The Baltic Amber Craze

Harvest is a popular medium light raw Baltic Amber.

One of the fastest-selling items we carry is Baltic Amber. Many moms swear by these natural teething necklaces. Recently one of our moms had her baby at the pediatrician - a doctor who is very conservative about prescribing medications and usually just recommends frozen washcloths and other natural remedies for teething. The office staff was intrigued by the baby's amber necklace and asked the mom a lot of questions about it. So I want to try to answer the questions that are most frequently asked about this amazing resin.

Just what IS Baltic Amber?

Polished Butter and Honey offers two tones of
Baltic amber beauty.

Let's begin by explaining what it is NOT:  it is NOT a stone or mineral. Rather, it is a fossilized tree resin from pine trees which once grew in Northern Europe. As the climate warmed, the trees began to exude large quantities of this resin which then fossilized and oxidized.  It contains 79 % carbon and 10.5% each of hydrogen and oxygen.

How Does it Help Teething Babies?

Diversity is a raw Baltic Amber containing a variety of colors.

That is a great question!  As Baltic amber comes in contact with the warmth of the skin, it releases trace amounts of succinic acid, a substance that has been recognized for centuries as a natural, traditional remedy for many ailments. One of the functions of the oils relesed by baltic amber is analgesia. It takes the edge off of pain. In fact, many parents have found that within an hour of putting the Baltic amber necklace on their child, fussiness has subsided. 

The neckace is not intended for the baby to chew. Rather, it should lie right at baby's collar bone where baby can't get it into his mouth. There are examples of 17th century amber teethers, but experts today do not recommend that it be used for chewing.

How Safe Is It?

This two-tone mix of light and dark raw amber is
especially popular for little boys.

Of course, one of the primary concerns of any parent is safety. The Baltic amber we sell comes from Lithuania, the premier source in the world for genuine Baltic amber. Each piece is individually knotted so that if the necklace were to come apart, baby wouldn't be able to swallow the beads. The plastic clasp is designed to break apart in the unlikely case of a strangulation situation. However, we do not recommend that baby sleep by himself in a crib with a baltic amber necklace on. Many parents will wrap the necklace around baby's ankle at night so that he is still receiving the comforting effects.

Lemonade is a very light raw amber that is extremely
high in succinic acid. 

How Should I Take Care of It?

Amber doesn't wear out or need to be recharged. However, it does need to be cared for properly. It should be cleaned with lukewarm water and a soft cloth. You never want to use a detergent or cleanser on your amber. It needs to be removed when you bathe your baby because you don't want to get soap or lotion on it. They will leave a residue on your amber that will interfere with its ability to release its healing oils. Any time you have baby in a pool or any other chlorinated water, be sure to take it off.

Please take a minute to tell us about your experience with Baltic Amber.