Rob's Crystal Wizardry

10/09/2026

06/09/2026

Imagine an insect hunting through an ancient tropical forest, only to become permanently entombed in tree resin. This Oligocene praying mantis survived as a tiny time capsule inside Dominican amber, preserving anatomical details that would normally vanish within days. Its fossilized form reveals how remarkably similar some mantises were to their modern relatives millions of years ago. Dominican amber itself formed from resin produced by the extinct legume tree Hymenaea protera, which once grew across the Caribbean region. Today, such inclusions are prized not only for their beauty but also for the scientific clues they provide about ancient ecosystems, evolution, and insect diversity.

18/02/2026

16/01/2026

ZEBRA ROCK

…

02/04/2025