Where and how amber is mined? Everything about the extraction of amber, as well as where it is mined Amber stone where it is mined.

On a regional basis, the following groups of amber are best known:

1.Baltic (includes: Russian, Polish, German (Saxon), Danish, Swedish)

2.Ukrainian

3.Dominican

Let's consider these deposits in more detail.

Russia

The largest amber deposit in the world is located here. It stretches on the Baltic coast of the Kaliningrad (Sambia) Peninsula in the vicinity of the village of Yantarny. According to expert estimates, about 90% of the world's amber reserves are concentrated here, which are about 50 million years old.

The field is divided into 3 sections: Palmnikensky, Primorsky (production since 1976), Plyazhevy (produced 500-600 tons of raw materials per year, operated from 1972-2003). Geological exploration has identified new potential areas for development, the total reserve of which is approximately 300,000 tons. The potential of the Palmnikenskoye and Primorsky open-pit mines is estimated at about 116,000 tons (if we assume a production of 500 tons per year, then the deposit can produce amber for more than 200 years).

Amber is mined by open pit mining. The quarry area is almost 1,500,000 square meters. meters. The amber-bearing layer (blue earth) of glauconite sand occurs at a depth of 40-60 m (sometimes up to 100 meters).
On average, 1 cubic meter of blue earth "gives" 500-600 g of amber, sometimes there are accumulations of up to 4,500 g per cubic meter. The sizes of pieces are from a few millimeters to 15-20 centimeters. There are exclusive samples up to 30-40 cm. Basically, the mined Russian amber is succinite (98%), 2% is gedanite (amber of a wax-yellow color). Unique amber specimens weighing more than 500 g are not so common.

Production per year is several tens of kilograms. Fractions weighing equal to or greater than 1 kg are equated to precious. The annual production ranges from 300-350 tons.

Ukraine

In Ukraine, in the Rivne region, there is another well-known amber deposit. Quarries are scattered in a kind of triangle - near the villages of Sarny, Klesovo and Dubrovitsy.

Amber lies close to the surface of the earth (3-10 meters), and therefore its extraction is much cheaper than in the Kaliningrad region. But this has little effect on the market price, since raw raw materials are mined in insignificant quantities.
1 cubic meter of earth contains about 250 g of amber, sometimes the accumulation can reach 1000 g. The average size of fractions is 1-10 cm, less often up to 15 cm. Sometimes pieces weighing more than 1 kg are found. 3-5 tons of amber are mined per year. expert estimates are about 1,500 tons.

Germany

In the east of Germany, in Saxony-Anhalt, there is a deposit of "Saxon amber", the age of which is estimated at about 22 million years. A coal mine was once laid near the town of Bitterfeld, and a little later amber deposits were discovered here, the only ones in these lands.

Saxon succinite is similar to Kaliningrad succinite in its properties. An important difference is the crust of the fractions. Pieces of amber can have an oxidation crust, or they can be completely without it. Plant or animal inclusions are identical to those in Kaliningrad amber.

In recent years before the flooding, the average amber extraction was about 28 tons per year. During the period from 1975 to 1990, the earth gave up more than 400 tons of amber. In 1998, it was decided to reclaim the mining site (reclamation - land restoration). The quarry was flooded. The process lasted 4 years. Potential amber reserves are estimated at about 1000 tons. In the meantime, the quarry, which has become an amber lake, receives tourists.

Dominican Republic

The next known amber deposit is located on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti is the local name), which is divided between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti. Only the Dominican Republic is actively extracting raw materials.

The age of mountain amber is 15-40 million years, and it is mined in the Cordillera at an altitude of 500-1200 meters. These are rather hard-to-reach places, so mining is carried out by small artels of prospectors of 5-10 people.
Most often, there is no full development of mines, which can reach depths of up to 100 meters. The lack of qualified miners and difficult working conditions hinder the color palette of mountain amber: blue, green, cognac, red-yellow. Almost all mined pieces are transparent, very often inclusions of ancient flora or fauna are found. Dominican amber is in second place after Baltic amber.

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Although amber is found all over the planet, only 20 parts of the world have enough amber to support profitable mining. Currently most amber is mined in the Baltics, and that is business.

