Amber jewelry can delight the senses with warm hues of only the most esteemed quality, handcrafted with the finest silver (sterling silver). Amber necklaces, amber earrings and amber bracelets with natural amber inclusions set in silver—usually directly from Poland.

There are several vital facts to know about amber jewelry:

• Amber comes in many hues and shades. The most common are honey, cognac, green, ivory, lemon yellow and cream/yellow.
• Amber is a fossilized tree resin. It took millions of years to form.
• Amber is lightweight. Due to the fact that it is an organic substance, every piece is unique.
• On occasion, amber will usually contain plant remnants or insects that were first trapped and preserved millions of years ago.
• An important commodity for ancient cultures, amber was always valued vastly. It was traded around the world as far back as nearly 10,000 years ago.
• There are huge deposits of amber located below the bottom of the Baltic Sea and amber stones are tossed out by waves during weather storms.

In Poland, amber is collected from the sea and beaches. It is sought for and extracted from old beaches. Amber is normally buried deep under ground and situated either south towards the land or even more north towards the sea than the beach line at present. Today, amber is washed ashore by waves of the Baltic Sea. Amber is still fished out from special nets connected to long poles after weather storms.

A scintillating array of amber jewelry beautifies most jewelry catalogues: traditional handcrafted amber necklaces, amber bracelets and cutting-edge, modern designer Baltic amber jewelry—with styles that stretch from the simple to the sublime. Precious jewelry designs are created and sold by the millions around the globe. Baltic amber is most sought after because it is uniquely known for its quality.

To enjoy amber jewelry for many years, there are several simple precautions that must be taken into consideration. Due to the softness of amber, as well as its brittleness and susceptibility to attack by oxidation and different chemicals, amber jewelry pieces require special care in storing and handling. Amber beads shouldn’t be stored where they have a tendency to rub against other pieces of jewelry or metal. Best for storing and protecting each individual amber bead are velvet or soft flannel pouches with drawstring tops.

It’s not difficult to remove perspiration and dust from amber beads. You can simply wipe the amber beads with a soft flannel cloth dampened with clean, lukewarm water. The amber beads should be dried cautiously and rubbed lightly with clear olive oil, then rubbed with a supple cloth to remove excess oil and restore the polish.

It’s advisable to avoid placing amber jewelry pieces in any strong solutions. An important precaution is to refrain from allowing amber to come in contact with hair spray or perfume. Amber shouldn’t come in contact with commercial jewelry cleaning solutions either. It’s also sound advice to remove amber jewelry while cooking to avoid excessive heat. Hot water is not advisable for cleaning amber.