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

A small, partially broken nodule of amber from the West Open Pit Mine in Fushun, China, weighing .8g and measuring (mm) 15x11x10. 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.