Extraction of amber is a complicated and difficult business. For the resin to turn into amber, it must be buried underground, usually in wet clay or sandy sedimentary rock.

Extraction of Baltic amber has its own history. The oldest method of extraction was "scooping": pieces of amber were caught from boats with nets. It was replaced by "gouging": tearing amber from the bottom of shallow water with the help of sharp peaks. By the 16th century, people had learned to mine amber from shallow wells and small quarries in the beach area.

In the middle of the 20th century in the area of the village. Palmniken (now the village of Yantarny) began industrial production through mines and adits. In 1876, a repository of amber mined in the depths was discovered: 45 kg of stone were hidden under a large boulder. However, in 1922, due to the difficulty of mining, the underground workings were mothballed.

The beach deposit is being developed with the help of a water jet and dredgers. A water jet with a powerful jet destroys the overburden (covering the amber-bearing rock strata). A mixture of water and waste rock - pulp is formed. The slurry is discharged into the sea through a pipeline by a dredger.

The powerful walking excavator then excavates and stores the exposed blue earth in cones. The powerful jet of the hydro-monitor also erodes the cones of amber-bearing rock to the state of a liquid slurry, which the dredger feeds through pipes to the processing plant. With this method, as a result of erosion of the upper part of the "blue earth" when removing overburden, crushing amber with an excavator bucket, when supplying amber through a pipeline to the processing plant up to 10% of amber is lost.

The technological scheme of production at the Primorskoye field is slightly different: after stripping, the "blue earth" is selected by a high-performance multi-bucket excavator, walking through the open pit, and is conveyed along a conveyor to the processing plant. As a result of the replacement of hydraulic transport with a conveyor system amber losses are significantly reduced.

After the amber is extracted from the rock, it is sorted by size, shape, color and the inclusions it contains. Thousands of small pieces are removed from the ground, but sometimes large specimens weighing several kg are also found.

Amber of warm yellow and golden hues is found most often. Occurs and blue amber... Even less common green amber... Perhaps the color diversity is due to the difference in the chemical constituents of the resin, as well as the minerals in the soil. Amber can be both transparent and opaque.

What is made of amber?

Most often amber is used for the production of jewelry... Even in antiquity, pendants, buttons, beads, as well as more complex objects were made. Amber was widely used for the manufacture of religious attributes. Also beautiful crafts are made of amber... You can see a variety of products in the specialized store "Amber Palace".

AND for medical purposes amber has been used since ancient times. It is used to treat both internal and external diseases. Perhaps, such healing properties of amber are associated with the succinic acid contained in it, which is a unique biostimulant. In fact, only Baltic amber contains a significant amount of this acid; it can be considered the only species with these medicinal properties.

The unique composition of succinate is the reason that a large proportion of this amber is processed chemically. Pure succinic acid is used for the production of medicines and also used as a strategic material on nuclear submarines and rocket engines.

Amber oil and amber varnish are by-products of the process of succinic acid isolation. They are used in high quality varnishes and paints. Amber varnish is essential for the restoration of the gilded roofs of architectural monuments.

In the Middle Ages, glasses were made from amber, and now some manufacturers of optical equipment use amber to improve the quality of optical lenses.

Amber, especially pressed amber, is used as insulating material in electrical equipment. Amber rods were used in a device that measured radiation levels after the Chernobyl accident.

If you are mining amber, you can make sets of stones that you can sell to those who wish - jewelers and collectors.

You can prepare a manual for processing amber, describe how to make jewelry out of it. Putting together a set - a manual, pieces of amber, and special materials. Such as amber polishing paste. Paraffin, crushed chalk, amber dust. Tools - a flat file, a piece of felt or felt, sanding paper. Unprocessed pieces of amber, small, one centimeter or less in size, that is, the cheapest, can be offered for sale with such sets for making jewelry on your own.

You can supplement the set with various more interesting amber stones in accordance, for example, with their classification:

1. Transparent - yellowish and colorless.

2. Smoky - unclear with transparent areas.

3. Bastard - waxy yellow, translucent.

4. Bone - opaque ivory amber.

5. Foamy - light, opaque, finely porous, the most viscous and very highly decorative.

To extract amber, you need to register a company in the country where you plan to mine and obtain a mining permit. Unauthorized extraction and sale of illegally mined amber without a permit (license) may threaten with criminal prosecution.

