Dominican Amber (La Toca Fm. [Mamey Group], 20.43-13.65 Ma)

A sizeable specimen originating from the La Toca Mine, Cordillera Septentrional, Santiago Province, Dominican Republic; specimen weighs 145.0g and measures 120x88x40mm. There are numerous visible flow lines, which are evidence of successive resin flows, each previous layer being slightly oxidized (discoloration): most of the layers in this piece are coated in small particulates. This piece is a transverse section of what was once a massive flow of resin-turned-amber, as evidenced by the raw outer "crust" with slight matrix on its three sides; the flow was likely formed as resin traveled downward along a deep groove in the resin-producing tree's trunk. There are no observable insect inclusions.