Baltic amber, also called succinite, is exclusively mined under the sea in Northern Europe . It makes up about 80% of the world’s known amber. About 35 to 50 million years ago, a forest of conifer trees, possibly kauri or false larch excreted (tree) resin in the area now known as the Baltic Sea. This sap or plant fluid gradually solidified into clear lumps then the river channels and glaciers washed them ashore.
Baltic amber refers to a particular form of fossilised resin, a sticky fluid secreted by fir and pine trees, that people collected in the Baltic region and have used since the Upper Paleolithic era about 20,000 years ago. This was the main motivation of global long-distance trade that happened all over Asia and Europe about 5,000 years ago.
Baltic Amber Origins
Briefly, fresh resin is typically yellowish brown, translucent, thick and sticky and when it trickles down the tree, it collects everything in its path, typically plant matter and insects, preserving them aesthetically for many centuries. These trapped materials are known as inclusions. To date, the oldest insects preserved in amber are the Late Triassic-aged specimens from 230,000 million years ago.
Baltic amber, also called succinite, is exclusively mined under the sea in Northern Europe . It makes up about 80% of the world’s known amber. About 35 to 50 million years ago, a forest of conifer trees, possibly kauri or false larch, excreted resin in the area now known as the Baltic Sea. This sap soon solidified into clear lumps then the river channels and glaciers washed them ashore.
Today, these lumps, now formed as amber, are still found on the eastern coasts of Holland and England, all over northern Germany, Scandinavia, Poland, western Russia and most parts of the Baltic states.
Baltic Amber in Gdansk, Poland
The Polish town of Gdansk is considered the amber capital of the world. It used to be the top grain capitals of Europe and is an old Hanseatic town of merchants, which means Gdansk had German economic influences. It is reminiscent of Amsterdam with its wooden merchants houses, canals, gothic towers, and old timber granaries.
In Gdansk, regarded as the Baltic Gold of the North, you can find plenty of workshops that specialise in amber. Many amber artisans have been crafting them into exquisite jewellery for thousands of years since Roman times.
During the golden age of Gdansk, 16th to 17th centuries, many masterpieces and works of art, including jewellery and sculptures, were traditionally presented as souvenirs to kings, emperors, tsars, and popes after a state visit. You can find some of these artefacts in the Museum of Amber. Here at Amber Lynx, you can take a piece of royalty to your home.
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