Amber can be found across several parts of Colorado, often in places that don’t look like much at first glance. You’ll see it in scattered chunks along dry creek beds, in soft layers of shale, or mixed in with plant fossils and petrified wood.

Certain locations in the state are known for turning up good pieces again and again. Some are tucked into well-traveled fossil zones, others are more out of the way.

Whether you’re out there regularly or just getting started, knowing where to look gives you a real advantage. Colorado’s geology does a lot of the work—you just need to be in the right spot.

How Amber Forms Here

Amber begins its journey as sticky resin flowing from ancient trees millions of years ago. When insects or small plants got trapped in this golden liquid, they became perfectly preserved time capsules.

Over thousands of years, the resin hardens through a process called polymerization, where molecules link together to form larger, more complex structures.

As layers of sediment buried these hardened resin deposits, pressure and time transformed them into the gemstone we know as amber.

The process requires specific conditions: the resin must be protected from oxygen and excessive heat while maintaining steady pressure from surrounding rock and soil. That’s why we often find amber in sedimentary rock formations.

Types of Amber

You might think amber just comes in that classic honey color, but there’s actually an incredible variety of amber types out there – each with its own unique characteristics and formation story. Let’s dive into the most common ones you might come across.

Baltic Amber

Baltic amber stands out with its warm spectrum of colors ranging from honey yellow to deep cognac brown. Its surface can be transparent enough to see through or completely opaque.

The chemistry of Baltic amber is quite remarkable. It contains high amounts of succinic acid, which isn’t found in other ambers. This unique chemical makeup gives it special properties, like generating static electricity when rubbed.

At 30-50 million years old, Baltic amber tells fascinating stories about Earth’s past. The resin came from ancient pine forests that once covered Northern Europe. The sticky resin trapped small creatures and plant parts, preserving them in incredible detail.

Many pieces show interesting patterns created by air bubbles and natural flow lines from when the resin first dripped down tree trunks. These patterns, combined with its natural warmth and glow, make each piece one-of-a-kind.

Dominican Amber

Dominican amber is famous for its exceptional clarity and brilliant colors. While most pieces show honey and cognac tones, some rare specimens display stunning blue and green hues. The transparency is so remarkable that you can clearly see tiny details of preserved insects and plants inside.

A special variety called blue amber makes Dominican amber truly unique. When held under sunlight, these pieces transform from a pale yellow to a brilliant blue color. This happens because of a special way the amber interacts with light – a feature not found in other ambers.

The amber dates back approximately 16 to 25 million years, making it one of the youngest types of amber available.

Mexican Amber

Mexican amber captivates with its rich palette of colors, from golden yellow to deep red, with occasional pieces showing rare pink or purple tints. Its extraordinary clarity allows detailed views of the ancient life preserved within, including perfectly preserved insects and plant materials.

Dating back 15-30 million years, this amber formed during a time when the region was covered in tropical forests. The resin came from an extinct species of tree related to the modern legume family, giving it distinct characteristics from other ambers.

The preservation quality of inclusions in Mexican amber is exceptional. Scientists have discovered new species of ancient insects in these time capsules, with some specimens showing details as fine as individual hair strands and wing patterns.

Oise Amber

Oise amber, dating back 55-53 million years, shows remarkable transparency with subtle yellow to orange shades. Its clarity lets you see deep inside, where ancient insects and plants remain perfectly preserved since the early Eocene period.

The material has a unique density and structure that sets it apart. It’s generally thicker and more robust than other ambers, which has helped it preserve its contents so well over millions of years.

Scientists have identified over 20,000 different species in Oise amber specimens. These findings include rare insects and plants that help us understand what life was like during the early Cenozoic era.

The amber often contains multiple layers, showing different periods of resin flow. These layers create interesting patterns and sometimes trap air bubbles, making each piece unique.

Burmese Amber

Burmese amber is super old, about 99 million years! It’s usually shaped like a flat disc and comes in reds and browns. A distinctive feature of Burmese amber is the presence of thin calcite veins that can measure between 1 mm to 4.5 mm.

Scientists have found amazing things inside, including baby birds, lizards, and even parts of dinosaurs with feathers still attached. The preservation quality is so good that they can see tiny details that are millions of years old.

The inclusions in this amber are often larger than those found in other types. You might find complete insects with all their body parts intact, or plant materials showing clear cell structures.

These preserved specimens help scientists understand what life was like during the Cretaceous period.

Sicilian Amber

Sicilian amber shows off beautiful golden to yellowish-brown colors with exceptional clarity. The material has a uniform appearance and brilliant transparency that makes it stand out. You won’t find many air bubbles or cloudy areas in this amber.

This ancient material played a crucial role in early European trade, being used and valued about 2,000 years before Baltic amber became popular. Its age remains somewhat mysterious, but scientists believe it formed between 10 to 20 million years ago.

