The process of resin formation took approximately 50 million years – back then, subtropical forests used to grow in the place of today’s Baltic sea. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that amber is as old as our mother earth – and, of course, as precious.

79 percent carbon, 10.5 percent hydrogen and 10.5 percent oxygen. Amber contains over 40 compounds as well as Succinic Acids and additive salts of potassium, sodium and iron. The powerful substances can be used for healing and therapy in numerous ways.

Traditionally, amber ranges from bright yellow to dark yellow or brownish-orange, depending on its age and where it is found, in seldom cases it is either red or blue. Otherwise it’s probably not real amber. 

Tiny inclusions – anything from insects to plant seeds, feathers or water bubbles – commonly clue us in the origin of amber and make its piece stand out from the crowd. So, enjoy it! 



It should be noted that because of the small insects trapped inside, paleontologists have been able to reconstruct life on earth in its primal phases. More than 1,000 extinct species have already been identified!

Oh, yes! It was already trendy many centuries before Cartier, Chanel and even before Christ. The Baltic amber diggers used to enrich the amber with personal details – for example, ancient jewellers would inscribe wishes and other nice words on the stone, put it on a string and sell or give it as a gift to their beloved ones.

In Baltics, amber has been one of the most popular accessories for many years; today it’s still by far the most popular souvenir and a traditional yet charming gift.   

Just as China had the Silk Road, Europe used to have the Amber Road. Amber was transported from the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts overland by way of the Vistula and Dnieper rivers to Italy, Greece, the Black Sea, Syria and Egypt thousands of years ago – from at least 16^th century B.C., to be precise. 

Amber would become really expensive when it, with the help of travelling merchants, finally reached Greece and other southern territories; thus, the nickname ‘gold’ was adopted. The transparent reddish and golden colour also helped!

Many legends about the good luck amber brings have travelled through time. It is believed that amber draws out the negative energy from the body and transmutes it into a positive energy that purifies the body, soul, heart and spirit. For example, carrying a piece of amber with you every day makes the perfect good luck charm. It’s also advised to sleep near a piece of amber so that your dreams would come true and you could make correct choices in life. 

The Greek word for amber is electron – that’s where the term electricity comes from. Amber, being sort of electricity capacitor, helps people to recharge and get rid of bad energy. 

Amber is also called ‘a stone of purification’. As the ‘stone’ symbolizes the energy of the Sun, it is believed to awaken the good spirits and positive feelings.

Amber has been proven to serve as a pain reliever for the upper body including the head, neck and throat areas. Amber bracelets can control aches and pains associated with rheumatism, arthritis, and aching muscles and joints. Amber has also been used as a remedy for anxiety and fatigue. 

On a bigger scale, the Baltic tribes used amber incense to drive away evil spirits and attract the good ones. Soldiers would trust on amber before going to war. The newlyweds and the babies would be fumigated for a happier life, too. Also, as recorded by a 17^th century priest, historian and ethnographer Matthäus Prätorius, during a plague in the Baltic region not a single amber man from Gdansk, Memel (Klaipėda), Konigsberg (Kaliningrad) or Liepaja died from the disease. Sounds convincing!

First of all, amber warms to the touch and exudes a nice, relaxing fragrance in the palm of your hand. It is also the only fossil resin surface of which contains 3-8% succinic acid. The latter is a pretty powerful substance with many applications for therapy healing. For example, plants absorbed the amber resin were often used as an antibiotic to heal cuts and or dress wounds.

Yes, of course. Nannies in the Baltics and surrounding countries would wear amber beads to protect the babies and themselves from various diseases. Also, amber beads would be put on babies’ necks to make the eruption of teeth less painful and make the teeth grow stronger.

Not exactly! Hippocrates, the father of medicine who lived 460-377 BC, described medicinal properties and methods of application of Baltic amber that were later used by scientists until the Middle Ages. The Roman physician Calistratus wrote that amber protects from madness, powder of amber mixed with honey cures throat, ear and eye diseases and taken with water cures stomach illnesses. Albert the Great (1193-1280), a Dominican and a philosopher, identified amber as the first among the six of the most effective medicines. By adding that amber was also worn by the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen (ca. 1333-1324 BC) and Homerus wrote of amber in Odyssey, it’s pretty obvious that the area in which amber was used and appreciated was vast indeed.

Interestingly enough, natural Baltic amber floats in salt water but sinks in fresh water.

Amber should not smell in everyday conditions; however, when amber is touched with fire, it produces an exceptionally pleasant aroma of burning pine. Also, amber becomes warm in one’s hands and then exudes a nice, relaxing fragrance.