We are so happy and proud to achieve recommended status and Certification of the International Amber Association.  This comes after much scrutiny by the organisation and confirms that the amber we offer meets all the criteria laid out by the IAA.  This is your guarantee that your amber gems and jewellery are authentic genuine Baltic Amber.  We remain under the supervision of the Association.  

The International Amber Association was founded in 1996.  It's active goals are to the promotion of amber and amber jewellery on an International stage, to disseminate knowledge and educate, protect against false classification, and cooperate in research and ensure sustainable development.  It has 350 individual members throughout the world: designers, jewellery producers, scientists, collectors, traders and people, like ourselves, passionate about amber.  Currently just 45 companies are Recommended Companies of the Association.  

To obtain certification for our company is a very proud moment for us.  It is recognition of the esteem with which our company is held in the amber community.  We are happy to provide proof of this certification with each purchase. Click to see our Certificate. 

We look forward to sharing and collaborating with the organisation and sharing more amber knowledge with you.  Join us in this journey by joining our newsletter list below.  Click to learn more about Baltic amber and the International Amber Association.   

Amber Care Tip for Summer Days

We tell you that your amber beads work best for healing when worn all the time, day and night.  But summer days remind us that there is one time that its best to remove your amber beads - sun cream days.  There are a few reasons for this:

1. The sun cream can coat your amber beads.  It is difficult to clean off as amber is best kept away from soaps also.  So the sun cream, and other skin care creams, will remain on the beads and inhibit the beneficial action against the skin. 
2. The sun cream on your skin creates a barrier.  That's the intention - a protective barrier against the suns rays.   This barrier will also stop your amber from doing it's business.  
3. Leave it at home - we often hear from customers that their amber beads got lost on days out.  Changes in our routine, packing, dressing for weather etc and with all the fussing over creams, the amber gets removed and 'stored safely' in a pocket or bag.  Later, the beads cannot be found!  So our advice is to leave it at home before setting out.  

There is no long-term loss if you amber is not worn for a few hours.  Yes, you may find symptoms return after a few hours.  But when it is put on again, it gets to work again fairly quickly.  So rather than damage it or loose it, its probably best to leave it at home. Just put it back on as soon as you can.   

To get more Amber Care Tips, please follow us on social at

Facebook:@ambersosshop

Instagram: @balticambersos

Or sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page.  

Enjoy your summer days! 

What size amber anklet to order.

You want an anklet that is not too loose and not too tight!  Too loose will fall down over the heel.  Too tight and it will not be comfortable.  

Before you purchase, we advise you to measure the ankle and then check our product details.  Have a look at the general guide below but please note ankle sizes vary like shoe sizes! 

Anklets can also be used as bracelets and worn on the wrist.  

How to measure the ankle

Use a flat tape and place around the ankle, just above the ankle bone where you imagine the anklet will fit.  You need to order a little above a flat measurement, about 1 cm to 1.5 cm, to allow for the beads, a bit of movement and maybe a bit of growing room.   

For example: If you get a measurement of 14 cm snug, you'd need to order a 15 cm anklet.  

To see what these lengths will look and fit like on the wearer, you could use a  necklace with small beads and measure against the wearer and on a ruler.  You need to be able to put a little finger into the gap.  

If you don't have a tape, use a ribbon and ruler.  

We are a little generous with our fits.  A 15 cm anklet will measure on a ruler, not pulled taught, at 15 cm to 15.5 cm. 

Anklet Size Guide

12cm   Really tiny ankle

13cm  Tiny ankle fitting between closed finger and thumb

14cm  Getting a little bigger

15cm  Good mid size for 'standard' build ankle

16cm  Getting a bit bigger and filling out

17cm  Chunky ankle

18cm  Good size for a larger ankle, small adult ankle and 'standard' adult wrist

If you need any help to decide what length is best, please do not hesitate to get in touch.  

It is no problem to exchange if you are not happy with the fit.  

Celebrate Women with our Discount Code

Treat a special woman in your life.  Or treat yourself!

We are thinking today of women all over the world on this International Women's Day.  The fighting spirit, the grit and determination, the love and care and the pure wonder of women is powerful.  And at the weekend, it's Mother's Day, a special day to think of mother figures in our lives.  

Each amber gem in our store is unique, a creation of nature, just as individual as you.  No matter what your circumstances, we want to offer you this small discount to treat yourself!  Don't be waiting for someone else to celebrate you - do it yourself! 

Just enter Super Woman at the checkout for 10% off your cart.

