Thinking of exploring the Dominican Republic next? Don't miss Puerto Plata. Being one of the provinces of this country, Puerto Plata is located on the Amber Coast, near the most important amber deposits in the world. In fact, an amber museum is located in the heart of this city on the Amber Coast. A visit to this building is highly recommended, to admire the beauty and the particularity of this precious stone.
History of the Puerto Plata Amber Museum
The Amber Museum in Puerto Plata is intended to exhibit the city's amber stones, extracted from the local mines. Construction of the building began in 1918, by Augusto Bentz, owner of one of the largest sugar factories in the region. However, it was not inaugurated until 1982. However, the building only gained fame after the release of Steven Spielberg's film "Jurassic Park", whose script explains that it was dinosaur DNA fossilised in amber that made it possible to reconstruct the species. The museum is open every day except Sunday, for which an entrance fee is charged.
Things to see in the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata
You can learn more about how amber stones are found and extracted by visiting the Puerto Plata Museum, even without setting foot in the local mines. Indeed, you could be accompanied by a guide during the visit to learn more about these precious stones. The Amber Museum is divided into 2 floors. On the first floor, you can see the work of the jewellers and jewellery makers and admire the beautiful jewels decorated with this precious stone, or even buy some. Downstairs you will see displays of the different types of amber stones found in the mines of Puerto Plata. Being a fossilised resin, amber contains fossils trapped inside, such as animals (butterflies, insects, lizards, scorpions, etc.), dating back millions of years, visible thanks to the transparency of the stones.
What are the particularities of amber in the local mines of Puerto Plata?
The amber mines of Puerto Plata are natural open-air deposits. This is why these stones contain debris of animal or vegetable species. The translucency of these stones was one of their particularities, which gives them an impeccable brilliance. Amber is also found in several colours, of which the honey yellow stone is very common. However, other rarer varieties make the reputation of the amber mines in Puerto Plata, such as blue amber, green amber or brown amber. The extraction of these precious stones is still done in the city in an artisanal way.