AMBER VALUE

Today, just like ages ago, amber is one of the mostly highly valued and fashionable precious stones in the world. Artistic amber works used to decorate royal chambers.  Impressive cabinets, chests, chandeliers and reliquaries became typical furnishings in mansions of the nobles.

Amber adornment goes back to ancient times, at least as far back as the 10th century B.C. in Assyria. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans also searched for the resin. Phoenician merchants played a key role in trading Amber and distributing it in the Mediterranean region. Although the closest Amber mines were in the Lebanon mountains and Sicily, researchers proved that Amber from the Baltic region was most commonly in use.

Amber adornments were very popular among ancient Romans. Love of luxury in the Roman Empire made Amber famous. It was called the "Gold of the North". Beautiful ornaments were produced by workshops in Aquilea around the 2nd Century A.D. Traces of Amber workshops from the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., discovered in Poland, as well as numerous objects found in graves and other sites, testify to the great demand for Amber products and to the development of Amber craft in Poland. The Amber trade routes are being accurately reconstructed by both Polish and Italian archeologists.

Many outstanding designers work in amber.  It is also material for artists creating unique works of art.  Amber is set in gold and silver, often in combination with other precious stones.