About amber

Amber was formed about 40 million years ago and it is much older than the Baltic Sea where its largest deposits have been found. Its beginnings are veiled in mystery, since a number of facts related to its origins have remained unexplained until today. Amber is the fossilized resin of some coniferous tree from those prehistoric times – a tree about which not much is known. Since then, the resin went through the natural processes of being fossilized and weathered, all of which contributed to amber’s unique charm. Natural color of amber is usually light or honey yellow.
Amber is primarily composed of carbon (79%), and it also contains oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur. The varying content of various elements contributes to its beauty and quality.
For ages, amber has been highly valued all around the world. It was highly sought after by the Mediterranean nations as well as by the people in the Middle East and Far East. Known in different countries under different names, amber was initially traded in barter trade. The first organized expeditions to get amber took place as early as in 5th century BC. Several centuries later, the Romans developed the amber trade into a large-scale business. An organized network of trading routes, known as the Amber Road was developed. The trading routes of amber merchants led to the Baltic coast from as far away as ancient Rome, where amber not only adorned the emperor’s court but it was also highly appreciated for its magical and medicinal properties. Amber became the Baltic Gold of the North.
In the past amber was used to manufacture exquisite jewelry, boxes, spoons, birdcages, goblets, oil lamps, furniture, figurines, and mosaics. People took delight in decorative objects such as boxes adorned by relief sculpture or model ships made of amber. They looked at themselves in mirrors set in decorative amber frames… Amber was a fashionable gemstone all across Europe and the city of Gdańsk was, for several centuries, the European center of amber craftsmanship. The most beautiful pieces, made of the most valuable amber, were presented as priceless gifts and showcased at royal palaces and the courts of the most powerful dignitaries. The most famous example of amber craftsmanship is the Amber Room, which vanished without a trace during the Second World War.
Because amber has always been highly admired and appreciated, it happened many times that claims were laid to the exclusive ownership of amber and its deposits. Because of those claims hardship was inflicted on local communities, especially the craftsmen who worked with amber and turned it into ornaments and decorative objects.
In the 17th century, the first amber mines were set up and, as time went by, machinery was introduced in amber processing and finishing. Still, however, there were places where people continued to process amber manually, turning it into the most exquisite pieces. One of those places was in the Polish ethnic region of Kurpie (located in the region of Polish lowland plains). The amber pieces, hand-made by local craftsmen in small workshops, were all the rage during the 1878 Exhibition in Paris – a city which at that time was ”the capital of the world” – when the items made by the craftsmen from Kurpie were in great demand and were avidly grabbed by the sophisticated public.
The Gold of the North maintains its unchanged attractiveness until this day. Amber has kept its place among highly prized gemstones because it is set apart among them by its beauty, color and character. The items made of amber, both those with some practical use and those purely decorative, as well as amber jewelry – often of high artistic quality – are a highly-valued adornment, appreciated buy the world’s celebrities nowadays, just as they used to be appreciated in the past. These days amber products are not reserved exclusively for those most affluent but they surely are for those who are unique.