What is Baltic Amber: How Nature's Golden Gem Is Formed

The Beginning: Amber as Ancient Resin

If you don’t know anything yet about amber, you may be surprised to learn that It all starts with trees. Amber starts its formation as resin - don’t get this confused with tree sap! Tree sap is a watery fluid that transports water and nutrients around the tree - think of it as the blood of the tree! In comparison, tree resin is thicker, intended for protection against damage and infection, similar to when a scab forms on your arm after a cut. Sap can never become amber however!

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Why not you may ask? Well it comes down to the chemical makeup! Resins contain compounds called terpenes and phenolics - sticky and oily, these compounds can bond up over millions of years in a process called polymerisation and form the polymers that make up amber! We’ve seen that sap is just minerals and water - nothing to polymerise, so no amber.

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Amber resin begins as a sticky substance produced by ancient trees, more notably around the Baltic sea millions of years ago. When trees were injured — by storms, animals, or natural breaks — they secreted resin to seal their wounds, much like a natural bandage. Over time, this resin dripped down trunks, pooled around roots, and hardened in layers.

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The truly remarkable part? This wasn’t just any resin. To eventually become a raw amber stone, the resin needed to resist decay and survive for tens of millions of years under the right conditions of pressure, heat, and sediment. Without these, the resin would simply break down and disappear into the forest floor.

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Why Amber is so special and unique

Today, when people hold a piece of raw amber stone, they're literally touching the preserved remains of ancient forests that lived millions of years ago. Some even contain fossilized insects, plants, and bubbles of ancient air — tiny time capsules of Earth’s prehistoric past. Every piece of natural amber stone is always distinctly unique, a true one of a kind gemstone experience.

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Amber is different to other gemstones like sapphires or quartz - amber is an organic stone, not a mineral. You’re literally carrying a piece of mother nature's ancient history with you wherever you go! Just how ancient? Think roughly 44 million years of history around your neck!

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Raw amber is a light weight stone - so light in fact that it floats on salt water. This built its accessibility and popularity, as smaller pieces could be collected more easily along shorelines located in europe. It’s also a good check to see if you’ve got real, genuine amber!

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Baltic Amber: A Treasured Origin

You’ll often hear about Baltic amber when shopping for authentic amber jewellery. So, what is Baltic amber exactly?

Baltic amber refers to amber that comes from the Baltic Sea region — one of the world’s richest sources. Formed around 44 million years ago from the resin of ancient coniferous trees, Baltic amber stone is particularly prized for its clarity, colour range, and historical significance. 

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Baltic amber in particular contains high levels of succinic acid - but why do we care about this? Succinic acid is linked to the healing properties that amber possesses! A key intermediate to the cellular process that generates energy within us all (the Krebs cycle), succinic acid has had studies carried out on it for fatigue reduction and metabolic support. It’s believed that having direct skin contact with amber can provide some of these healing effects - and so classical jewellery such as our Loyal Glow Dog Paw Print Bracelet, as well as teething bracelets were created from this gemstone.

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If you’re wondering specifically where does Baltic amber come from, it’s mainly found along the shores of countries like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and parts of Russia. Sometimes, pieces of raw Baltic amber even wash up onto the beaches after a strong storm — a phenomenon that continues to fascinate locals and visitors alike. Have a visit to one of their beaches - and you might find a piece for yourself!

Amber around the world

While the Baltic region is the most famous source, amber is truly a global treasure. If you’ve ever wondered where can amber be found, the answer includes places like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), and even parts of Canada and the United States.

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However, not all amber is the same. Variations in colour, clarity, and inclusions depend heavily on the tree species, the surrounding environment, and the age of the resin. As we mentioned, Baltic amber is considered to be the highest quality in terms of clarity, quality and those extra important healing benefits!

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A Short History of Amber

The story of amber isn’t just natural — it’s deeply cultural too. Amber history spans ancient civilizations: the Egyptians crafted amber beads for amulets, the Greeks thought it was solidified sunlight, and the Romans valued it even more than gold. Amber was traded along the famous "Amber Road," linking the Baltic region to the Mediterranean.

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The amber origin myths were just as beautiful. In ancient Greek mythology, amber was believed to be the tears of the Heliades, sisters mourning the death of their brother Phaethon. Cultures across Europe and Asia used amber for protection, healing, and spiritual connection — a tradition that echoes into modern jewellery today.

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Final Thoughts

Amber isn’t just another gemstone; it’s a piece of Earth’s ancient past, frozen in golden light. Whether you’re holding a polished bead or a rough chunk of raw Baltic amber, you’re holding millions of years of natural history in your hands! From amber resin dripping down a prehistoric tree to gleaming Baltic amber stone set into beautiful jewellery, the story of amber is one of resilience, beauty, and timeless wonder. Take a look at our collection to see what beautiful pieces we have to offer you, or learn more by reading some of our other blogs!