A Baltic amber necklace is jewelry made from fossilized tree resin harvested from the Baltic Sea region of Northern Europe. These necklaces are sold both as decorative jewelry for adults and, more controversially, as teething aids for infants. Proponents claim the resin releases a natural compound called succinic acid that soothes pain and inflammation when worn against the skin, though no scientific evidence supports this claim in practice.
What Baltic Amber Actually Is
Amber is not a gemstone in the traditional sense. It’s fossilized resin from ancient coniferous trees that grew during the Eocene epoch, roughly 34 to 48 million years ago. Over millions of years, the sticky resin hardened and mineralized into the lightweight, warm-to-the-touch material we recognize today. Baltic amber specifically comes from deposits around the Baltic Sea, spanning parts of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, and Germany.
What sets Baltic amber apart from other fossil resins is its chemical signature. It contains succinic acid in the range of 3 to 8% by weight, a concentration high enough that its official mineralogical name is “succinite.” Infrared analysis of Baltic amber reveals a distinctive pattern called the “Baltic shoulder,” caused by the presence of this esterified succinic acid, which scientists use to confirm a specimen’s Baltic origin. Most other fossil resins contain little to no succinic acid.
Why People Buy Them for Babies
The most common reason people search for Baltic amber necklaces is teething. The theory goes like this: body heat warms the amber beads enough to release trace amounts of succinic acid, which is then absorbed through the skin and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, easing the pain and swelling of teething.
There’s a kernel of biochemical truth buried in this claim. Succinic acid is a real and important molecule in human metabolism. It serves as an intermediate in the energy-production cycle inside your cells’ mitochondria and plays roles in insulin secretion and energy use across multiple tissue types. But the leap from “succinic acid matters inside cells” to “amber beads release meaningful amounts through skin contact” is enormous and unsupported.
A 2019 study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine examined this question directly. The researchers found that while Baltic amber does contain succinic acid, the vast majority of it is chemically bound to other compounds through ester bonds. It isn’t free-floating and ready to release. The amount that could theoretically leach from a bead at body temperature is negligible, far too small to produce any therapeutic effect through skin absorption.
Safety Risks for Children
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend that infants wear any jewelry, including amber teething necklaces. The risks are strangulation and choking. Strangulation can occur when a necklace is worn around a child’s neck, particularly during unsupervised moments like naps. Choking happens when beads break free and a child swallows them.
These aren’t hypothetical concerns. The FDA issued a formal warning in December 2018 after receiving reports of children choking on broken beads and an 18-month-old dying from strangulation by an amber necklace during a nap. Suffocation is the leading cause of death for children under one year old and among the top five causes for children between ages one and four.
Colors and Varieties
Baltic amber comes in a wider range of colors than most people expect. The most common shades are yellow and orange, often marketed under names like honey, butter, cognac, and sunshine. These are the beads you’ll see in the majority of necklaces sold online. Beyond those, the spectrum gets more interesting and much rarer.
- Black amber accounts for less than 15% of all amber found.
- Green amber, sometimes called “earth amber,” has a distinctive shimmer and is prized across multiple cultures.
- Red amber, referred to as “dragon blood,” appears in roughly one out of every 200 amber stones.
- Blue amber is rarer still, harder to find than green varieties.
- White amber, ranging from opaque to milky, is among the most difficult to source.
- Clear amber is the rarest of all and the most valued by jewelers.
Color does not appear to correlate with succinic acid content in any documented way. The color variations come from differences in how the resin was exposed to air, sunlight, and organic material during its millions of years of fossilization.
How to Tell Real Amber From Fakes
Because genuine Baltic amber commands higher prices, imitations made from plastic, glass, or copal (a younger, less mature tree resin) are common. A few simple tests can help you distinguish real from fake.
The saltwater test is the easiest. Dissolve about seven teaspoons of salt in a medium cup of water and drop the bead in. Real amber is lightweight enough to float in saturated saltwater, while most fakes sink. The rubbing test takes advantage of amber’s electrostatic properties: wrap a bead in cloth, rub it vigorously for 20 to 60 seconds, then hold it near small pieces of paper or a strand of hair. Genuine amber will attract them with a static charge. If the bead becomes sticky instead of charged, it’s likely copal.
Visual inspection also helps. Real amber beads have natural imperfections like tiny cracks, small air bubbles, and slight variations in size and shape. Perfectly uniform, flawlessly round beads are a red flag. Amber also feels slightly warm to the touch compared to glass or plastic, which tend to feel cool. For a more definitive test, a heated needle pressed gently against the surface of real amber will leave only a slight mark or small cracks and produce a smell like old tree resin. On plastic fakes, the needle slides in easily and smells like burning plastic. On copal, it goes in easily and smells like fresh pine.
Caring for Amber Jewelry
Amber is softer and more chemically sensitive than most gemstones, so it needs gentler treatment. Clean it with a soft cloth dampened in warm (not hot) water, then dry it thoroughly. To restore shine, apply a drop or two of olive oil and buff with a dry cloth. Never use chemical cleaners, as they can dull the polish or create a white coating on the surface.
Store amber separately from other jewelry and metals, since contact with certain materials can trigger chemical reactions that damage the resin. Keep it away from prolonged sunlight and extreme temperatures. Hot showers, saunas, and freezing conditions can all degrade its appearance over time. Perfume, hairspray, and household cleaning products should never come into direct contact with amber, so apply those products before putting your necklace on rather than after.