Amber properties

Amber composition: a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, succinic acid and oils. The percentage of components present in amber is typically:

78.6% - carbon;

10.5% hydrogen;

10.5% oxygen;

0.4% - sulfur.

Crystallographic system: amorphous, occasionally crystalline formations.

Optical properties: isotropic (independence of material properties from the direction of measurement).

Refractive index: 1,54.

Density: 1.08 (average).

Hardness: 2.0-2.5 on the Mohs scale.

Cleavage: absent, fracture, less often splinter.

Shine of amber: oily, resinous, less often waxy.

Amber colors: opaque white, lemon yellow, golden, red-brown; transparent colorless, pale yellow, bright red; deep red to black; very rarely green (transparent and opaque) and blue.

Luminescent properties: glow effect in reflected light, ultraviolet light.

Amber is the fossilized resin of extinct conifers. This gem is found on the territory of Russia in many places. However, there are very few large placers of such an organic mineral in the world, as well as in our country. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the solar gem is industrially mined only in one place.

Where does it lie

So where is amber mined in Russia? The most famous deposits of this stone in our country are placer deposits located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, about 40 km from Kaliningrad. Amber has been mined from these deposits since ancient times. But until now, thousands of tons of it are deposited here. At the moment, in this area near the village of Yantarny there are a total of three deposits, one of which has been mothballed. It is this area that is currently the largest and richest placer not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Of course, there are other areas of amber deposits in the Russian Federation. There are small deposits of this stone in our country, for example, in the Urals, Siberia and Sakhalin. You can also find amber in some other regions of Russia. A feature of the solar gem deposits is, first of all, that they are located along a special grid consisting of straight and broken lines. At the same time, the richest vein runs from the Jutland Peninsula along the territory of the Baltic States, through Finland and further towards the Kola Peninsula. Here, across the Arctic Ocean, it continues to the "Amber Crown" of the planet.

The largest deposits are located in our country, of course, in the Kaliningrad region. Where amber is mined in the Russian Federation in the Baltic Sea and we will consider a little later in the article in all the details. In addition to the three Kaliningrad ones, in our country there are only two more more or less large deposits of this gem. One of them is located in the Khatanga depression (North-Siberian), the second in the Far East. However, there is no industrial development of stone in these areas. The fact is that there are no large pieces of amber here.

Types of deposits

All amber deposits are subdivided into two large groups: primary (primary) and secondary (placers). In our country, the Ural, North Siberian and Far Eastern deposits belong to the first type of deposits. Deposits of this type are always associated with coal seams. Amber in such rocks occurs in the form of inclusions. Deposits of this type are located where coniferous forests grew in ancient times.

Loose deposits can be river or marine. They are usually located at some distance from the indigenous. Amber accumulates here, being carried by water, glaciers or earth taluses. In Russia, the city where amber is mined is Kaliningrad. The deposits located here are of the alluvial type.

Such secondary sites, in turn, are classified into:

alluvial;
delta;
coastal;
marine;
glacial.

A feature of amber is, among other things, a low density. That is why such gems are easily carried by water. Alluvial deposits are those where amber, moving with the flow, was once stopped by some obstacle, for example, boulders or tree jams.

Deltaic deposits of this gem are located on the coast, in shallows and in estuaries. Offshore deposits are formed by wave erosion of deposits located below sea level.

Sea deposits once arose at the bottom of deep bays, sheltered from the winds. The amber-bearing rock in these places has a heavenly hue and is called the "blue earth", respectively. Glacial deposits arise in areas of glaciation due to the destruction of previously formed deposits by moving frozen masses.

What is the Palmniken area

So, next, let's look at how amber is mined in Kaliningrad and where exactly the development is carried out. The total area of deposits of this gem in the Baltic Sea in Russia is more than 300 km 2. The largest not only in the Russian Federation, but also in the world at the moment is the Palmnikenskoye field located near the village of Yantarny. About 70% of all amber deposits on the planet are concentrated here.

