Amber, the precious fossilised tree resin known as ‘Baltic
Gold’ or ‘Gold of the North’, has played a vital role in Poland’s history: from
the country’s economic trade and its folklore, to being used in jewellery and
contemporary decorative arts and fashion.

by Anna J. Kutor

Mystery, magic, glamour and the quest for the golden grail…these aspects have all fueled the
flame for humankind’s age-old search and love for amber. From ancient
times, this organic gem was prized by Greeks and Romans as ‘petrified
sunlight’, as they believed it to possess the warming, healing and
life-giving powers of the sun. According to Greek mythology, amber
originated from the tears shed by the Heliades sisters (daughters of
Helios, the Sun God) over the death of their brother Phaethon, who fell
to earth with his horse-drawn sun chariot. The weeping sisters
transformed into poplar trees on the bank of the Eridanus River, and
their tears became ‘glistening drops of amber’.

Wide Variation

The word ‘amber’ has long applied mainly to the fossilized tree sap found
the the Baltic and North Sea regions, although larger deposits of this
soft gem – ranging from 20 to 120 million years old – have also been
discovered in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Lebanon, Siberia, Burma,
China, Italy and Romania. Amber that is less than 10 million years old
and has not gone through the complete fossil evolution is called copal, a white-colored stone that is found predominantly in Columbia, New
Zealand and some African countries.

In Poland, amber most frequently washes up on the shore line after a large
storm. The waves drive amber-trapped seaweed onto the beaches where
amber collectors can easily scoop them up in the tide line. It’s found
in a luscious array of hues – with over 256 identified color varieties
worldwide – ranging from shades of yellows and browns to greens and
reds. The most expensive and scarcest ‘cherry’ amber is a deep purple,
while the classic Baltic amber is usually called ‘cognac’ or ‘honey’,
but there’s also amber in green, brown and bone-white – created by
microscopic gas bubbles – found in the Baltic region. This mineral is
not only valued for its color palette, but also for its degree of
transparency that can vary from clear to cloudy, and its cleanliness.
The clear and translucent versions range from light yellow to dark
maroonish yellow, while cloudy types (filled with tiny air bubbles) come
in all colors and can range from semi-transparent to opaque.The
chemical composition of amber also determines its quality, value and
and use. The active ingredient in Baltic amber is succinic acid that is
present in a range from three to eight percent (the highest level in any
amber found around the globe); the acid, which is a medical substance,
was discovered by German Nobel-prize winning scientist Robert Koch in
1886. Koch was the first to confirm that amber’s succinic acid has a
positive influence on the human organism, from improving immunity to
balancing acid levels and strengthening the body. Other than its
dazzling range of colors, amber is also a remarkable material that
delineates evolutionary history with a variety of once-living inclusions
preserved in the amber itself. In other words, each piece of amber
tells a unique story, since the gem trapped insects, flowers, leaves,
moss, pine needles, flies, beetles, ants, spiders and even lizards
millions of years ago when the oozing resin was still viscid. Scientists
have been able to identify 3,000 species of prehistoric insects and
over 214 plant types in amber, varying in size from a few millimeters to
four centimeters. The visibility, size, rarity, placement and
scientific value of the inclusion all determine the value of an
individual piece of amber.

Peculiar Powers

Amber’s beauty, ease of processing and mysterious powers made it a sought-after
stone for decoration and ornamental goods for primitive inhabitants of
the Baltic Sea region. Archaeological evidence shows that the use of
amber dates back to 35-45,000 years ago, when the stones were tooled
into precious talismans and pendants for protection against dangers
during hunting journeys. Depending on various cults, some amulets were
crafted in the form of sun-like round discs decorated with dots and
other geometrical shapes, while others were shaped to look like animals,
deities and hero figures. The ancient Romans also believed in the
protective powers of amber, using it to decorate the gladiator arena as
well as burying their dead with a piece of amber to ward of evil spirits
in the afterlife.

Throughout the centuries, Baltic amber has also been said to possess medicinal
properties. When worn on the skin, this ‘healing stone’ releases healing
oils believed to have calming, healing and uplifting effects. Its
tension-relieving effects have long been used in European cultures to
help children with teething pain. Beyond pain palliating, folk medicine utilized amber as a remedy for swollen glands, fever, goiters and different liver and kidney illnesses. Ground amber powder mixed with
honey was used against unclear vision, amber powder dissolved in water
cured sore throats and crouching over the smoke of burning amber was
believe to heal hemorrhoids. Some even thought it could cure depression,
nervousness and curb suicidal tendencies. Later, through the 17th and
18th centuries, doctors recommended amber remedies for patients suffering
from lung, heart and rheumatic diseases and skin disorders. Today,
homeopathic pharmacies in Poland still sell a variety of amber ointments
and powders that help against arthritis, neuralgic pains - and even
hangovers.

