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is due to their concentration on up-market sales of fine art work which are bought by wealthy collectors from North America and Europe. They make superb replicas of Aztec and Mayan figurines (labeled, this is a replica of a valuable figurine in a specific Museum of Anthropology) and there is no shortage of Mayan glyphs and other ancient carvings to copy. The latter may be etched on large slabs of polished black jade and look magnificent. Mosaic jade death masks are popular and make fine ornaments for one's home, but their price was beyond my budget (some over US$4000).

Amber:
Amber is a fossilized resin originating from pine trees. It is found as transparent lumps, of yellow to red color, in Tertiary Age sediments of shallow water origin. The classic deposits are along the Baltic coastline of eastern Europe where for centuries amber has been recovered from glauconitic sands of Oligocene Age (ca 30 million years). It is used for ornamentation, medicinal purposes, in funeral rites and production of varnishes and succinic acid.

The ancient Mayans of southern Mexico also used and traded amber. The present day mines are near Simojovel and Totolapa in Chiapas state, some 80 kms north of San Cristobal de Las Casas, not far from the jade deposits. It occurs in a grey, micaceous, sandstone of late Oligocene to early Miocene Age (20 to 30 million years) with a capping of lignite. It originates from the resin of the tree "Guapinol" and is found associated with fossil brachiopods, gastropods and molluscs. It is a mountainous area and the workings simply consist of adits dug by miners (los ambareros) into the hillside.

In San Cristobal one must visit the Museo del Ambar de Chiapas which is housed in the Ex Convento de la Merced, to see a huge collection of local amber and to learn the history of its exploitation. The Simojovel area is the most productive of clear yellow to pinkish amber, whilst the Totolapa amber is more reddish with frequent inclusions of insects. Some 75 different species of insects have been identified including ants, butterflies, spiders, mosquitoes and other flies to 1 cm size. Colors vary (like sherry and port wine) from clear yellow, cognac, red, cream and black.

Clear yellow amber with insect inclusions is highly prized for pendants and display specimens. Polished amber pieces are set in silver jewelry. The local silversmithing is excellent with the usual range of pendants, bead necklaces, cabochons in rings and earrings. Large pieces, 6 to 10 cm size are carved into figurines, birds, animals, frogs etc. Some expensive necklaces have amber combined with either lapis lazuli or jade. Much of the low cost amber for sale on street stalls is pressed amber, made by heating under pressure small, otherwise useless fragments. Amber melts around 220C and will aggregate into a single lump, complete with added insect inclusions and many air bubbles. Be suspicious if your amber pendant has an imbedded scorpion or peso coin!
Ends

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