The industrial development of the Palmnikenskoye deposit began in the century before last - in 1872. All subsequent years, up to 300-800 thousand tons of amber per year were mined in these places. At the moment, the Palmnikenskoye field has been mothballed. Development is currently underway at two adjacent sites: Primorsky and Plyazhevoy.

Where amber is mined in Russia: Primorskoe deposit

Geologists consider amber deposits in the Kaliningrad region to be a unique mineral object. The stone lies very close to the surface here. It is mined from a depth of 8-50 m. Near the coastal villages, amber in this place is often found just on the beaches. The Primorskoye field in the Kaliningrad region, according to scientists, already existed during the Paleolithic period. This is evidenced by pieces of amber found at the sites of primitive man.

The amber-bearing "blue earth" in this place lies at a depth of 2-6 m. The content of gems in it ranges from 587 to 1464 g / m.

Beach area

This quarry is also one of the answers to the question of where amber is mined in Russia. In this deposit, gems are most often taken from a depth of 8-10 m. The average amber content is 1588-2471 g / m 3. This placer is located under the bottom of the Baltic Sea and on the adjacent beach. On the coast, it also lies below sea level. The field is stretched along the Baltic by about 750 m. Its width is 150-200 m.

The Plyazhevoye deposit was built from rocks of the Neogene, Paleogene and Quaternary periods. Amber here, as well as in the Primorsky site, is mined from the "blue earth". Gems of marine origin in Paleogene rocks are found in this place.

How amber is mined in the Kaliningrad region: technology

It is engaged in the development of deposits in the Baltic Sea in Russia, JSC Kaliningrad Amber Plant. This plant was created in 1947 on the basis of a previously existing manufactory. Today, this enterprise annually supplies the domestic and world markets with about 300 thousand tons of gems.

Above in the article, we found out where amber is mined in Russia. But how is the sun gem extracted from ancient sedimentary rocks?

Amber is mined in the Kaliningrad region using approximately the following technology:

in the quarry, the upper layers of the rock are removed in order to expose the "blue earth";
a walking excavator, weighing about 800 tons, extracts the amber-bearing rock and puts it into a special cone for loosening;
with the help of a 500-liter hydraulic gun, the rock is "shot" by sea water;
the resulting liquid slurry is fed to a dredger.

Valuable stones

At the next stage, when extracting amber at the plant, employees of a special specialization - the sachkolovs - start to work. Standing waist-deep in a muddy pulp, they pull out large stones from it to prevent them from breaking during further processing of the rock.

Sometimes sachkolov manage to get stones from the pulp that are simply of great value. Amber weighing more than 1 kg in our country is equated to a national treasure and is not even subject to sale. If in any stone there is an inclusion in the form of a plant or an insect, its value rises tenfold. For the price, such amber is no longer comparable with gems, but with precious stones of the level of corundum.

The final stage

After the scrappers, the pulp at the Kaliningrad plant goes to the beneficiation unit. Here smaller stones are cleared of dirt and sifted.

The technology described above is the answer to the question of how amber is mined in the Kaliningrad region. This technique is currently used only at the plant in the village of Yantarny and is considered innovative. Ultimately, the company extracts the entire semi-precious stone over 2 mm in size from the “blue clay”.

Baltic amber is a mineral formed from the resin of ancient trees: now no longer existing species.

The age of the gem is about 44 million years.
Geologists named it succinite.
The Arabs called this stone "Ambar": they believed that it was hardened dew. Later this name was borrowed by the Romans.
Due to its ability to become electrified, the Greeks called amber an electron.
In ancient Russia, the mineral was called "Ilectron".
Amber has many colors and shades, Baltic amber is most often honey-colored.

The origin of amber: modern interpretation

The resin of trees has come a long way of transformations before becoming amber.

The path includes 3 stages:

Resin acids have been oxidized for hundreds of years under the influence of moisture and heat in the forest.
For hundreds of thousands of years, sap accumulated in the soil along with wood enriched with tree resin. At this stage, the hardened resin began to acquire the characteristics of amber: the melting point and hardness increased, and the solubility decreased.
For millions of years, the soil of the amber forest was eroded, the resin got into the river valleys, and from there into the sea. At the bottom of the reservoir, the final transformation of the hardened resin into amber took place.

