[2] Despite this, 90% of amber collected from the Mezhigorje Formation is extracted illegally and the trade is controlled by armed organised crime groups.

[3][2] The formation is found along the northwestern margin of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield[1] exposed in the Rivne region of Ukraine and across the border near Rechitsa in the Gomel Region of Belarus.

[4] The granite basement rock was overlain by sandy to clayey deposits that were host to alluvial amber.

[2] The two formations total between 2–7 m (6.6–23.0 ft) in thickness, both containing interbeds or mixtures of brown coals and carbonized vegetation.

Both formations are sandy to clayey in texture, with the Mezhigorje Formation containing mostly medium to fine grained sands of a greenish gray tone, and with occasional iron impregnation and layering.