Insect in Amber — Ant Cluster — Display Grade

$191.56
Chemical FormulaFossil resin
Crystal System
Mohs Hardness
Specific Gravity
Luster
Transparency

Social insects — ants, bees, termites — evolved their complex societies in the Eocene or earlier, and Baltic amber preserves them in behavioral poses: workers, queens, males, and s…

15 in stock

SKU: TC-FOS-0646
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Description

There are objects in this world that carry the weight of unimaginable time. Social insects — ants, bees, termites — evolved their complex societies in the Eocene or earlier, and Baltic amber preserves them in behavioral poses: workers, queens, males, and sometimes entire colonies trapped together. An ant preserved in amber carries all the social information of its species frozen 44 million years ago. Evolution runs on deep time.

This specimen originates from Baltic Region, Poland/Russia, one of the world’s most significant localities for this type of material. Collectors and scientists have drawn from this region for generations, and for good reason: the combination of geological conditions here produces specimens of exceptional quality and clarity.

Every specimen is unique. Photographs approximate the visual experience, but the real thing — its weight, its luster under a raking light, the way it catches the corner of your eye — can only be experienced directly.

Formation

Fossilization is a rare event: fewer than 1 in 10,000 organisms ever become fossils, and even fewer survive to be collected. This specimen represents a successful preservation — chemistry, burial, and geological luck combining to maintain structural detail across millions of years.

Locality

Insect in Amber — Ant Cluster — Display Grade from Baltic Region, Poland/Russia. This locality is known for producing specimens of exceptional quality.

Collector Notes

Dust with a soft brush; avoid water for soft minerals (hardness below 4).