Amber Inclusions from Myanmar – Windows into an Ancient World
For over 99 million years, Burmese amber has preserved traces of a vanished ecosystem.
About MacroAmber
Amber from Myanmar (Burmese Amber / Burmite / Kachin Amber)
Burmese amber, also known as Burmite or Kachin amber, originates from the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar and dates back about 99 million years to the mid-Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs still lived on Earth.
This makes it one of the oldest and scientifically most important fossil resins.
Unlike Baltic or Dominican amber, which formed long after the extinction of the dinosaurs,
Burmese amber preserves organisms that truly lived alongside them.
Due to natural geological heating and pressure over millions of years, most inclusions are darkened, thermally altered, or partially degraded.
Only a small percentage of pieces show well-preserved structures such as hairs, surface textures, or delicate morphological details.
Some localized deposits within the region are known for producing better preserved material, but even there, high-quality inclusions remain rare compared to the large number of thermally altered specimens.
Because of its age, its exceptional biodiversity, and the scientific insight it provides into mid-Cretaceous ecosystems, Burmese amber remains one of the most significant natural archives of prehistoric life.
Photography & Documentation
All specimens on MacroAmber are photographed with high resolution macro and micro imaging, with a clear focus on accuracy and scientific reliability.
Every final image is created through complex focus stacking. A single photograph may consist of fifty to over one thousand individual layers, depending on magnification, depth of the inclusion and the three dimensional orientation of structures such as legs, antennae or wings.
To control reflections and achieve clean, even illumination, I use a calibrated LED lighting system with eight individually adjustable units. A subtle bottom light is added only when necessary to support transparency without washing out internal details.
All images are produced using high grade macro and micro optics.
My aim is simple: to document each inclusion as precisely and consistently as possible so that collectors, enthusiasts and researchers can rely on the images as trustworthy visual data.
About the Collector
Since my youth, for about 25 years (as of 2025), I have been fascinated by amber inclusions. From the very beginning, spiders were my main focus and for many years they represented almost the exclusive core of my interest. At the same time, I began photographing inclusions. My work started with analog film using a stereomicroscope at RWTH Aachen University, before digital imaging enabled a far more precise and high resolution documentation.
A major milestone was the acquisition of several hundred kilograms of unprocessed Madagascar copal. Over many years, I examined and prepared this material. Its remarkable clarity and its abundance of inclusions allowed me to continuously refine my photographic techniques and establish the foundation for the documentation quality presented today.
Since 2010, I have been working with Burmese amber, a fossil resin dating back more than 99 million years to a time when dinosaurs still lived. Many inclusions preserved in this material show an exceptional diversity, often beyond what is commonly encountered in Baltic or Dominican amber. Most inclusions displayed on MacroAmber are scientifically identified.
All specimens shown on MacroAmber are part of a private collection and are not for sale.
Please note: The amber inclusions shown here are part of a private collection and are not for sale.