Are mosquitos actually preserved in amber?

Yes. Mosquitos and related blood-feeding insects have been found in Burmese amber from roughly 99 million years ago. Some specimens have been so well preserved that scientists can examine the mouthparts in detail and even, in a few cases, identify what kind of blood the mosquito had been feeding on.

Did the dinosaur-cloning premise have any science basis?

The science was extrapolated, not invented. By 1993, researchers had recovered short fragments of DNA from amber-trapped insects. The dinosaur-cloning premise of the era's blockbuster fiction extended that into a complete dinosaur genome, which is biologically impossible, DNA breaks down too fast over geological time. But the seed of the idea was real research.

What's a 'mosquito in amber' paperweight actually made of?

The good ones are jeweller-grade polyester or epoxy resin in an amber colour, with a 3D-sculpted mosquito suspended inside. The best versions use anatomically accurate insect sculpts, polished by hand, and often mounted on a wooden or stone base.

How do you tell a good mosquito-in-amber replica from a bad one?

Three checks: the resin should be optically clear with no air bubbles around the insect; the mosquito should be a 3D sculpt visible from multiple angles (not a 2D image printed inside); the finish should be smooth without tool marks, with rounded polished edges. The base should feel substantial in the hand.

Why is this image so iconic?

It packs a remarkable amount of meaning into a single object, deep time, fragility, preservation, the link between the alive and the long-dead. The image works on first sight and rewards a closer look. Few pop-culture objects achieve both.

Mosquito in Amber: A Cretaceous Window on Your Desk