This 3.5-kilogram stone, found by an elderly woman, is considered one of the largest pieces of amber in the world and is worth about $1.1 million.
Amber is a precious stone known for its warm tones, formed by the fossilization of resin flowing from trees millions of years ago.
In Romania, amber can be found in sandstones on the banks of the Buzau River near the village of Colti, and has been mined in this area since the 1920s.
Known as “rumanite”, this amber is famous for its deep reddish hues and is highly prized.
The woman who found this particular piece of rumanite lived in Colti. Even the burglars who broke into her house missed this precious stone, mistaking it for an ordinary door handle.
After her death in 1991, a relative who inherited the house suspected that the stone used as a doorstop might be something else.
After learning of its value, the heir sold the amber to the Romanian state and had it examined by experts at the Historical Museum in Krakow.
Experts said that this piece of amber has an age between 38 and 70 million years.
Daniel Costache, Director of the Buzau Provincial Museum, told El Pais that this discovery is of great scientific and museum importance.
The Rumanite fragment is on display at the Buzau Provincial Museum, where it has been since 2022.
