Fushun Amber (Guchenzgi Fm., 56-50 Ma)

A small run of amber from the West Open Pit Mine in Fushun, China, weighing .7g and measuring (mm) 11x15x9; note the several flow lines of successive runs. The mine was closed in 2019, but small pieces of amber are still recovered from coal found in the gangue piles; it is separated from the matrix by mechanical action and immersion in large vats of saltwater solution, and recovered with netting as it collects at the surface. This material is hard, takes a high polish, and is often shaped and drilled to make beads. Its chemical and spectrographic signatures indicate this amber is derived from a cupressaceous source.