Insect Entombed in Opal Instead Opal Photo: Brian Berger[/caption]
Earlier, amber has been set as a mark for having a contribution to Earth's fossil record. When viscous liquid from petrified tree resin starts hardening slowly over a million years ago. Which trapped many remainings of the creature at the time of the Earth and were being preserved in the process. Most of the amber has been found in Burma having and showing a detailed history of ancient animals such as dinosaur egg, chicks, lizards, spiders and much more.
However recently a new gemologist Brian Berger found a creature in opal. Opal is slow forming gemstone and mineral which seems to be capable of preserving the ancient animals remains.
During his trip to Indonesia, Brian Berger got an opal which was having an insect inside. Insects are common in amber but slow forming gemstone like opal is a question.
“Some researchers weren’t sure it was possible,” Berger told Gizmodo. “Now we know it’s possible. Is it likely? Extremely unlikely.”
The stone has been analyzed by GIA (Gemological Institute of America). GIA confirmed the authenticity of the stone. The gemologist published a blog in Entomology. He wrote about his finding and is after entomologists to analyze the stone further for research.
In amber case, the trees produce a substance called resin which is meant to protect themselves. Under the particular circumstances, the resin substance form many changes time by time. They start fossilizing themselves into amber. Sometime during this process, they trap and preserve the insects inside thus recording the history of the Earth.
This particular stone of opal first seems to start as a typical insect trapped which seem to have gone through another process under opalization. It also seems that some of the ambers turning into opal. Opals take the form of silicon dioxide with water combined. Some organic specimens can become opal or turn into opal.
This is the stone which Brian took from the seller.
Ryan McKellar is an Entomologist and Curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada. He told to Gizmodo " “it is a pretty neat find, and a bit puzzling.” McKellar commented on Brian's blog post in Entomology “definitely looks like an insect inclusion.”
He also pointed out that he has seen such type of specimen in Canada. Where silica replaced the organic matter outside of the amber and it turned it into petrified wood. He is of the view that this particular finding by Brian seems to be formed by the same process. However, more study will come out after studying the age of the deposit where it was found.
On the other side, a famous and well-noted entomologist Mr. George Poinar Jr remained cautious. He is from Oregon State University. He also took interest into the specimen and desired to wait for opinions till further observation made by his face to face of the object by myself.