Where to Buy Real Insects in Amber - 3 Tips from a Museum-Grade Dealer (And where NOT to buy!)

We all know that there is fake amber out there, and no one wants to be duped into buying some plastic resin that someone put a bug inside. 

A scorpion tail is Myanmar amber. 100 million years old.

I run www.AmberBugs.com, where we specialize in Museum-Grade amber with bugs inside. The kind that is anywhere from 20 million years old, to 100 million years old and has insect fossils of extinct species that saw the dinosaurs with their own eyes. I’ve been helping collectors build world-class fossil collections through items on our website, and our livestream sales on TikTok. We stream our unboxing of mine-direct amber packages from every major amber mine in the world. Here are 3 expert tips for how to buy real insects in amber, and places to avoid buying your amber. 

Tip #1: Make Sure it’s Real Amber - Not Plastic, or Copal

There are two main things you want to check for when purchasing: Obvious fake plastic amber, and Copal

First of all, the obvious fakes. Amazon.com is full of fake amber, and almost devoid of real amber. How can you tell the fakes? They are too perfect. Real amber has imperfections, character, and oddities. Fake plastic amber always looks the same: A giant, colorful, perfectly placed insect, encased in a amber-colored plastic. And it will have no imperfections.

Also, the shape of the plastic is usually uniform, like a square or oval. They may come in keychains, or packs of multiple pieces that are all too similar. Fake amber usually costs $5 or less, where as real amber has it’s price. Once you learn to spot these fake ambers, it will be easy. They are usually pretty obvious. If it’s too perfect and too cheap, it’s probably fake amber. 

Fake plastic amber on a Keychain. Bought on Amazon

Second of all, the Copal. Copal is the young version of amber: It’s a real tree resin, with real insects. The caveat? It’s not fossilized. Copal can be anywhere from a few years old to a few hundred years old, but it’s never fully fossilized. This one is a little harder to distinguish because it is so similar to amber. Copal is cheaper, and more abundant. But sellers often sell copal as amber, when in fact it is not. Here are some of copal’s distinguishing characteristics.

1- It’s pale yellow, usually not a richer yellow like amber. Sometimes it’s almost colorless.

2- It has a lot of clear insect inclusions. While we love insect inclusions, it’s important to distinguish copal from amber because it’s a modern day tree resin, not an ancient one.

3- Copal is much cheaper than amber.

4- pieces can be very large, for very cheap.

Colombian copal. More pale color than amber, which is more yellow. Undeniably beautiful, but not fossilized amber.

Copal comes from 2 places: Colombia, and Madagascar. If you see “Colombian Amber” or “Madagascar Amber,” you can be sure that it’s not real amber. 

The Caveat with Copal? It’s beautiful and has impressive inclusions. On a personal level, I love copal, I just dislike how it is mis-represented as amber.

Tip #2: Don’t Just Buy Any Amber - Look for Inclusions

Some amber is gorgeous, but empty. In fact most amber that is mined doesn’t have insects inside, they are quite rare. But the amber with insects are the ones that truly fascinate us, and help science establish our evolutionary records. If you are collecting for science, investment, or the thrill of discovery, what matters most is the inclusion - The insect, the bubble with ancient water, the ancient leaf, the mammal’s foot, and so on. 

Clear Dominican amber. Beautiful, but no inclusions. This amber is plentiful.

A piece with an inclusion inside is worth exponentially more than an empty amber piece. A well-fed mosquito, a moth with it’s wings splayed out perfectly, an extinct Hell-Ant with vertical jaws? This is the difference between decorative amber, and Museum-Grade amber.

Burmese amber (Burmite) with a spider and spiderwebs inclusions. This is a museum-grade inclusion because the spider is full-body and very clear.

The Caveat? Amber has rare colors, that can also be valuable to collectors, even without insects. Blue amber, for example, is amber that captured forest fire smoke. This can sell for up to $300 a gram in some markets. I will write another blog post on amber colors later. 

Blue Dominican Amber. Caused by forest fire smoke being trapped in the amber. Even without insects inclusions, rare colors like these can fetch a high price.

Tip #3: Vet the Seller

It’s important to know your seller, because they are the ones personally acquiring the amber to curate and sell you. You want someone who:-Knows which country and mine it came from

-Shows the piece under magnification

-Shows the piece under UV light

-Offers educational information and close up details

-Doesn’t hide flaws - amber may have cracks or imperfect inclusions, which is natural

Our TikTok channel, where we host live feeds of high quality amber at 4PM PST every Mon-Thurs.

A real amber dealer will be transparent about sourcing, age, insects, and scientific context. On my TikTok and Youtube (@AmberBugs), I unbox hundreds of amber insects and teach people how to spot fakes, how to test amber, and what qualities make amber valuable. 

Want to See Real Amber?

My website has hundred of authentic insects in amber. I also host daily livestreams on TikTok (@AmberBugs) where you can buy insects in amber directly. All pieces are tested, shown in great detail, and ID’d to the best of my ability using an encyclopedia of information and my 10+ years of experience. 

Browse available specimens for sale now at http://www.AmberBugs.com

Whether you are just starting your collection, or you are looking for that one-in-a-million fossil from the time of the dinosaurs, my shop has authentic insects in amber from every major deposit. And it comes with scientific confidence, and some of the best pricing online. Happy collecting!