Where to Buy Real Insects in Amber Online: A Collector's Guide

Meta Description: Learn how to buy real insects in amber online, spot fakes, and explore museum-grade Burmese and Dominican amber fossils available now on AmberBugs.com.

Mike: Hey, so I’ve always been fascinated by amber with bugs inside. Like, real fossilized insects. But every time I search online, I get overwhelmed. How do I even know what's legit?

Me : Great question — and honestly, it’s one of the most common ones I get. There's a huge difference between real amber with actual fossil inclusions and the mass-produced resin fakes that flood Etsy and eBay. If you’re serious about collecting or even just owning a real piece of prehistoric history, the key is knowing what to look for — and where to buy it.

1. First off — yes, you can buy real amber with insects online

There are legit sources (like AmberBugs.com) where we sell museum-grade amber that’s 100% real and sourced from scientifically significant deposits in Myanmar (Burmese amber) and the Dominican Republic.

Each piece is millions of years old — we're talking up to 100 million years for Burmese amber — and often contains preserved insects, arachnids, and even enhydro water bubbles.

So yes, you absolutely can buy the real thing. The trick is knowing what separates real from fake.

2. What makes an amber piece real?

Mike: So how do I tell if a piece is real or not?

Me: Here's a breakdown:

• Age and Origin: Authentic amber is fossilized tree resin that’s millions of years old. Burmese amber is about 99–100 million years old (Cretaceous), while Dominican amber is usually 15–30 million years old (Miocene).

• Scientific Inclusions: The insects inside should match the period. If you're seeing modern-looking flies or ants with bright colors and pristine wings? That’s probably a fake.

• No bubbles, no seams: Resin fakes are often made in molds, so they’ll have telltale signs — mold seams, air bubbles, or insects that look too "posed."

• Flow lines & ENHYDROs: Real amber often shows flow lines — streaks left by the original tree resin flow — and sometimes ENHYDRO bubbles (pockets of ancient trapped water). Here's a real ENHYDRO with a beetle.

• 

  Amber with enhydros at the bootom

  

  Enhydros in amber under magnification

• Trust your source: This is the biggest one. Buy from someone who actually understands amber and who can tell you about the piece — not just someone reselling mystery fossils online.

3. Okay, so where should I buy amber with insects?

Mike: I'm guessing you're going to say AmberBugs.com?

Me: I mean, yeah — but here's why. AmberBugs is built for serious collectors, amateur scientists, teachers, and curious fossil nerds who want access to the same quality material you’d see in a museum exhibit.

Each specimen comes from verified deposits and is inspected in-house. We include identification info, locality data, and the best photos we can get with our microscope rigs.

Some examples:

• Mosquito in Burmese amber — likely 99 million years old

• Crane fly with ENHYDRO — Dominican, 20–30 million years old

• Crane fly + stingless bees — rare combination specimen

And we’re always adding new finds.

4. Why Burmese and Dominican amber?

Mike: I see those names all the time. Why are they the big ones?

Me: Because they’re the two most important fossil amber deposits on Earth:

• Burmese amber (Myanmar):

  • 99–100 million years old

  • Cretaceous period — same time as the dinosaurs

  • Often holds primitive, extinct insects, feather fragments, and even marine shells

• Dominican amber:

  • Younger (15–30 million years old)

  • Often clearer, great for visible inclusions

  • Can contain stingless bees, long-legged flies, and ENHYDROs

Buying from these deposits ensures that what you’re getting is both scientifically valuable and legally sourced, especially when purchased through a verified seller like us.

5. What kind of inclusions can you expect?

Mike: I saw someone on TikTok with a scorpion in amber. Is that real?

Me: In rare cases, yes. We’ve had some pseudo-scorpions and scorpion tails in Burmese amber, and they’re incredible.

But more commonly, here’s what you'll see:

• Mosquitoes and crane flies (like this one)

• Beetles and ants

• Spiders and mites

• Feathers (from early birds or dinosaurs — we had one with a double rachis!)

• Ticks, roaches, and plant matter

• ENHYDRO bubbles — sealed liquid pockets that are millions of years old

Every piece is unique. It’s like owning a 100-million-year-old crime scene in a gem.

6. What does "museum-grade" actually mean?

Mike: I see you use the phrase "museum-grade" a lot. What makes something worthy of a museum?

Me: Great question. To us, “museum-grade” means:

• Clear enough to study the fossil inside

• Scientifically interesting inclusion — not just plant debris

• Sourced from a known and important locality

• Preserved well enough to show identifiable features

• Aesthetic presentation — well-polished, nice shape, no major cracks

It’s not a legal certification — it’s a standard we hold ourselves to when selecting which pieces to offer. We turn down 90% of the material we see.

7. How much does real amber with insects cost?

Mike: So what’s the price range I should expect?

Me: That depends on the rarity and visibility of the inclusion, the clarity of the amber, the polish, and even the shape. But here’s a rough breakdown:

• Common inclusions (flies, ants, etc.): $20–$80

• Well-preserved insects (mosquitoes, crane flies): $100–$300 (Example)

• Rare inclusions (pseudo-scorpions, ENHYDROs, feathers): $300–$1000+ (See here)

You don’t have to break the bank to get something amazing, but if you’re hunting for rare pieces, prices go up — fast.

8. Final advice for first-time buyers

Mike: I’m sold. Anything I should know before making my first purchase?

Me: Yeah — just this:

• Buy from someone who can answer questions. If they don’t know the origin or can’t ID the insect, that’s a red flag.

• Start with a clear piece. You’ll appreciate the inclusion way more than a cloudy one.

• Join the community. Follow amber sellers on TikTok, comment, ask questions. Amber collectors are some of the most helpful fossil people out there.

• Support small science. Buying real amber from good sellers funds more fossil education, conservation, and exploration.

Mike: That was way more helpful than I expected. I just wanted a bug in a rock, and now I want to build a collection.

Me: That’s how it starts, man. First a mosquito… then a tick… then a scorpion tail. Welcome to the Amber Army.

Explore museum-grade amber fossils now at www.AmberBugs.com.