Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? Is all that glitters really gold? These are questions that I have asked myself since returning from a trip around the Baltic Sea. In several capital cities that I visited, I noticed a certain gemstone everywhere I looked. Nicknamed “Gold of the North,” this gemstone, really known as Baltic Amber, was sold in store after store after store, mainly as jewelry, but also as crafts. Amber is such a commodity in the Baltic Sea region that even unique small local museums are dedicated to its history and appeal. Here is a collection of history, facts, other tidbits, and my experiences surrounding Baltic Amber.
What is Amber? Sounds strange, but amber is petrified resin and sap from deciduous trees, such as conifers and pines, that grew in Northern Europe over 30 to 90 million years ago.
Amber Ship
Odd Fact about Amber: Sounds even stranger, but preserved fossilized organisms, such as plants, small animals, insects, spiders, frogs, and crustaceans can be found embedded in amber. Due to the color of amber (see below), sometimes the amber in which these fossils are found are called “golden tombs.” Interestingly, even these “golden tombs” are used in the making of amber jewelry and crafts. Thus, one might choose to purchase a necklace with a fly entrapped in the amber.
Necklace with “Golden Tombs” (photo from wikipedia)
Some History about Amber: Just as there was a Silk Road in Asia, there was an Amber Road in Europe connecting not only the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea, but also connecting Europe to Asia.
A Belief about Amber: The Ancient Greeks believed that amber could protect them against diseases and evil spirits. A belief that many still hold.
Colors of Amber: There are over 250 color varieties of amber, which range from shades of yellows (the most common) and browns, to whites, reds, oranges, and more rarely to greens and blues. The rarest shade is purple. (Almost like a rainbow of colors.) Amber can be transparent or opaque. Sometimes there are combinations of two or more colors within a particular piece of amber. In addition, each individual piece varies in size, form, and luster, and therefore no two pieces are alike. (I suppose amber is thus like fingerprints.)
Amber Color Gradations
Where I saw Amber: In Vilnius, Lithuania, I visited The Mizgiris Amber Museum, which is a gallery and jewelry store as well. Also in Vilnius, amber was sold at the Vilnius City Days Festival. Other Baltic cities where I came across amber, both in stores and in local markets, were Tallinn, Estonia; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Riga, Latvia.
What I saw in the Amber Museum: I experienced the history of the gemstone via plaques, and via a display of samples of amber. These samples dated from several thousand to several million years old, were in its natural stone form, and were even from dozens of countries of the world, not just the Baltic countries. There were also shelves of amber showing gradations of the various colors, and samples of the “golden tombs.”
Amber Samples
Amber Items I saw For Sale: Mostly jewelry, but also crafts in the form of miniature animal figurines, candle holders, chess boards and pieces, and very elaborate and intricate sculptures, such as ships. I noticed that many of these items, especially the jewelry, were quite expensive.
What I Bought: At the Vilnius City Days Festival, I bought myself a bracelet and a ring, as well as a few bracelets as gifts for friends and family.
Amber Chess Set
Final Impressions of Amber: From all the Baltic Amber that I saw, perhaps amber may also be a girl’s best friend, and perhaps all that glitters is not just gold.
Sweet Travels!
Credits to wikipedia and to the Mizgiris Amber Museum. If one is interested in finding out more about amber, please visit the website for this museum, as well as other museums in the Baltic region.