The International Amber Association

I wanted to introduce all of our blog readers to the International Amber Association. It is an organization that deserves to be acknowledged as it helps connect amber aficionados involved in the amber industry in a variety of ways. Most are manufacturers and merchants of amber jewelry, but there are also artists, historians and scientists who make up the 233 members representing 23 countries around the world.

The seal you see above, is one the Association uses to certify businesses who uphold the highest standards in the amber trade and who deal only authentic Baltic amber (for more on this click here).

Outside of connecting people of similar interest, the Association also organizes educational events featuring leading experts in the studies of amber, promotes amber related tourism, prints a Polish/English informational bulletin with current amber news and provides marketing material to shops, galleries and wholesalers.

To visit the IAA website and more information on amber news, history, chemistry, fashion and more, click here.

Green Amber Jewelry - The mystery behind green amber

I know that most of you amber jewelery or amber jewellery ( if you are in the UK) afficionados are familiar with green amber. It has fascinated jewelry collectors for years, but did you know that this beautifully hued amber stone does not exist in nature?!! Well, not really anyway. There is a naturally occuring amber which is called "green" but it looks nothing like what you see when purchasing "green amber". The natural color falls under the category of - earth amber. Here is an excerpt from amber.com.pl describing the naturally occuring "green amber"

"The earth amber group of varieties with foreign substances of plant origin include: dappled amber, in which small grey or black pieces of plant detritus appear against a yellow or white background, transparent earth amber, which contains fragments of detritus and isolated large gas bubbles which are perfectly visible against its transparent yellow-brown background, green amber and mixed earth amber, where there are fragments of opaque yellow amber and amber with isolated plant impurities."

Still, 99.9% of what you will come across when perusing amber collections will be a jeweler's enhancement of the natural stone. The beautiful bright color you find is a result of a movement in the amber industry in Gdansk to create something new and exciting. The most common process through which the green amber color is achieved is by applying a backing to the gemstone, a type of paste and heating it to bind. The exact methods are highly guarded by jewelers.

Bridal Favorites - Milky, Butterscotch Amber Maintains Popularity

In September I blogged about the popularity of the milky amber and I continue on the theme this month. The pieces with white and yellow amber attract brides looking for wedding jewelry. They variation of this color stone creates a subtle but beautiful accent to the bride or the bridal party. The smooth creamy look of the more solid color of amber photographs beautifully and we would love to see some brides send in photos of their amber weddings!

With amber's history and associations with healing qualities no wonder brides around the world are choosing this living gemstone as the adornment on their special day!

Mesmerizing Milky Amber

In the last few weeks I have found that not many people are aware of the variety of colors in which amber naturally occurs. I found this especially true for the milky amber which can vary in color from an almost pure white, to a cream color to a butterscotch yellow. When people come up to our booth at festivals and explore our jewelry at home shows many of them are surprised to amber jewelry with this rich buttery color. I enjoy explaining that this indeed is a natural color of amber.
In the next few weeks we will be featuring this color of amber on our site www.MyAmberShop.com. Feel free to come on by and explore this as well as other colors of amber! If you have a favorite piece of amber jewelry in any color post a photo on our blog and tell us how you came upon this particular gem! We would love to hear from you.

Health Benefits of Amber

The accounts of amber jewelry being used for healing purposes has been a part of amber history since its discovery on the Baltic shores.

Because amber is believed to have within it the energy and power of the sun it is said to imbue the wearer with therapeutic properties. Many believe that it can help with thyroid and asthma problems when worn around the neck and ease rheumatic and arthritis pain when worn as a bracelet.

From my own experience of wearing it mostly around the neck, there is definitely a certain feeling of calm and positive energy. When you think about the process through which amber was formed and the amount of time it has been part of the earth it is not difficult to understand its charisma. For a look at our natural amber bracelets and necklaces please visit:
Natural Stones Only Baltic Amber Jewelry at MyAmberShop.com

Gdansk - the Polish treasure

With Amberif having come and gone the excitement of the Amber expo is gone but the charisma and allure of the town in which this event took place remains.
I myself come from the southern part of Poland, the only mountainous region of the country with the beauty of the Tatry as a backdrop, but Gdansk and the Baltic coast maintain an appeal that can't be denied.
Having visited there just a few years ago, and let me warn you that winter is not the best time to visit, I find myself a bit nostalgic of the cobble stone streets, the historic buildings and the multitude of incredible amber jewelry and trinket shops along the famous ulica Dluga or Long Street. You will be hard pressed to find a more impressive selection of beautifully handcrafted amber and sterling silver jewelry amongst a beautiful city full of history and culture.
The Amber Museum which is incorporated into the Gdansk history museum offers an impressive display of rough uncut amber pieces allowing you to muse on the process which turns them into beautiful polished jewels.

The Ancient Amber Room of Fredrick the First

Many of you amber jewelry lovers may already know about the the Amber Room, but for those of you who don't, the Amber Room is not only an incredible display of another application of this Baltic gold in art outside of jewelry making, but it is also an important part of amber and world history.

The original amber room was built by Prussian King Fredrick the First in the 18th century, but no one has seen it since the Nazis looted it during WWII. Although the opening of the recreated room has made recent news headlines due to the possible find of the original panels in a man made cavern on the German-Czech Republic border, the actual opening of the completed recreation took place in 2003 in St. Petersburg during the city's 300 year anniversary. Also an incredible display of craftsmanship and the versatility of amber, the reconstructed amber room is a remarkable work of art. It's 3 - 26' high walls are composed of 500,000 amber tiles the entire room measuring 1080 square feet. One of the museum officials Yuri Dumashin described it as - "the world's biggest jewelry box."

Here is a link to a photo album of the Amber Room as well as some of the other rooms in the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg:
http://picasaweb.google.com/topgammy/CatherinePalace/photo#5098621706310656066