This presentation will cover amber and other resins, their occurrences and geology, their chemistry, their physical properties, and common substitutes sold as amber in the marketplace (natural and synthetic). The current scientific research in the amber field will be discussed, as will the importance of various deposits from commercial and scientific perspectives. Cultural uses and importance of amber will also be discussed. Visual aids will include several well known books which contain further information and spectacular photos, as well as actual amber specimens showing various inclusions.

Kevin Grems, of Angstrom Scientific, will also be present to demonstrate a new working table top scanning electron microscope made by Hitachi. Literature will be available.

Bring samples for observation and evaluation.

Bio Sketch
Adam received from the University of Chicago a Bachelors of Arts degree in Behavioral Science.

Spiegel has collected rocks and fossils since a child. and always has had a keen interest in the natural world.. He started collecting Mexican amber in 1992.and went to Mexico in order to view various archaeological sites (Aztec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec).

When he was Mexico viewing archaeological sites in 1991 he saw some amber for sale from a street vendor. The next year he went to Chiapas to see more ruins and decided to start following the amber trail. Next, he started making contacts and learning about this amber. Every year since he has been to Mexico and has developed a network of people from whom he obtains the material. Many of them are friends, we share a love of amber, fossils, and archaeology Adam has been to the mines and has explored the remote areas from where the amber comes, very mountainous terrain with lots of mudslides, earthquakes and landslides.

The amber from Chiapas, Mexico is considered the finest in the world in terms of clarity and color and the fine preservation of its inclusions. It is Oligocene-Miocene in age, roughly 27 million years old.