We report on optical absorption, fluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence measurements in Dominican ambers. The “blue” variety reveals an intense fluorescence emission in the visible wavelength region, between 430 and , with spectral features typical of aromatic hydrocarbons. On the contrary, the “red” and “yellow” varieties have a much weaker and featureless emission. The data for blue amber, including fluorescence lifetime, allow the identification of perylene as the compound responsible for its distinctive showy fluorescence.
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