Loading Spinner

Insect & Amber Fossils

Hard as stone, amber is the fossilized remnant of the resin that once flowed through tree tissues. Brilliant in color, amber has the added benefit of often trapping in its core insects and other flora, transforming the simply beautiful solid into an historical time capsule.

Amber has played a crucial role throughout history as means of personal adornment. Considered by many early cultures to have talismanic properties, amber was once worn to protect the individual. As it warms to body temperature, amber is considered particularly powerful in warding off or remedying various diseases. Amber has also been used a gemstone of sorts, as its rich, warm shades of yellow and brown are a fitting complement to skin tones as well as other gems.

Amber has also been appreciated more recently for the small bits of prehistory that it holds. The study of these contents has proved particularly important in science's understanding of prehistoric biomes. They have also become the object of some of the world's greatest collections. It is important to note that not all amber is old enough to include remnants of the dinosaur age, and the art of amber forgery has unfortunately grown in popularity since the 19th century. Nevertheless, the discovery of an authentic piece of amber deserves celebration.


Quick Facts

  • The ancient Greeks were rumored to put a small fragment of amber in their wine vessels as a preservative
  • From golden honey and butterscotch to green and citrine, amber has more than 250 identified shades
  • The largest hunk of amber ever unearthed was discovered on the island of Borneo. Initially, it weighed 150 pounds, but was broken into smaller pieces as it was extracted from the ground

Recommended Items at Auction

See all items

bp parity badge
Two Root Amber Large Slices
Feb 21, 11:00 AM PST
Two Root Amber Large Slices
by Wealthier Art & Auction
Est: $50- $60
$10016 Bids
Vintage Ornately Carved Solid Red Amber SKULL
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Vintage Ornately Carved Solid Red Amber SKULL
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$152 Bids
Insects in Polished Copal Amber
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Insects in Polished Copal Amber
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
Copal Amber Group with Insect Inclusions
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Copal Amber Group with Insect Inclusions
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £40- £60
£51 Bid
Amber with Insect Inclusion
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Amber with Insect Inclusion
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
Insects in Polished Copal Amber
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Insects in Polished Copal Amber
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
Insects in Copal
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Insects in Copal
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
Unpolished Natural Amber Group
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Unpolished Natural Amber Group
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
Unpolished Natural Amber Group
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Unpolished Natural Amber Group
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£51 Bid
bp parity badge
Large Fossilized Amber Sculpture
Feb 21, 11:00 AM PST
Large Fossilized Amber Sculpture
by Wealthier Art & Auction
Est: $50- $100
$300 Bids
Clear orange, bright amber drop with Rare Filigree
Feb 22, 11:00 AM CET
Clear orange, bright amber drop with Rare Filigree
by Henry's Auktionshaus
Est: €625- €1,100
€6000 Bids
Clear honey color AMBER-CABOCHON with
Feb 22, 11:00 AM CET
Clear honey color AMBER-CABOCHON with
by Henry's Auktionshaus
Est: €750- €1,400
€7500 Bids
bp parity badge
Fossilized Amber Large Sculpture
Feb 21, 11:00 AM PST
Fossilized Amber Large Sculpture
by Wealthier Art & Auction
Est: $50- $100
$200 Bids
bp parity badge
KIMBER MODEL 84M .204 RUGER CALIBER VARMINT RIFLE
Mar 01, 11:00 AM EST
KIMBER MODEL 84M .204 RUGER CALIBER VARMINT RIFLE
by Centurion Auctions
Est: $700- $1,000
$5250 Bids
Insects in Polished Amber
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Insects in Polished Amber
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £40- £60
£50 Bids
Insects in Copal
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
Insects in Copal
by TimeLine Auctions
Est: £30- £40
£50 Bids
Clear Honey Colored Round Amber With One LargeScorpion
Feb 22, 11:00 AM CET
Clear Honey Colored Round Amber With One LargeScorpion
by Henry's Auktionshaus
Est: €675- €1,200
€6500 Bids
bp parity badge
Large piece of amber of 339 g in caramel color,
Mar 01, 11:00 AM CET
Large piece of amber of 339 g in caramel color,
by Auktionshaus Eppli
Est: €350- €500
€3400 Bids

Sellers Who Sell Insect & Amber Fossils


TimeLine Auctions

TimeLine Auctions

Henry's Auktionshaus

Henry's Auktionshaus

Wealthier Art & Auction

Wealthier Art & Auction

Auktionshaus Eppli

Auktionshaus Eppli