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Amber is a very Popular Mineral / Gem of Europe

Most of us in the United States do not know enough about amber. Baltic amber is extremely popular across europe for ages. This is primarily because most high grade amber is mined in Europe that had pine trees through te ages. Today, most of the beautiful gem quality amber is mined in the Kaliningrad mines in Russia. If you travel to europe, you will see people wearing amber so much more than you would see in the western continent. Amber is associated with a lot of lore and myths as well.

Amber History, Myths, Lore and Facts
The evidence of amber being a precious substance that was very much sought after, fought for and cherished goes back to 3,400 B.C. There have been many lore and myths about amber and many of them are most prevalent in Europe today. People believe amber to be very useful and helpful in many aspects and still a very popular substance for jewelry, medicine, cosmetics, oils, decoration, and so on. Here are some such myths, lore and facts.

Amber in Medicine
History has documented medicinal uses of amber. A lot of ancient text includes amazing mentions of the positives of amber treatment. Amber has a unique charm and air of mystery surrounding it. In nineteenth-century literature we find evidence of amber having been used as a remedy for virtually all illnesses. The Etruscans prized it as highly as gold. The Romans called it the "Northern Gold". The Greeks mythologized it as the tears of Apollo's daughters, solidified when they cried for their dead brother Phaeton. The Romans considered a single piece worth more than a slave. Cultures stretching from Central America to the Far East, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, have used it both as a powerful medicine and as a medium for exquisite jewelry and works of fine art. Haczewski wrote that amber was one of the six more efficacious medicinal substances. Amber is probably the only stone which is considered to be of such great use in medicine.

Read more about amber, its history, origin, lore and facts, amber fossil, amber jewelry and more.