The Main Uses of Baltic Amber.

Baltic Amber is a well-known and valued gemstone in many countries and people tend to use and appreciate it for different reasons. Not only it is pretty to wear as a jewelry, but it can also have positive impact on human health, it can be used as a scent or it can be found in various beauty products.

Amber Jewelry.

Most people value natural beauty of Baltic Amber and artists around the world make different jewelry from it. The usage of Amber as jewelry dates back to even Stone Age. Amber ornaments that are even up to 13,000 years old are being found all across Europe and in Mycenaean tombs. In 20th century Amber was a very popular material to make various articles for smokers. In fact, around half of Amber production at that time was used to make mouth pieces for pipes and holders for cigars.

Nowadays Baltic Amber hasn't lost its popularity and it is a very popular ornament to make beautiful looking jewelry and accessories. No matter where you live, you can definitely find bracelets, necklaces, pendants, rings and other accessories made from Baltic Amber in one of the local jewelry shops around you.

Medical Uses.

The popularity of Baltic Amber is associated not only with its beauty, but also to potential health benefits that this natural gemstone can provide. From the ancient times it was used as a healing agent in medicine. People practicing medicine used to believe that Amber can heal various different ailments. When used medically, Amber was ground into powder and later combined with honey, oil or water. These kind of ointments were used to treat infections, wounds, plaque, gout, stomach illnesses, asthma and various other conditions. It was also thought that Amber has protection powers for children. Small beads of this stone were strung around children neck and it was believed that it can help to minimize teething pain and protect them from harm.

Today, Baltic Amber and its characteristics are better researched so there is actually a logical explanation available as to why this gemstone might have potential health benefits. Based on today's research composition of Baltic Amber might contain even up to 8 percent of Succinic Accid. This percentage is quite high and Baltic Amber is even considered to be the best source of this acid in nature. It should be mentioned that other types of Amber also contain Succinic Acid; however the percentage in composition might be lower. So in order to obtain the highest amount of this acid possible, it is best to choose Amber that originates from Baltic region.

Succinic Accid itself is associated with many health benefits to human body. Not all potential benefits are well reasearched by scientists; however there is a strong evidence that Succinic Accid can help to minimize symptoms of menopause, help with Arthritis and ease pain associated joints. Due to high composition of this Acid in Baltic Amber, all of these mentioned benefits are quite commonly attributed to Amber as well.

Amber Essential Oil.

In case you like to use essential oils, it might be worthwhile to consider trying Amber oil. Pure Amber Essential Oil can be quite expensive, so most products on the market combine it with other carrier oils. Amber itself doesn't have strong aroma, so in most cases it is being mixed with oils such as cedarwood, frankincense that help to create stronger scent. When Amber Oil is being used in aromatherapy it is thought to help with sleep, relaxation and asthma symptoms. Furthermore, Amber Oil can be used for skin conditions like Eczema & Acne and it can provide anti-aging benefits as well.

Usage in Perfumery or as a Scent.

This natural resin is known to have a specific smell, which many describe as being similar to pinewood. Due to this, Amber is also quite commonly found in various perfume products.

The usage of Amber as a scent is not something new. In the past sailors used to burn it on their ships, because they believed that it can help to drive off sea perils and serpents. Others used Amber's smoke to ward off various enchantments as well as evil spirits. During large celebrations in ancient China, it was a tradition to burn Amber. In order to create even stronger oddor, Chinese used to combine Amber with Nitric Acid. Combination of Amber Oil and this acid helped Chinese to create strong artificial musk.

Even though, it is possible to find quite a lot modern products claiming to have Amber in combination, in most cases not actual Amber is being used to make them.  This is mainly because actual fossilized Amber creates very little scent. To create musky, warm and honey-line scent, most product manufacturers use natural resins or create it synthetically. Some of the most commonly used resins to create Amber scent are Benzoin, Copal and Labdanum. For enhancement of aroma components like cloves and vanilla are being used quite commonly too.

Other Uses.

Even though Amber is not cheap, it has been used as a material for buildings. Some of the best known buildings containing different Amber parts are St. Brygida Church (Poland, Gdansk) and Amber Room (Russia). In St. Brygida Church Amber was used for creating the alter, while Amber Room contained panels and mirrors decorated from this natural resin. Amber Room was originally created in Prussia (18th century); however it disappeared during World War 2. In 2003 this famous room was recreated in Palace of Catherine (St. Petersburg).