The quick answer is Yes! Amber is a natural thing.  It is a soft gem and will react to its environment.  Over time, with exposure and constant rubbing, the amber will become spent.    So it will lose its effectiveness over time and can be considered expired.  It becomes brittle, more likely to split and crack with age.  The length of time amber beads are good for depends on how they are used and cared for. 

How long do amber beads last?

Amber beads themselves can be good for approximately 2 to 3 years.  With constant rubbing against the skin, they react and change.   It diminishes in in effectiveness slowly over time. 

Some things that can make them expire quicker are

• Skin creams
• Soaps and shower gels
• Sanitizer containing alcohol
• Perfumes
• Chlorine from a swimming pool
• Detergent – if they took a spin in a washing machine, forget it!

With regular use and none of the above, amber should help for up to 3 years. 

How will I know if my amber beads are worn out?

Have a look at your beads and see if they have become dull and cloudy.  Have they lost their previous brightness? If so, it is possible they are spent and past their best. You can try to revive them. In this case, you can try to remedy this by giving your amber beads a very good clean.  Have a look at How to Care for Amber.   In brief, simply run under warm water and give each bead a gentle rub with a soft cloth. This may revive it somewhat. But in honesty, if it is 'spent' then it will not come back to life and your best option is to replace it.   

You can try a little experiment to see if they are still good.  Stop using them for a week or so.  Do symptoms return or get worse?  When you put them on again, wait a few days and observe if there is an improvement.  If not, maybe you should consider a new set of beads. 

Why are my amber beads not working?

If you think your amber is just new, if it has only been used for a few months, but do not find it effective or it is not as effective as it was previously, This causes us to ask more questions to know better what is happening here.  Please have a look at this post where we deal with this question in more detail. 

What Color Amber is Best?

The first question we are often asked by customers is “Which color amber beads are best”.  Contrary to popular belief, there is not just one color amber.  Amber comes naturally in such a range of colors, it can be a little confusing for folks to know which is best for their needs.  We can tell you that in our 15 years’ experience of using amber for pain relief, we cannot point to any one amber color being more effective than another! But we often suggest that a mix of amber colors is the traditional healing necklace and there must be some value in this.  A combination of amber colors is probably the best solution to the question of which amber beads to use.  It is important to use Baltic amber, amber from the Baltic region of Europe.

Is light or dark color amber better?  

Some people say white or lighter color amber is better than darker colored amber.  The thinking is that it is a purer resin, not including other organic matter as it flowed from the tree originally.  Maybe there is a basis for this reasoning.  And secondly, the darker coloured beads maybe treated to enhance the colour, are not as close to nature.  But, if you test the beads used in an amber necklace or bracelet, I don’t believe you will find a substantial difference in the succinite level in the different colors. Baltic amber generally has a level of 8%.   I compare it to looking at a box of oranges and trying to know which has the most Vitamin C.  They all have Vitamin C, some maybe a little more than others.  But it is there in them all. Would a 1% difference make a difference in healing?  Not perceptively, I think.   

Maybe because the white shades of amber are less frequent in nature, people have supposed they are better.  When we started in this business, the only selection available were either Honey or Mixed.  We have had plenty of feedback and happy customers with these 2 choices.  So our recommendation is choose whichever of these two your prefer.  Our experience is that you don’t need the lighter color amber to experience a healing benefit.  

What about raw amber or natural amber?

Like vegetables and anything we eat and wear, it is thought there is more ‘goodness’ in a raw product.  When testing amber for succinite, it is found that there is more succinite acid in the outer layer, the unpolished raw crust.  But this is polished off to make it wearable and usable.  Internally, there is no real difference.  So is not necessary to use raw amber.   The beads used to make bracelets are polished smooth and often heat treated slightly to ‘bind’ the amber.  Natural untreated amber beads can be brittle and likely to split and break, not suitable or ideal for long term use.   Maybe a sand polished finish, with a matte natural appearance rather than a polished shiny finish, will work against the skin more for a quicker effect. But it will change with use to become polished.  So really, we don’t feel there is any advantage long term.  We have lots and lots of happy customers with the polished beads.  We get so much positive feedback that we cannot say you are better with unpolished or raw amber beads.

So what are the best amber beads? 

The best amber beads are the ones that are worn against the skin all the time!  In our experience, the most important thing in getting amber beads to help for pain relief, is not color.  It is to wear them continually.  This is to get ‘maximum effect’.  For some, an improvement can be noticed with a day.  But for others, it may take a few weeks to observe a difference.  So be a little patient.  They can help when worn all the time, regardless of the color of amber.  This is the key. 

Browse our selection of amber bead necklaces and bracelets/anklets for children.

All of the above information is our opinion and experience of the use of amber for wellness.  The usual cautions apply that we are not medics and this information does not constitute medical advice.