The formation process created amber with unique optical properties. When light passes through it, the amber seems to glow from within. This special characteristic made it highly prized throughout history.

What makes this amber special is its purity and brightness. Each piece typically shows consistent color throughout, unlike other ambers that might have varying shades or patterns. This uniformity gives it a distinct appearance that collectors can easily recognize.

Sumatran Amber

Sumatran amber comes in some really cool colors. You can find it in regular amber colors, but also in red, olive green, and even blue! The blue kind is super rare and special.

Here’s something awesome – when you shine a UV light on Sumatran blue amber, it glows! This happens because of special stuff inside the amber. Also when heated, some pieces even release a pleasant scent.

The blue Sumatran amber is famous because there are only two other places in the world where you can find blue amber. Scientists think this amber formed millions of years ago from trees that don’t exist anymore.

Collectors love Sumatran amber, especially the blue kind. It’s not just pretty – it also helps scientists learn about plants and animals that lived long ago.

Lebanese Amber

Lebanese amber shines with golden to yellowish-brown colors and remarkable clarity. The material is amazingly transparent, letting you see deep inside.

This 130-135 million-year-old amber stands out as one of the oldest known ambers in the world. Its age places it during a crucial time when flowering plants first appeared on Earth, capturing evidence of this major evolutionary transition.

The material contains some of the earliest known mosquitoes ever discovered, making it invaluable for understanding insect evolution. These mosquito specimens show how these insects adapted alongside the first flowering plants.

What’s particularly special about Lebanese amber is its role in documenting the rise of pollinating insects. The specimens inside show the beginning stages of insect-plant relationships that would later shape Earth’s ecosystems.

Bitterfeld Amber

Bitterfeld amber displays warm yellow to brown colors with fascinating transparency. This amber has distinct chemical markers that indicate it came from a different type of ancient forest than those that produced other well-known ambers.

The trapped creatures inside tell a different story than Baltic or Dominican amber. Scientists have found species that don’t appear anywhere else, suggesting this area had its own distinct ecosystem millions of years ago.

The material shows evidence of a warmer climate period in ancient Europe. The preserved plants and insects indicate environmental conditions quite different from what other European ambers reveal about their time periods.

Recent studies of this amber have challenged previous theories about amber formation in Europe, suggesting multiple independent amber-producing forests existed rather than just one major source.

Caribbean Amber

Caribbean amber is famous for its exceptional clarity and brilliant colors. You can find pieces in yellow, honey, and red shades. Espeically the rare blue variety found in Caribbean amber is created by a unique interaction between light and hydrocarbons trapped inside.

These pieces contain tropical species that reveal details about ancient Caribbean rainforests. The preserved creatures are distinctly different from those found in amber from other regions, showing how island ecosystems evolved separately.

The material offers insights into species that existed before the Caribbean islands separated from mainland America. This helps scientists understand how island isolation affects evolution.

The preservation quality is so exceptional that scientists have discovered new species of extinct animals that weren’t known from any other fossil sources, including unique types of lizards and spiders.

What Rough Amber Looks Like

Before you get excited about finding amber, let’s dive into how to spot this fascinating fossilized tree resin in its natural, unpolished state.

Check for a Glassy or Waxy Luster

Raw amber typically has a subtle, waxy sheen – quite different from regular rocks. It’s not super shiny like polished amber, but it’s got this unique greasy-looking surface.

If you spot something that looks like hardened honey or tree sap, you might be onto something! Even in its rough state, amber often has translucent edges when held up to light.

Look for the Distinctive Colors

Natural amber comes in an amazing range of hues, but most rough pieces are a cloudy yellow-orange or butterscotch color. Some pieces might have whitish surface oxidation (we call it “amber cortex”).

You might also spot deeper cognac browns or even rare blue pieces. Don’t be fooled by the muddy exterior – that’s totally normal for rough amber!

Assess the Density and Weight

Here’s a cool trick: Amber feels surprisingly light for its size! Pick it up – if it feels lighter than a regular rock of the same size, you might have amber.

It’s about as dense as sea salt, which means it’ll float in super salty water. Unlike most stones, it’ll feel warm to touch almost immediately.

A Quick Request About Collecting

Where to Look for Amber

Amber hunting is like a treasure hunt! Here’s where you’re most likely to find these golden gems.

Along Coastal Areas and Beaches

Hit the beaches after storms – that’s when amber tends to wash up! Focus on areas where you spot lots of seaweed or driftwood piles, as amber often gets caught in these natural collection points.

The best spots are usually where the tide leaves a dark line of debris on the sand, especially after strong waves have stirred up the seafloor and brought ancient deposits to the surface.

