Origin of the blue fluorescence in Dominican amber

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 530 nm, 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.