One of the largest amber pieces in the world, weighing approximately 3.5 kg, was discovered in the home of an elderly woman.
The elderly woman found the amber, or fossilized tree resin, under a stream in Colti, a village in Buzau County, southeastern Romania. She used it as a doorstop, and for decades, no one recognized its true value, not even the jewel thieves who had broken into her home. This information was confirmed by Daniel Costache, the director of the Buzau County Museum. The Buzau County Museum is currently housing the amber piece, as reported by Futurism on September 4.
The 3.5kg amber piece discovered in Romania. (Photo: Buzau County Museum).
In 1991, the woman passed away, and a relative noticed the amber when it was inherited. Initially, he thought it was just a stone. However, after a closer examination, he speculated that it could be a semi-precious stone with significant value. He sold the stone to the authorities, who quickly classified it as a national treasure.
Authorities then sent the amber to the Museum of History in Krakow, Poland, which has a department specializing in semi-precious stones. Polish experts promptly authenticated the amber and estimated its age to be between 38.5 to 70 million years. The amber piece weighs 3.5 kg and is estimated to be worth $1.1 million.
“This new discovery is of great significance both at the museum level and the scientific level,” Costache commented. He affirmed that this is one of the largest amber pieces in the world and the largest of its kind.
Romania is among the countries with the richest amber deposits, and Buzau County is home to many varieties of this semi-precious stone. Due to the unique characteristics of the amber mines here, geologist Oscar Helm named them “rumanit”, commonly referred to as “Buzau amber.”
Buzau features a nature reserve where many amber pieces have been discovered. They hold immense value both in quality and diversity, with over 160 color shades, predominantly dark, ranging from red to black. Many pieces preserve fossils of spiders, beetles, flies, crustaceans, reptiles, animal fur, and much more, providing scientific information about ancient Earth.