Investigate River Banks and Gravel Bars

Rivers are nature’s sorting machines! Check out gravel bars and sandy banks, especially downstream from eroding cliffs. Look where the water slows down and deposits lighter materials.

The best time to search is after floods when rivers have churned up new material and redeposited it along their banks.

Clay and Sand Deposits

Search in areas with exposed clay banks, particularly those with dark, organic-rich layers that indicate ancient forest beds.

Sandy areas near clay deposits are prime spots because water naturally sorts materials by weight, often concentrating amber in specific layers. Look carefully after heavy rains when new material gets exposed.

Construction Sites and Quarries

With proper permission, check out newly excavated areas, especially those cutting through sedimentary layers.

Pay special attention to sandy or clayey layers that might represent ancient coastlines or forest beds. These disturbed areas often expose deposits that have been buried for millions of years.

Some Great Places To Start

These are some of the places where you can find amber around the state.

Twin Creek

Twin Creek is part of the Florissant area in Teller County. About 34 million years ago, this area was a lake surrounded by thick forests. Volcanic eruptions from nearby mountains covered the area in ash, which helped preserve many plants and animals as fossils.

Amber can be found in the South Fork Twin Creek area. Look for it in layers of shale and mudstone that were once the bottom of the ancient lake. Trees that produced resin grew around this lake, and over time their sap turned into amber.

Besides amber, you might find other interesting minerals here. The area has smoky quartz crystals in the Pikes Peak granite. You could also discover amazonite, a pretty blue-green stone, and topaz, which is often found in the granite rocks of this region.

Fairplay

Fairplay is a historic mining town in Park County. It sits in a high mountain basin called South Park at almost 10,000 feet above sea level. Founded during the Gold Rush of 1859, the town was a busy place for miners looking for gold in the mountains.

The town is about 85 miles southwest of Denver. Tall mountains called the Mosquito Range stand to the west, with some peaks over 14,000 feet high. These mountains aren’t just pretty to look at, they contain many valuable minerals.

The rocks around Fairplay are a mix of different types formed over millions of years. Some are very old granite and gneiss from the Precambrian time period. Others are younger sedimentary rocks laid down in ancient seas.

For amber hunters, focus on the areas with sedimentary rocks, especially shale deposits. The best places to search are near old riverbeds or lake bottoms.

Boulder

Boulder is a lively city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, about 25 miles northwest of Denver. The area has some of the oldest rocks in Colorado, dating back 1.7 billion years. The famous Flatirons, those triangle-shaped rock slabs, are made of sandstone that’s about 290 million years old.

Amber in this area is linked to coal deposits from the Late Cretaceous period. The Laramie Formation, a layer of rock containing coal beds, sometimes yields amber pieces.

Good places to look for amber include Marshall Mesa south of Boulder, where old coal mines operated. The trails here cross areas where the Laramie Formation is exposed.

Coal Creek is another spot worth exploring. The creek has cut through rock layers, sometimes revealing amber. Natural outcrops in Boulder Valley might also contain amber near coal seams.

Highlands Ranch

Highlands Ranch is a planned community located in Douglas County. Started in 1981, it has grown into a popular suburb with nice neighborhoods and many parks. The area has a rich prehistoric past, and construction workers in 2019 found triceratops and other dinosaur fossils dating back 68 million years.

The historic Highlands Ranch Mansion shows off local geological materials. Built in 1891, the original farmhouse used dense ironwood stone. Later additions used sandstone from near Pueblo and local river rock. Large pieces of petrified wood are built into the mansion’s walls.

A rare amber discovery happened here in 2000. A teenager found a 55-million-year-old piece of petrified wood containing amber at a construction site along Wildcat Reserve Road near Daniels Park Road. This find was really important.

For amber hunters, the area around Wildcat Reserve Road and Daniels Park Road might be promising. Construction sites or places where deeper earth layers are exposed could reveal more petrified wood containing amber.

Ruby Mountain

Ruby Mountain stands about one mile northeast of Nathrop in Chaffee County. It’s right next to the Arkansas River and is well-known among rock collectors. The mountain is mainly made of topaz-bearing rhyolite, a volcanic rock that formed about 30.1 million years ago.

When the hot rhyolite magma cooled quickly, it formed small crystals. Gas bubbles got trapped in the cooling rock, creating small holes called vugs. These holes later became perfect spots for minerals to grow, including garnets and topaz.

Amber is usually found in sedimentary rocks containing plant remains, not in volcanic areas like Ruby Mountain. However, the north end of the mountain has deposits of perlite, a special volcanic glass. This area might be worth checking for amber, as volcanic activity could have trapped tree resin that later turned to amber.

Places Amber has been found by county

After discussing our top picks, we wanted to discuss the other places on our list. Below is a list of the additional locations where we have succeeded, along with a breakdown of each place by county.