“Prayers on the Trail of Amber” Amber, Copal, Jet, Bakelite, Onyx and Egyptian prayer beads. TB522
Walker Goldsmiths have always been crazy about Amber. Amber is not only beautiful, but basically it is so wonderful to the touch, fantastic to work with, never boring because every piece is totally different from another, plus steeped in history. We love working with it in all the various aspects of jewelry. There have been numerous beautiful pieces of amber jewelry that have come through our Studio and many that we have made ourselves. Being of Polish decent I think has helped me to gravitate to it, besides it’s my colors! As a Trade Bead collector and trade bead jewelry creator I’ve learned that Amber was the original trade bead traded from the Baltic to Europe, Egypt, China and North America.
“Raven Steals the Sun” Sterling Silver Raven, Amber Beads, chunks and beads . TB473
What is Amber anyway? “Formed over 45 million years ago, Baltic Amber is an organic fossil substance, produced by pine trees which grew in Northern Europe – from southern regions of the present day Scandinavia and nearby regions of the bed of the Baltic Sea. The climate became warmer and trees started to exude big amounts of resin, “pine pitch”. Scientists say that Amber is a fossil pine resin from this region that has achieved a stable state through oxidation.” wikipedia.
Big Chunk of Amber that my Dad brought me from Russia
Natural herbal medicine has always been an interest of mine, so the healing qualities of Amber came to my attention. Further study provided more information about the traditional and alternative uses of Amber for pain relief. Natural Baltic Amber has stood the test of time and with good reason as it has very unique properties. Historic research tells us that Hippocrates used it for healing, and other famous physicians of those times wrote that powder of amber mixed with honey cures throat, ear and eye diseases. In Lithuania and in tsarist Russia nannies had to wear amber beads to protect themselves and babies from diseases. As late as before World War II, especially in Germany, Baltic amber beads were put on babies to make the eruption of teeth less painful and make the teeth grow stronger.
Cedar with his Amber Necklace – Teething Baby Boy
We know that amber has been around a very long time, but what is it that amber possesses that has made it useful to health since the beginning of recorded time? It’s simple and interesting. It has a substance, or ingredient called Succinic Acid. “A powerful anti oxidant that helps fight toxic free radicals and disruptions of the cardiac rhythm, Succinic Acid has been shown to stimulate neural system recovery and bolster the immune system, and help compensate for energy drain in the body and brain, boosting awareness, concentration and reflexes, and reducing stress. Baltic Amber contains 3-8% of this scientifically examined medical substance used in contemporary medicine.” amberartisans.com.
When my daughters and daughter in law started having their babies Walker Goldsmiths was called on to make Amber “teething” necklaces for their babies. It was a labor of love, plus they were so darn cute with their necklaces. If you have a fascination or curiosity about the healing powers of Amber just check out all the various web pages and prepare to be amazed at the historical information available. Amber is not only beautiful, but medicinal. Can Walker Goldsmiths make you a custom Amber necklace?
