“These gems have life in them: their colors speak, say what words fail of.” – George Eliot
Amber is a mystical jewel that captures the past and brings it to the future. One of the oldest treasures Mother Nature offers, amber is fossilized tree resin from millions of years ago. With breathtaking warm golden hues, it is as an organic gem. Many ancient cultures held this stone to be useful for magical and medicinal reasons.
Amber is over 46 million years old. Whether carved or simply polished, humans have been using amber for adornment since the Neolithic Age. This Bohemian gem is popular with worldly collectors and those willing to fall in love with its eccentric qualities.
Many associate amber gems with the wisdom of their ancestors. This organic gemstone has traveled through the course of ages with its unique beauty. No two amber stones are alike.
The Legend of Baltic Amber
One of the most famous amber stories endures as an old Lithuanian tale.
Pekunas, the God of Thunder, has a beautiful amber palace under the Baltic Sea. His daughter Jurate, a beautiful mermaid, lives there.
The fisherman, Kastytis, tries fishing the waters of the Baltic Sea. Jurate sends her mermaids to stop Kastysis, warning him of his trespass.
Ignoring their warning, Jurate herself goes to meet Kastytis, prepared to kill him. However, upon seeing the mortal, she instead falls in love. She brings him to live with her beneath the waves to live in the amber palace.
However, Jurate is betrothed to Patrimpas, the God of Water. When Pekunas learns of his daughter’s betrayal, the god flies into a rage. The Thunder God destroys the amber palace in his anger while trying to kill Kastytis and Jurate.
Her mortal lover destroyed by her father’s wrath, Jurate spends the rest of eternity chained to the ruins of the amber palace. As turbulent storms swirl in the Baltic Sea, folklore tells us that her tears wash ashore as fragments of amber gemstone.
To this day, Jurate mourns her tragic lost love.
This amber brooch showcases the color potential of amber.
Exploring the Nature of Amber
When it comes to jewelry, amber favors organic shapes, benefiting its natural origin. Artisans either tumble the stone from its rough for wire-wrapping or shape the jewel into gentle cabochons.
Alternatively, polishing amber into beads is an option. This delightful gem is exceptionally light, making it an excellent choice for large and extravagant pieces. Amber jewelry, therefore, can be effortless and rustic or sophisticated and sexy.
Amber is famous for its yellow to gold colors. We associate amber colors with the energies of gold; a color related to the sun and royalty, which symbolizes success, happiness, and power.
Tips for Buying Amber Jewelry
Although amber is known for its inclusions, not everyone will find an insect or plant fragments. These are rarer and costly. An absence of any visible organic material does not mean amber is fake, either. Most think of amber as translucent, but it can be cloudy or even opaque.
How do you differentiate between real and fake amber? Genuine amber warms up in your hands quickly and should be able to float on seawater. If scraped with a knife, fake amber is flaky while authentic amber is powdery.
Travel through time with an ancient stone that comes from a prehistoric era. No two the same, Baltic Amber is unique as it is beautiful. Bring wonder into your life.
Wear a piece of the past.