What is Natural Amber--Facts and History | Baltic Amber | Green Amber | Amber Jewelry | Amber Necklace | Amber for Sale

A Carved Amber Portrait Relief of a Roman Soldier, German Early 18th Century

Most of the world's amber is in the range of 30-90 million years old. Because it used to be soft and sticky tree resin, amber can sometimes contain insects and even small vertebrates.

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Amber occurs in a range of different colors. As well as the usual yellow-orange that is associated with the color "amber", amber itself can range from a whitish color through a pale lemon yellow, to brown and almost black. Other more uncommon colors include red amber (sometimes known as "cherry amber"), green amber, and even blue amber, which is rare and highly sought after.

A lot of the most highly-prized amber is transparent, but cloudy amber and opaque amber is also very common. Opaque amber contains numerous minute bubbles.

Insect Amber

Amber varies in color--varying shades of yellow, orange, red, white, brown, green, bluish, "black" (deep shades of other colors). Rainbow colors within the amber are caused by the light interference of air bubbles or strain created during an insect's death struggle.


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Some believe the color is related to the type of tree source. Recent pine trees produce golden yellows, white, ivory-colors, and occasionally a blue resin. Scientists at the Polish Museum of Science believe that reddish tints are the resin of deciduous trees, such as cherry and plum. Dominican amber with a reddish tint is thought to be related to a leguminous source.

Amber color preferences vary from country to country. The transparent reds and greens are thought to be the most desirable colors in some countries, followed by the transparent yellows. The warm, transparent, orange color seems to be a desirable color for many Americans.

Natural amber, regardless of color, may darken to a mellow brown after long exposure to air; pressed amber may turn white as it ages.

Roman/Iron Age Wooden Gameboard, Bone Dice, and Amber Playing Pieces

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The history of amber is actually quite fascinating. Amber has been important to ancient cultures around the globe since almost 10,000 years ago. During the Bronze Age, amber was traded as a commodity between tribes. According to archaeological finds, it was during this time that amber trade routes were established across Europe, from the north and extending to the Far East.

Excavations of Iron Age sites show a remarkable quality in the workmanship of amber; figurines, artifacts and jewelry.

The advanced ancient civilizations of the Phoenicians and Etruscans were also major traders of amber, trading with the Baltic peoples for amber.

Amber had a place in the Greek and Roman Empires, and to the Romans, amber held more value than a young, healthy slave.

During the Medieval period when the Teutonic Knights ruled Prussia, amber's popularity started to re-emerge and they monopolized and controlled amber production and sales within the Baltic region.

Today the amber industry consists of artisans, jewelers and craftsmen bringing us beautiful amber creations for all to enjoy.

Amber Finial

The fabled Amber Room was a room that was made entirely of amber; a masterpiece of Baroque art. It was an extravagent gift given to Czar Peter the Great of Russia in 1716 by Frederick Wilhelm I, King of Prussia.

Czar Peter of Russia was taken with its opulence and it forged a lavish gesture of friendship between Russia and Germany until the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. After remaining in the possession of Russia until 1941, the Amber Room mysteriously disappeared.

What happened to it is not fully known. The amber panels were removed from the room and stored in Novosibirsk. Later, the room was crated up and transported to Kaliningrad. The amber panels were again moved in 1945 at the end of World War II and the room's trail was lost. Since then the panels have been restored.

In the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, the amazingly beautiful, intricately decorated Amber Room will re-open, following a restoration that has lasted decades. Decorated with artfully assembled pieces of various kinds of amber including unique amber pictures, restoration of the room has involved successive generations of restorers, and plans to have a complete reconstruction of the room ready in time for celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg.


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Amber is mentioned in great works of literature, such as the Odyssey. Homer mentions amber jewelry - earrings and a necklace of amber beads - as a princely gift.

There are many myths surrounding the origin of amber. In Greek mythology, Ovid wrote about Phaethon, who convinced his father Helios, the Sun God, to allow him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky for a day. He drove too close to the earth, setting it on fire. To save the earth, Zeus struck Phaethon out of the sky with his thunderbolts, plunging him into the sea. His sisters (the Heliades, the daughters of Helios, the Sun), turned into poplar trees on the bank of the Eridanus River. Where sorrowing they weep into the stream forever. And each tear as it falls shines in the water, a glistening drop of amber.


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A Lithuanian amber myth tells about the story of lost love. Perkunas, God of Thunder, was the father God and his daughter was Jurate, a mermaid who lived in an amber palace in the Baltic. Once a day, a fisherman named Kastytis would cast his nets to catch fish from Jurate's kingdom. The goddess sent her mermaids to warn him to stop fishing in her domain. He did not stop, so Jurate went herself to demand he stop.

Once she saw him, she fell in love and brought him back to her amber palace. Perkunas, knowing Jurate was promised to Patrimpas, God of Water, was angered to find his daughter in love with a mortal. Perkunas destroyed the amber palace with a bolt of lightening to kill her mortal lover. Her palace was destroyed and Jurate was chained to the ruins for eternity. When storms in the Baltic stir the sea, fragments from the amber palace wash up on shore. Pieces in the shape of tears are particularly treasured, as they are the tears from the grieving goddess, as she weeps tears of amber for her tragic love.

Baltic amber is thought to have healing properties due to its high succinic acid content. Another reason amber is thought to have healing properties is due to the fact that some samples contain the essence of life (DNA material), dating back millions of years.

Some believe that amber facilitates and transmits healing energy and psychic activity. Here is a list of metaphysical properties attributed to amber:

Magnet-like qualities, electric.
Attracts spiritual forces.
Facilitates family bonding.
Brings soul mate.
Helps receive.
Brings success/good fortune.
Promotes humor and adaptability.
Helps with judicial matters.
Heightens instincts.
Enhances artistic qualities.
Helps overcome obstacles.
Relieves grief and melancholy.
Brings greater awareness of inner self.
Provides strength and conveys harmony.


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Winged Termite in Amber, Eocene-Oligocene Dominican Republic

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Amber has helped track ancient trade routes, and is documented in literature and the mythology of many pre-Christian cultures, and was referred to as "northern gold".

Amber is a fossilized and very old organic substance; amber talismans and jewelry have been found in Stone Age archaeological sites, as well as in ancient burial chambers.

Wear amber to attract warm, loyal, and generous people into your life; or carry amber on your person to lend logic or wit to a difficult situation.

Mixed with turquoise, amber is reminiscent of the sun in the sky. This combination of energies may be used successfully to quiet the mind and calm the nervous system.

Some cultures believe amber has healing abilities because it has electrical properties when rubbed with a cloth, attracting lint/dust. It also has an aroma, and is warm to the touch. The Greek word "electron" means amber. This is where the word "electricity" comes from.

On the Mohs hardness scale, Baltic amber, which is the hardest of ambers, averages around 2.0-2.5. Therefore, it is considered to be a fairly soft substance.

So, you should take care of it as you would any other semi-precious jewelry, making sure it doesn't come into contact with any sharp objects. When not wearing amber, keep it away from light in a jewelry box or cloth pouch.


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Never use ultrasonic cleaners or solvents of any type on amber jewelry. Clean amber jewelry gently with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water, and wipe with a dry soft cloth. If necessary, a tiny drop of olive oil may be used to restore luster.

Amber Necklace from Dieskau, Sky Disk, Bronze Age, Germany

Rose in Amber Vase Triptych