New Jersey Amber

Abstract

New Jersey was once among the best states in the U.S. to find high-quality amber. It was well known for the wide range of geologic settings in which amber was found, including marl pits, sand, and clay beds in the central and southern part of the state. It was also well known for some important insect discoveries within the high-quality amber itself. Amber takes millions of years to form, and New Jersey had the right environment in terms of ancient resinous forests that provided the raw material and the depositional setting for amber to form and be preserved. Unfortunately, after a few hundred years of significant amber discoveries, there are few remaining places left for digging amber due to development of the best locales.