Is it possible to mine in Russia for individuals

According to Russian law, unauthorized mining of semi-precious and precious stones is prohibited.

The sale and storage of illegally mined minerals, including natural amber, is punishable by an administrative fine.

PRODUCTION PLACES

The largest solar mineral deposit "Palmnikenskoe" is located in Russia on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the village of "Yantarny" not far from Kaliningrad. Up to 500 tons are mined in this place annually according to the following algorithm:

For the extraction of stone, a special technique is used, with the help of which a layer of earth is first washed out with a powerful jet.
In the next step, dredgers move the waste mixture into the sea until a layer of rock containing amber is exposed.
After that, the amber-bearing mixture is fed by the bucket of an excavator to the conveyor, from where it is sent to the factory.
After a rough and thorough washing, the found amber is dried in a heating furnace, then the minerals are sorted.

Where to find amber in Russia

The deposits of the solar mineral are located on the coast of the Baltic Sea; this body of water washes the territory of Russia in the Kaliningrad region. Many are trying to illegally mine this stone. In addition, almost every tourist wants to take with him a “piece of the sun” found on the shore.

For those wishing to feel like a prospector at the Palmnikenskoye combine, special excursions are organized where you can “get” yourself a souvenir in improvised deposits.

There is a high probability of finding “pieces of the sun” on the coasts of Svetlogorsk, Zelenogradsk, Pionersky, and the village of Primorye.

While vacationing on the Baltic coast, you can inexpensively purchase legally mined minerals or a product made from them in any store. So they bring with them to Moscow or another city blue or white amber, which remind of the sea.

How to find amber by the sea

Collecting amber, including on the coast of the Baltic Sea, is prohibited by law, so it is better not to do this, but to calmly contemplate the seascapes, as well as the sights of the Baltic.
Out of sports interest, you can try to find minerals, but not take them with you, but leave them in place so as not to break the Law.
It is best to look for amber on the seashore after a storm: small minerals are carried onto land together with garbage, the remains of vertebrates, and black algae.
In the midst of this unsightly cluster, you can see pieces of hardened resin shining in the sun. You may need to arm yourself with a stick or scrape the trash with your hands.
Local prospectors take nets with them, go into the water and shine a flashlight on the accumulation of black algae: if there is amber among them, when an ultraviolet ray is directed at it, the mineral will glow green.
When using a flashlight, the gems are better visible after sunset.
After a storm, the police sometimes appear on the shore and check the people walking along the beach to see if they have a large amount of amber.

Extraction on water pipes

Experienced prospectors mine amber in the so-called water pipes, which are located on the shore or in the Baltic Sea itself.
Water pipes are small hollows flooded with water.
If there are gems in such mines, then there is usually blue clay in the water.
Minerals in such pipes occur at a depth of about 5 meters.

Amber in the forest and near the river

Amber jewelry is sometimes found in the forests of the Kaliningrad region.
Prospectors track the tunnels dug by moles.
If there is blue clay in the soil they brought to the surface, it is likely that there are solar minerals. To find stones in such a place, excavations are carried out.
To find gems along rivers, you need to study the surface of the earth after heavy rains. It is best to search in early spring when there is no vegetation.
Going in search of amber, it is worth remembering that the collection and storage of such stones is punishable.

WHAT TO DO WITH PRODUCTION

If you have amber, it is best to make a keepsake jewelry for family members out of it.

It will be good to use raw amber when making a necklace for a child.
Such jewelry can be worn by a baby from 3 months old, but under the supervision of adults, and also subject to safety rules. It is believed that the sun mineral soothes the nervous system, helps teeth to erupt, but it should not be allowed to chew on the child.
When making or buying such jewelry, it should be noted that the stones should be round in order not to damage the baby, the rope is strong, it is better to tie knots between each gem.

If you find a piece of amber weighing 5 kg

If you find a large amber weighing 5 kg or more, know that it is considered a precious stone and belongs to the state, so it is better not to take such a find, but report it to the police.

