How to Harvest Amber Resin

Find locations where amber has been reported that let people come to harvest it. Make a list of them in order of the reported quality and quantity, as well as the areas within a location that amber is found the most. Note the peak season people go to harvest at these places.

Learn the various tests for distinguishing it from similar looking rocks. One test is seeing if it floats in saltwater, as amber floats while other rocks do not. Another test is to drip rubbing alcohol on it to see if it becomes tacky, which amber doesn't. Copal, another non-fossilized tree resin, does not float in saltwater and is affected by alcohol.

Train yourself to distinguish amber in different types of sunlight by looking at various pictures of amber, such as pictures of the open-air amber markets and professional amber jewelry pictures. Also, look at pictures of amber in or on the ground before it is harvested.

Go to one of the harvesting sites and begin a systematic search of the places said to bring up the most amber, if there are any there. Remember to check the shallows, if the location is a deposit near a body of water.

Use the trowel, if there are no rules against it and you desire to find amber on or just beneath the surface. Shovel some ground onto the sieve, breaking up the chunks. Shake the screen back and forth so that the earth falls through.

Pick out the obviously non-amber items such as chunks of sandstone, granite, shale, roots and car keys. Place all the stones you think might be amber in the plastic bag. Look for stones that might be amber, using the magnifying glass, if desired.

Rinse off the stones with water and the sponge. Examine the stones you collected, testing them with the alcohol test and mixing the water and salt in the container to perform the saltwater test.