ROMANCE, HISTORY & LORE

Amber, a gold-colored gem made of fossilized tree resin, has ensnared the curiosity of man for millennia.

An ancient Greek tale describes amber as the “nectar of the setting sun,” pooling like gold in the evening seas. Medieval clerics crafted fine amber into rosary beads. The gemstone was so treasured that by 1400 A.D., knights controlled the European amber trade, and possession of its raw form was banned by commoners.

ORIGINS

Amber dates between 25 and 50 million years old, and can be found throughout the world.

Baltic amber is particularly prized; it comes from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Russia. Occasionally, fine specimens grace the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, and England.

Other amber sources include the Dominican Republic, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, and Canada.