Mineral: amber
Locality: Wadi Jezzine, Jezzine District, South Governorate, Lebanon
Dimensions: 7.5 x 8 x 6 cm

Description: Mass: 220 g MIM number:1809 Block of polished amber of beautiful dark color with multiple transparent areas, and other more included parts. This is the largest polished amber block of Lebanon, which is also one of the oldest in the world (over 130 Ma, against about 44 Ma for the Baltic amber for instance). This piece was found in Wadi Jezzine (below the waterfall) by Dr. Dany Azar (Lebanese University) and Simon Haddad on 19/07/2014 in layers of pre-Jezzinian time, that is to say in the lower Barremian layers (130-135 Ma). It is certainly older because other pieces found in the same layer have surface pits, suggesting that they have had time to harden (no less than 2 million years after their formation), as pits are due to lithophagous marine organism which do not attack amber before it has completely hardened. This block has been carefully polished by Dr. Azar who offered it to mim. Photographer: AINU / Augustin de Valence Publication: "101 Minéraux et Pierres Précieuses qu'il faut avoir vus dans sa vie"

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