Amber & Jewellery

Amber route

Amber was equally popular among ancient Egyptians and Arabs who called it ‘anbar.’ There was not, however, much amber on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That is why trading caravans travelled along the amber route. There are three ancient tracks known to us that were used by amber tradesmen. They were undoubtedly very brave people as those times travelling was inevitably connected with being attacked by different thieves, robbers, bandits and pirates.

The first track led from the coast of Adriatic, through the area of contemporary Hungary and Moravia and then through Kalisz, to the Baltic Sea. The other track led through the Mediterranean Sea and the Hercules Stones (Gibraltar) towards Ultima Thule – the end of the world. Having reached litom electra, or amber coast, the tradesmen used to travel to the amber mecca on land. The fathers of sea voyage were Phoenicians who probably travelled for amber 1000 years earlier. The third route led through the east of Europe, through the Black Sea, up the rivers Dnieper, Dvina, Prypec and Vistula, to the Baltic Coast. The Romans started using that route in 3 B.C.

Amber has also been popular in Far and Middle East. It was used by Muslims for rosaries and it is valued and widely popular in China, India and Burma. Their resin, however, is not as perfect as our Baltic Gold.