Amber

We offer a range of over 250 items of fine quality amber jewellery and collectable items within our on-line shop. We have amber set in both gold and silver.

Thousands of years since the dawn of mankind, Amber has held the secrets of a mystic past.   From its health giving qualities, to a coveted treasure adorned by women for centuries past, the trading commodity of early man maintains its value and fashion appeal

But just what IS amber made from?

Amber is yellow to brown fossil resin exuded by coniferous trees now extinct; the best amber is transparent. Highly polished amber is used to make small decorative objects, e.g., beads and amulets. When rubbed with a cloth, amber becomes charged with static electricity. Bubbles of air, leaves, bits of wood, or insects, sometimes of extinct species, are often found trapped in amber. The chief source of the world's amber is the Baltic coast of Germany.

Commercial mining and gathering activities have been recorded from as early as 1264 AD and in various guises continue to this day. Imagine, how much amber has been extracted over a period of 700+ years? It is also true to say that the majority of this extraction was subsequently turned into varnish and shellac. We will never know what wonders have been lost.

The amber from the Samland Peninsula in the Baltic is actually a secondary deposit. The original amber forest was probably located further South. The resin was subsequently carried South probably by two great rivers from its original site and deposited in a great estuarial drift of silt and clay. (At the moment this is still speculation as many scientists disagree on this point). This deposit site extends some way out under the sea. This is also the likely source of amber washed up onto the Norfolk, Suffolk beaches. Autumn and Spring storms together with complimenting tides tears pieces of raw amber from the sea bed and strands them on the shore line. If you look for amber it is usually mixed in with the stranded seaweed, litter and of course obligatory dead seagull!

Summary

Most of our understanding, beliefs and research on amber have been based upon the work of European and American cultures. The Chinese shared our fascination with amber and the earliest written references go back to AD 92. They believed that amber was the soul of a tiger which had died and passed into the earth and the Tibetans had perhaps the most beautiful name for this gem; pö-she, which meant perfumed crystal.

Amber is a strange and attractive gem. Its golden transparency lends it a quality which even diamonds do not share. For the artisan it provides a remarkable medium to work with and create some of the most beautiful objects for us to enjoy. For the scientist it provides a glimpse into the past, a window into history.

Special thanks to Garry Platt for the information and pictures: http://www.gplatt.demon.co.uk/