In "Jurassic Park," some scientists found a chunk of amber, a hard, yellowish substance formed millions of years ago from pine tree resin. It was a fossil with a dead mosquito trapped inside.

The mosquito had lived during the dinosaur age. It had bitten a dinosaur and drawn some blood. The blood contained dinosaur DNA, which the scientists used to create a real dino.

Amber comes from northern Europe. The largest amber supply comes from the Baltic Sea, which borders Denmark, so the Yak went to visit.

"It's everywhere here. You are standing on amber," said Benni Hojer, a Danish amber artist.

"It's all over Denmark, but it's deep down," said Hojer. The Yak was at Hojer's workshop in Mygdal, a tiny village in northern Jutland, whose beaches are some of the best amber hunting grounds.

Hojer learned how to cut and polish amber from his father. In 1983, he gave up teaching elementary school to make amber jewelry. Hojer's jewelry is beautiful. Some pieces are creamy, light yellow. Others were translucent and golden, or even brown. But the best part was Hojer's private collection of unfinished amber: lumps with insects trapped inside; chunks with unusual colors -- black, white and blue. It was like an amber museum!

"I just love the 'gold' of the sea," Hojer said.

Yak fact: The German word for amber is "bernstein," which means "the stone that burns." Amber isn't a stone, though it looks like one. Many people in Denmark have the last name "Bernstein."

Pub Date: 03/22/99