If you took the stone, take it to the police yourself in order to avoid criminal prosecution: your conscience will also be clear, like transparent amber. If you are not too lazy to make the way to the village of Yantarny, you can hand over the gem to the plant.

Finding evaluation

To appreciate amber, you need to consider the following points:

Mineral weight. Amber crumb has a low price. It also takes into account the size of the particles included in the composition of the stone: the larger they are, the higher the cost.
Gem shape. Gems that are close to the correct geometric configuration are rated higher.
Opaque stones are more expensive, especially lemon or milky shades.
The presence of bubbles adds to the price of the mineral.
Amber with pieces of plants or insects inside is 5 times more expensive than ordinary amber.
Minerals with lizards or scorpions frozen in them are very expensive and rare.

How to take out amber by plane

When transporting amber by plane, keep in mind: according to the Customs Legislation, you can freely export minerals intended for personal use. The weight of the stones must not exceed 50 kg per person, and the value of the cargo cannot exceed 1.5 thousand euros. Naturally, the price of gems must be confirmed by a financial document.

PURCHASE AND CARE

When buying amber, you must remember that this mineral is easy to counterfeit: sometimes imitations are very beautiful.

Artificial gems are made from natural and synthetic resin, plastic and glass.

How to distinguish natural from pressed

One way to counterfeit the solar mineral is by pressing amber chips. Such a stone (ambroid) will still be natural and much better than a fake made of plastic, but when a pressed gem is passed off as a solid natural mineral, the price is greatly inflated.

To distinguish a genuine stone from a pressed one, you need to consider:

ambroid has a heterogeneous structure, it can have sharp transitions from one shade to another;
the pressed mineral is almost never transparent, does not play with shades of light;
inclusions in the form of elongated air bubbles may be present in ambroid, while in natural stone they are round.

Amber cleaning and care

Products with amber should be stored in a separate box away from heating devices, periodically taken out to "recharge" with sunlight, but not left in the sun for a long time.
To clean the mineral, you need to wipe it with a soft cloth.
If necessary, can be washed with non-hot water without detergents.
When cleaning gems that are framed in gold or silver, be careful not to get the treatment for these metals on the stone.

What not to do while wearing amber

Stones will remain attractive if you follow these simple rules:

hardened resin jewelry should not be exposed to contrasting temperatures;
it is necessary to exclude contacts of the gem with any chemistry and perfumery;
do not drop and carelessly handle stones;
do not touch the gem with dirty hands.

What do you associate the Kaliningrad region with? Baltic Sea, Curonian Spit and ... amber. We have 90% of the world's reserves of this stone and the world's largest deposit. As part of the mega-project of the Community of St. Petersburg Bloggers and HeadHunter, we visited the Amber Combine to see the process of amber mining with our own eyes.

Let's start with a short excursion into the history of amber and its mining. Baltic amber is the hardened resin of trees that grew on a vast territory of the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and adjacent areas within the borders of the modern Baltic Sea. Approximately 45-50 million years ago there was a significant warming and humidification of the climate, which caused an abundant release of resin from trees. In the air, it oxidized, became covered with a thick dark brown crust and, as such, accumulated in the soil. Rivers and streams gradually washed the hardened lumps of resin from the earth and carried them to the mouth of a large river that flowed into the ancient sea. This is how the world's largest amber deposit, Palmnikenskoe, was formed.

The oldest and most primitive method of extraction is manual collection on beaches and shallows, where amber was thrown out by the sea. It was this method that was the main one in the ancient and medieval eras. Now it is used only by tourists who often walk along the beaches and carefully peer into the sand.

Since the 14th century, another method of extraction has become widespread - fishing with large nets. After storms, the sea often raises algae with amber from the bottom. People entered the water and dragged them to their shore with nets. This method is still popular with modern amber catchers, who can often be found after storms on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Sometimes they find really big pieces.

In the middle of the 17th century, attempts began to dig amber from the coastal cliffs, and in 1871 the first amber mine was laid in the area of the present village of Sinyavino. Its depth reached 30 meters. The mine was closed seven years later due to unprofitability and the danger of work. In 1872, the Stantin & Becker company acquired the Palmniken estate, rented the right to mine amber there and began to develop production. Several mines were laid on the beaches, and the Anna mine, which operated right up to 1925, became the most productive.

