Alaskan Amber (Beluga Fm. [Kenai Group], ~11.6-5.3 Ma)

11g of waterworn amber from the beaches near Homer, Alaska; this town is situated on the shores of the Cook Inlet on the western half of the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage. A few geological Formations (Kenai Group) in the nearby area contain coal reserves, but mainly the Beluga Fm. is exposed along the beaches of Homer to Anchor Point: this Formation is of freshwater origin, and comprises layers of sandstone, siltstone, and coal. The Pliocene-aged Sterling Fm. is located slightly farther inland, with numerous streams cutting through it and emptying into the Cook Inlet, however this Formation does not contain much coal. There were a few coal mines north and south of Tustumena Lake, back in the late-19th to mid-20th centuries: the Bluff Point Mine, west of Homer, was active from 1899-1951.