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The consistent, high translucency and frequent occurrence of fossil
inclusions in the amber of the Dominican Republic, make the fossilized
Hymenaea tree resin from this location, of the highest quality and of
greatest interest to scientific minds, collectors and museums.
The amber is mined through the dangerous practice of ‘bell pitting’.
Labourers employ primitive hand tools such as machetes, shovels and
picks to carve small ‘foxholes’ that they crawl through on hands and
knees into 100% humidity and darkness in search of the aged bounty.
Yet despite the hazards associated with attaining the amber, the
commodity was not considered ‘precious’ for many years and the brave
Dominicans who source the amber as a means of providing for their
families earned a variable and marginal income. Increased awareness
and likewise demand for the rare Dominican amber would stabilize the
market value, permitting miners the potential wage of 3,000 to 20,000
pesos (US$85 to $500) per week, exceeding the nation’s minimum wage
of 2,600 pesos per month in the public sector.
Directly contributing to this increased awareness was the establishment
of the Amber World Museum in 1996. Founder and president Jorge
Caridad notes themuseum “provided an avenue for giving back to society
the important and scientific meaning of these Dominican treasures.”
The museum is part of Caridad’s multifaceted family business module,
The amber is mined through the dangerous practice of ‘bell pitting’.
Labourers employ primitive hand tools such as machetes, shovels and
picks to carve small ‘foxholes’ that they crawl through on hands and
knees into 100% humidity and darkness in search of the aged bounty.