Open pit mining, which began in the first half of the 19th century, turned out to be more productive. On the coast, small pits 30 by 30 meters were laid, layers of waste rock were torn off, revealing the "blue earth". In 1912, at the Palmnikenskoye field, a large open pit with a depth of 50 meters was laid - "Walter", which was exploited for about 60 years. In those days, the work was carried out by bucket excavators, which scooped up the "blue earth" and loaded it into the open cars of an electric train, which followed to the processing plant. Before World War II, about 400 tons of raw amber per year were mined at this deposit. It was processed at the Konigsberg amber manufactory and other enterprises in East Prussia.

After the war, the Germans destroyed almost all the equipment that was used to extract amber. But already in 1947, the Kaliningrad Amber Combine was created on the basis of the Palmnikenskoye field. The old German quarry "Walther" was reconstructed by the efforts of Soviet engineers and German specialists. "Voluntarily-compulsory". When the possibilities of this quarry were exhausted, in 1976 a new Primorsky quarry was built. Today it is the only place on Earth where 90% of the world's amber reserves are concentrated.

The Primorsky quarry makes an impression. The average depth of the amber layer is 50 meters, which means that you still need to get to it. In this case, the thickness of the "blue earth" varies from 0.5 to 17.5 meters, an average of 7.5 meters.

I'll tell you about the protection of the quarry right away. Even on an official tour, no one has the right to lift even a small piece of amber from the ground. All participants in the mining process are searched several times at the exit from the quarry. Even governors and ministers are said to obey these rules. Such security measures are not surprising, since there are a lot of so-called “black diggers” in the Kaliningrad region. They tear apart beaches and fields near Yantarny and even try to break through to official quarries. They say that such a risk is worth the possible consequences, since the price of large pieces of amber on the black market can be very decent.

The most efficient way of extracting amber is open, using the principle of hydromechanization. This brings us to truly unique professions that are now difficult to find in any other region of Russia. One of them is the operator of the ESh-10 walking excavator. There are four such machines in the quarry and they are able to move on special pontoon legs. Considering the size and weight of the excavator and the condition of the ground on which it stands, this is perhaps the only way of movement.

At a time, the bucket of an almost 700-ton machine can scoop about 20 tons of rock.

After that, the "blue earth" gets under a stream of water under high pressure and is washed out. The water itself comes from the Baltic Sea and, passing through all the pipes and filters of the Amber Combine, returns to the same place. Without any harm to the environment.

The second unique profession is an amber miner. At the moment, this is the easiest and most effective way to catch large pieces of amber. The work is hard and even harmful, but it cannot be automated. Any attempts to exclude a person from this process have so far failed.

So people in overalls stand and from the washed out blue clay with nets they catch especially valuable large amber.

The remaining slurry is piped to a processing plant at the mill. At the factory, the water-washed “blue earth” passes through a grate with holes 5 cm in diameter, where workers take out the largest pieces of mineral, then through a sieve with holes of 2 mm, through which most of the waste rock dissolved in water goes to waste.

The remaining material is passed through a system of arc sieves, where it is initially washed and dehydrated. Then, in a separator, in a special solution with a density higher than that of amber, the mass is stratified, heavy particles settle to the bottom, small amber with pieces of wood floats to the surface. Further, repeated washing and drying in air-heaters. Mainly separated from impurities, amber is delivered to a screen - a system of sieves arranged one above the other and moving in opposite directions with holes of different diameters.

But the Amber Combine is famous not only for mining. His subsidiary company Yantarny Yuvelirprom is engaged in the production of various products: from simple jewelry to real works of art. According to statistics hh.ru amber processors, stone carvers and jewelers-assemblers are in great demand in the region. At the same time, the average salary of such specialists in the first quarter of 2017 reached 42.5 rubles. An experienced specialist can earn much more.

Amber is first graded according to quality, color and volume. Depending on these parameters, his fate is decided. The quarried stone is divided into ornamental, pressed and lacquered. Then they saw it, cut it, drill it, grind it and send it to the jewelers. See photos.