New Age practitioners believe amber opens and charges the third chakra, the
so-called ‘solar plexus’. On a physical level, the warm mineral imbues
the body with the power of the sun and by soaking up negative energy and
sending it upwards, moods are balanced and mental clarity provided.
It’s also believed that when worn near a chakra center, amber instills
intellectual focus.

Photo courtesy of Ambertop Gallery

Trade Trail

As soon as this non-precious stone starting washing up on the shores of
Northern European countries (including territories of present-day
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden), it
became a prized possession that brought faraway nations into contact
with one another. Tradeways between East and West were established as
early as the second millennium B.C. during the so called ‘New Stone
Age’. By about 1500 B.C. the network of roads and waterways in eastern
and central Europe had linked together to create the ‘Amber Road’. This
ancient amber trade route ran from the Baltic Sea, down the Vistula,
Elbe and Danube River all the way through Italy, Greece, the Black Sea
and Egypt, and connected with the Silk Road that led to obscure Asian
areas. Intensive trade in amber continued throughout reign of the Roman
Empire until the third century A.D., when ongoing wars shattered the
trade route. Poland and the Baltic region eventually came under the
control of the Order of the Knights of the Cross (a.k.a. The Teutonic
Knights) in 1264 and they took absolute control over the manufacturing
and trading of amber.

By order of the Knights, all amber had to be given to the appointed
official of a given region, and anyone caught trying to hide or steal
the stone would be sentenced to death. Amber trade saw a resurgence in
Poland after the Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated the Teutonic Order in
1410’s Battle of Grunwald. The ageold amber-bearing city of Gdańsk was
incorporated into the country in 1466 and the first amber craftsman’s
guild was established in 1477. Other historically important amber guilds
in Poland were founded in the coastal cities of Elbląg, Kołobrzeg,
Koszalin and Słupsk. With the rapid development of amber guilds,
specialists and goldsmiths re-established connections with the historic
trade partners and forged contemporary channels of commerce.

Gdańsk: Amber Capital

Bound with the inexhaustible treasure of the Baltic Sea, Gdańsk became the center of amber craft as early as the 15th century. Following the downfall of the Teutonic Knights, guilds and craft organizations
multiplied in numbers and artistic amber craft developed rapidly in the
town. By the 16th and 17th centuries, with the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth in its strongest phase, amber crafting had reached an apex
of creative development and prestige, turning from use in mainly
devotional items to ordinary objects and lavish objects d’art. Amber
craftsmen in both Gdańsk and Königsberg (modern-day Kaliningrad) used
amber to make an assortment of kitchen utensils (glasses, bottles and
cutlery), frames, candlesticks, boxes, chessboards and interior design
trinkets for nobility, clergymen and other well-to-do citizens. Special
one-off amber artefacts were also given as gifts in diplomacy for
European rulers, religious figures and celebrities. Anna Jagiellon, the
Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania during the second half of
the 16th century, for example, received a heart-shaped pendant with the
portrait of Hungarian King Stefan Bathory, made by a Gdańsk-based amber
master.

Political turmoil and economic hardship saw the beginning of the backsliding in
the ‘heyday of amber craft’ during the mid-18th century. The two world
wars effectively wiped out the Polish and European amber craft,
destroying every single amber workshop in Gdańsk. While the 1960s and
1970s spurred a resurgence of amber trade and affairs, it wasn’t until
the collapse of the Communist system in 1989 that the new era of the
business of amber really began. Today, the city boasts hundreds of amber
shops, studios and galleries – several of which are stationed on a
narrow, cobble-stone Mariacka Street – showcasing hand-made necklaces,
rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings, colliers, rosaries, key chains and
carvings. At present, local amber craftsmen are hard at work designing
and building a 120 m2 amber alter in the city’s St. Bridget church,
which will incorporate over six tons of the golden stone.

The city has also become a respected center of amber-related scientific
research, with the main offices of the International Association of
Amber Masters and the National Amber Chamber of Commerce both based in
Gdańsk. Moreover, the city’s main university features the world’s first
and only Department of Amber.