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Amber art in the Land of Light

It's a quite fascinating experience to walk through the surf and look for amber – particularly if you're lucky enough to find a piece. The 30-50 million year-old amber has always fascinated people down through the ages – and it still has the power to enthrall us.

Do you have "amber eyes"?

Go hunting along the many kilometres of beaches in the Land of Light – perhaps you'll be lucky enough to find a truly beautiful piece of amber. But you need to keep your eyes peeled. It can be concealed by seaweed - but be careful: you can also be deceived by a stone, a shell or a piece of plastic that resembles amber. You really need "amber eyes".

Between driftwood, shells and dead starfish…

…you'll find the amber. It requires experience, patience and lots of luck to find a piece of amber. On the west coast, conditions are best after a couple of days with wind from the west or southwest. Look for the amber when the wind drops and the seas are calm. The amber often drifts ashore with marine vegetation and seaweed, and there's a greater chance of finding amber at low tide.

It's quite easy to differentiate amber from stone. A piece of amber weighs only one third of the weight of a typical stone. Tap the piece of amber carefully against your teeth and if it sounds hollow, then you can be pretty sure that you've found a piece of amber. Feel your amber - stone always feels colder than amber - and amber is also soft. Try scratching the surface of the amber with a stone. If it's amber, small splinters will fall off. This isn't possible with a stone. By the way, did you know that amber is combustible? In fact it burns well with a red flame.

If your luck's out…

… but your curiosity's aroused, you can also find amber at the amber museums and polishers in the Land of Light, where it's found in all shapes and sizes. Here you can find rare pieces of amber - both the very large pieces and those in which insects have been trapped. Hear about the history of amber and see the workshops where it's fashioned into jewellery.

Amber has been used to make jewellery for centuries, and this tradition continues today. In the Land of Light you can take a piece of amber jewellery home with you. Or what about commissioning your own personal amber jewellery – perhaps even with the piece of amber you were lucky enough to find on the beach?

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Amber art in the Land of Light
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Amber in the Land of Light

In the Land of Light it's possible to see amber of all shapes and sizes at the amber museums. You can also visit workshops in which amber, silver, gold and precious stones are fashioned into beautiful jewellery.

Searching for amber

Look for amber when the wind drops and the seas are calm. The amber often drifts ashore with marine vegetation and seaweed, and there's a greater chance of finding amber at low tide.