Dominican Amber Treasures

AmberThe North Coast of the Dominican Republic is known for adventure travel and wide expanses of undeveloped beaches. It’s also known as La Costa Ámbar, or the Amber Coast. That doesn’t mean the beach sand or the picturesque sunsets are more amber-colored than other Caribbean islands. This area is a large source of the world’s amber, second only to the Baltic region.

Dominican amber can range in color from light yellow to blue. In fact, the blue variety is considered quite rare, and turns blue in natural sunlight and other light sources that contain UV light. The amber from this region also tends to contain a higher amount of fossil inclusions than Baltic amber.

If you’re an amber fan, check out these two places while in the Dominican Republic:

Museo del Ámbar Dominicano (Dominican Amber Museum). In the North Coast town of Puerto Plata, this museum houses a collection of amber pieces—one of which contains a 15-inch lizard.

Galeria de Ámbar (Amber Gallery). Also in Puerto Plata, this gallery contains a small museum of amber and other Dominican products and artifacts. Downstairs from the gallery is a store containing amber and larimar jewelry, coffee, rum and more.

I was in the Dominican Republic as a guest of the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, but the opinions in this post are my own.

Posted by | Comments Off on Dominican Amber Treasures  | August 6, 2010
Category: Destinations, General

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