The Mine, Part Two

The following list of Amber mines focuses on mines in the Cordillera Septentrional, a mountain range located between the coastal city of Puerto Plata and the “secret capital” of the Dominican Republic, the city of Santiago.

There are two main arteries connecting the two cities, one highway taking the long way around the range, while the shortest and scenic road cuts straight through. The scenic road, known as the Carretera Turística, the Tourist Road, has much history to it – and it shows. The former nation’s dictator Trujillo built a luscious residence alongside it with its own private coffee plantation, and had the famous revolutionists the Mirabal Sisters brutally executed just a kilometer down the road (the incident was depicted in the movie In the Time of the Butterflies, featuring Salma Hayek).

Despite being the first and oldest, it is also one of the worst kept. There are almost as many potholes as there are amber stores along that road, and that’s because of the proximity to the amber mines (the stores, not the potholes).

About half-way between the two cities and on its highest point sits the quaint little village of La Cumbre, population twenty huts and a goat. La Cumbre, meaning The Peak, is the Dominican Amber Central. Life up here pretty much centers around excavating amber, planting coffee, having a good time and roasting the above goat. And that for over fifty years (the amber mines, not the... you know).

It is up here that some of the best known amber mines have sprung from the ground... that is, dove into the ground to be specific. The following list is about mines on the east side of the road.

Usage of the term ‘mine’: The name of each mine we will explore below does not refer to a single hole and/or several. It refers to an entire area that can cover up to five kilometers, give or take a few clicks. Dominican idiosyncrasy makes name-calling difficult. Try getting directions. Indications are generally very vague and hard to follow. It seems however that many ‘mines’ sharing the same name but spread out over a larger area seem to also share the same ‘veta’ – a vein of amber running through the mountain.

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Name: Palo Quemado

Meaning of Name: Burnt Log

Location: La Cumbre-area. South-side of the Cordillera Septentrional mountain range. Close to the Carretera Turística.

Amount of Holes: 4+ vary with season. Area size about 5 kilometers.

Color Gradient: Mostly traditional amber, gold, yellow, lemon. Slight blue shimmers for yellow at times. Some reddish to deep red.

Quality: Most of the material is workable for jewelry. It is very strong and takes longer to polish. Holes can be drilled without chipping and a polished sheen will last.

Fossils: Seldom and/or bad quality.

Notes: This is one of the first mines on the island. It also has delivered some of the largest known pieces.

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Name: La Toca

Meaning of Name: The Crest

Location: La Cumbre-area. South-side of the Cordillera Septentrional mountain range. Close to the Carretera Turística.

Amount of Holes: 20+ vary with season. Area size about 2 kilometers.

Color Gradient: Amber, yellow, dirty-yellow. Slight blue shimmers for yellow at times. No known reddish tones, which is unusual.

Quality: Most of the material is workable for jewelry. It is overly very clear and strong.

Fossils: Not overabundant but generally of very good quality. Some of the world’s rarest enclosures have been found here: scorpions, several geckos, etc.

Notes: There seem to be three ‘vetas’ on top of each other, two of which are of low quality in all respects. The third, separated by just a few feet of neutral strata, is high grade, nearly through and through.

Most holes are also dug at steep angles, following the ‘veta’. They are also so deep that it seems as if the holes could someday exit valley-sides at the other side of the mountain.

Next month: the mines Carlos Diaz, Villa Trina, Los Cacaos

Citations: This compilation has been made with personal experience and using/completing the information from the following sources:

Baroni Urbani, C. & Saunders, J.B. (1980): The fauna of the Dominican Republic amber: the present status of knowledge. – Memorias, 9a geologica del Caribe, 1: 213-223; Santo Domingo. (Published 1983).

Schlee, D. (1980): Bernstein-Raritaeten (Farben, Strukturen, Fossilen, Handwerk). – 88 S. (mit 55 Farbtafeln); Staatl. Museum fuer Naturkunde) Stuttgart.

Schlee, D. (1984): Besonderheiten des Dominikanischen Bernsteins. – Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk., C, 18: 63-71; Stuttgart.

Martínez, R. & Schlee, D. (1984): Die Dominikanischen Bernsteinminen der Nordkordillera, speziell auch aus der Sicht der Werkstaetten. – Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk., C, 18: 79-84; Stuttgart.