These beautiful stones do not lie right under your feet. However, having an idea of the principle of the distribution of deposits of this mineral, it is still possible to find amber on your own in the wild.
Until recently, the Baltic, well-known to many, was considered the only amber deposit on the planet. However, about 200 more places of occurrence of this sun stone have been discovered and studied recently. Most of them are located within Europe. But there are also such deposits in Asia, South and North America, Australia.
Where to find amber in Russia
In Russia, as well as in the whole world, the main deposit of the sun stone is still the Baltic. It is located near the village of Yantarny on the Baltic Sea. Hundreds of tons of amber are mined here every year. However, in Russia, there are also small deposits of this stone in the Urals and Sakhalin. A very large field - Kolesovo-Dubrovitskoe - was discovered not so long ago in Ukraine.
To find out more precisely where to find amber, you should first study the layout of its deposits on the map. Sunstone deposits are located on Earth in the form of a grid of straight and broken lines. Below is the "amber" grid for Central Europe.
The richest amber-bearing vein runs on this map, as you can see, from the Jutlada Peninsula through the Kaliningrad region and Finland. Further, it stretches towards the Kola Peninsula, and then passes through the Arctic Ocean towards the "Amber Crown" of the planet.
Is it possible to mine gems in Russia for individuals
Free artisanal mining in our country, unfortunately, is prohibited by law. You can search for gems and gold, but only after concluding an agreement with some large mining company. Although the authorities, for example, in some regions of the Urals, periodically promise to allow the free mining of gems by ordinary people, such a law has not yet been adopted (2017). Therefore, we provide the information below to the reader for informational purposes only. Of course, it is not worth engaging in black artisanal mining before the adoption of the relevant law. This can result in a large fine or even lead to criminal liability. In Ukraine, gold mining is also prohibited by law.
Features of offshore mining
The simplest answer to the question of where to find amber is, of course, the Baltic Sea. In this region, the extraction of sun stone, in principle, can be carried out even simply with the use of nets. In particular, there are many stones on the coast and shallow water appears during small storms. During this period, the water throws out many solar pebbles. The net picks up silt and debris. Further, they are simply scanned for the presence of amber. In this way, you can get quite a lot of stones, including quite large ones. Most of all amber in the Baltic was once found in those places where a lot of black ooze was nailed by the sea.
Sometimes amber in the Baltic Sea after a storm can be found right on the shore - in the sand. Too much Sunstone cannot be obtained in this manner, of course. But a few small amber (and possibly large) with a certain amount of patience can still be found.
Extraction on water pipes
This method of searching for amber is used mainly in Ukraine. Water pipes (mines) are located in this country along the river banks. Finding them is hard enough. But it is still quite doable. There are water pipes, by the way, not only in Ukraine, but also in many other places of the planet. In Russia, you can also search for them along the banks of the rivers. By the way, in water pipes you can find not only amber, but also other gems and even diamonds. Such mini-mines can represent hollows on the shore, flooded with water, stone "rivers", etc. Experienced prospectors also determine the pipes by color (usually it is darker or lighter than the main breed). Such mines can be located both on the shore and directly in the water. In Ukraine, natural amber is found in them at a depth of about 5 meters. The companion of the sun stone in this country is always blue or blue clay.
Amber in the forest and near the river
Unfortunately, there is no reliable information about the finds of amber in the forests of Russia. However, it is known for sure that in the Zhytomyr region, prospectors find amber right in the coniferous forests. In this case, their helpers are often, oddly enough, moles. Digging passages, these animals "carry" to the surface, including blue clay. And she, as already mentioned, is the constant companion of amber. Seeing blue clay in a pile of mole, prospectors simply excavate at this place several meters deep.
We found out how to find amber in the forest. But sometimes this stone can be found just on the surface of the earth along the river banks. In this case, searches are best done in the spring after floods or after heavy rain. At this time, the water washes out from the ground many stones in it, among which there may be amber. It is also believed that the best time to search is early spring. During this period, there is still no vegetation on the banks. Consequently, the stones are more noticeable.
The easiest way to find amber yourself on the riverbank is with an ultraviolet flashlight. Such a device today can be purchased at almost any kiosk. Under ultraviolet rays, amber, unlike other stones, begins to glow with a very beautiful blue light. You can also distinguish a sunstone from other minerals by weight. The stone is actually very light. By weight, it resembles, for example, the same rosin.
