Amber
You can find greatest works of amber craftsmen from all around the Lithuania in our souvenir shops. They are all unique and handmade, has different designs like nowhere else. Amber is one of the greatest treasures of Lithuania, it‘s origin country. All of the products that we have in our shops are made right here by local masters. Besides, we have some exciting news! Now in our shops you can find amber products with silver and gold!
And now if you wonder why amber is so special and doubt by it‘s uniqueness, here is some information.
According to Lithuanian folklore, Perkunas, god of thunder, got angry when sea goddess Jurate and drop-dead gorgeous fisherman Kastytit got it together. Whipping the sea up into a frenzy, Perkunas chained Jurate to her underwater amber palace and smote it, bringing it down around her. Now, when the goddess cries, the sea becomes upset and stormy, washing her amber tears and fragments of her destroyed palace on to the beach. That is why amber is best gathered after a storm.
Amber is a gem—but not a gemstone. It is not a mineral, but the hardened resin of certain trees fossilized over long periods of time. Because it forms a translucent orange-yellow substance that glows when polished and held up to light, it has long been used in jewelry and other decorations. The largest amber deposits in the world are in the baltic region.
It‘s (mostly) orange-hued transparence has evocatively preserved long-extinct animals for millions of years. It’s adorned our necklaces, bracelets, and pendants for millennia. Learn 15 dazzling facts about this clearly sublime substance. Over 105 tons of Baltic amber were produced by Palaeogene forests in northern Europe, making this the largest single known deposit of fossilized plant resin. Baltic amber is also considered the highest quality.
It requires millions of years and proper burial conditions to form. Baltic amber has even been found in egyptian tombs. Some believe amber has healing powers and the power to ward off witches. Much folklore exists around the “powers” of amber through the ages. Before modern medicine, amber was worn as a necklace or charm, or carried around in small bags, as a remedy against gout, rheumatism, sore throats, toothache, and stomachache. In fact, some modern parents still purchase their children Baltic amber necklaces with the belief that it helps prevent the pain of teething. The most commonly admired colors of amber are in the yellow to orange range, but it has been cataloged in as many as 300 colors, even leaning toward green or blue due to the inclusion of plant material.