dominican amber at home with simple sandpaper. And Dominican amber is the best in the world for finding insects. If you're just getting into it.

Mike: So why Dominican over, say, Mexican or Burmese amber?

You: Great distinction. Here’s the breakdown:

Dominican amber – 20 million years old, known for its clarity and bugs
Burmese amber (Myanmar) – 99 million years old, often darker, redder, with rarer inclusions
Mexican amber – 28 million years old, famous for color: red, green, ghosty layers

If you’re into color, Mexican is king. If you're into inclusions, Dominican is your best bet. For true ancient stuff? Go Burmese. You can hear that breakdown around 20:00.

Mike: Alright, next question: How do I know if amber is real?

You: A classic! Two fast ways:

Rub it — real amber smells like earth or clay when warmed by friction
Hit it with UV — it fluoresces a chalky blue-green glow. I show the glow live around 49:00

Also — I don’t sell fake amber. Everything on AmberBugs.com comes with a locality info card and full transparency.

Mike: I noticed you mentioned "flow lines" in the livestream. What are those?

You: Flow lines are internal structures formed as the resin moved and hardened. Think tree sap flowing in waves, layer by layer, then fossilizing. They show up as faint bands under UV or bright light. I demo that on a Burmese cube piece at 49:40.

They’re beautiful — and help authenticate that the amber is real. You can even see how ancient dirt or leaves settled between layers. Sometimes you get a real forest time capsule.

Mike: You mentioned ENHYDRO bubbles and flow lines... how often do they show up in Dominican amber?

You: More than you'd expect. We had raw Dominican pieces last night that clearly had bubbles, likely enhydro candidates. And if you're lucky, you can even polish your own and find insects.

Mike: Let’s talk pricing. I saw you drop a few pieces to below cost last night — what’s up with that?

You: Yup. That was our unpaid cart segment starting around 43:00. Basically, if someone claims an item and doesn’t pay, I re-release it at a discount. For example, a Dominican spider that was $65 got relisted at $55 and sold instantly.

Same goes for cabs, slabs, and mosquito pieces. If you're looking for amber fossils for sale at a steal, tune in during those segments.

Mike: Wait, did you just say Dominican mosquito — like Jurassic Park?

You: I did. In fact, Just like the movie. 20 million years old. No DNA preserved (we’ll get to that), but the preservation is jaw-dropping. Clear wings, proboscis, and everything.

Mike: Okay, so does amber preserve DNA?

You: It's a hot topic. Short answer: No DNA has ever been sequenced from amber inclusions. The organic material degrades over time. There are claims of short strands being preserved, but nothing Jurassic Park-level. That said, the preservation is often good enough to identify the genus or family.

You can hear me talk more about fossil preservation at 42:30 — especially in Burmese pieces.

Mike: Got it. Speaking of Burmese amber, what's the most special thing you sold from that batch? at 1:19:00. This one had incredible clarity, for 99-million-year-old amber.

Mike: Do you ever get jewelry-grade stuff, like amber teething necklaces or amber rings?

You: Yeah, and we’re expanding into that more this month. We had amber bracelets live at 1:17 — adjustable and made from real Myanmar amber.

Mike: So wait — are amber teething necklaces legit?

You: They're popular, especially Baltic amber ones. The idea is that amber contains succinic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. The science is mixed, but the aesthetic is real. And again, as long as you're buying real Baltic amber and using it safely, it's a beautiful tradition.

Mike: Alright, last one: if someone wants to start collecting amber fossils, where should they begin?

You: I always say start with: