Sunday, October 11, 2009

AMBER CRAVINGS

Amber bead stash

I love amber both as a color and as an object. I often use amber in my jewelry but lately I noticed the supply has dried up. Anything purchased online seems to consist of chips with nothing substantial around which to build a design. Then I chanced upon a Polish store in Santa Fe and received a lesson on Amber. Apparently (and the details may be hazy here) the supply of Baltic amber, reportedly the world's best, is drying up. The shop owner who has dealt in amber for years, says that the streams of amber which once supplied the world are no longer available thus hiking up the costs of these tree gems. One strand of about 20 smallish oval pieces were selling for $260! In another shop, I tried to purchased 4 amber discs no bigger that a breath mint which was quoted as costing $35. Overwhelmed and depressed, I wandered out without my topaz tree leavings. The same message with corresponding prices had greeted me in Istanbul, too.

Then I chanced upon a glorious strand of amber nuggets in a shop window—20 pieces priced at $900. I couldn't believe it. I near swooned. My husband, however, unteterred, stepped in and began to bargain until the price came way, way down into the realm of affordability and I could go home with gorgeoud nuggets with which to make my necklaces. 

 You can see them nesting amid my Santa Fe bead scramble above and below: delectable, glowing chunks of ancient tree sap.