Amber Healing Properties and History

Amber is often mistaken as a gemstone, but it actually falls under the category of organic gems, along with coral and pearl. It’s fossilized tree resin. That means it used to be part of a tree’s immune system—potentially the secret to amber’s healing properties. Most amber is hundreds of thousands of years old, with the oldest known piece having formed 320 million years ago!

 

The History of Amber

You may recall the scene in Jurassic Park where they reveal how they reconstructed the dinosaurs… They found fossilized dinosaur DNA inside amber. And the idea isn’t completely ludicrous. 

There has been a fossilized dinosaur feather found embedded within amber, but scientists are yet to retrieve and successfully copy the DNA. Amber is also responsible for identifying thousands of extinct species because of its ability to preserve organic matter from millions of years ago. 

More often than not, if amber contains anything organic, it’s a fly. You can imagine how it happens. Tree sap is incredibly sticky, so if a fly lands on it then it’s pretty much over for the little guy. There’s a whole range of insects, arachnids, and even lizards that regularly show up in amber.

 

The Baltic region has the highest purity levels of amber. 999 out of 1000 are flawless (and creatureless) gems. The Baltic region is also home to the largest known deposit in the world. Even the Ancient Egyptians knew about the quality of Baltic amber. There are numerous accounts of it being found in Egyptian tombs.

We have evidence that amber was used for jewelry even further back, in the Stone Age, around 13,000 years ago. It was also found in Mycenaean tombs in Ancient Greece. Oddly enough, the Greek word for amber was “elektron” which gave its name to “electricity” among other words. The Greeks found that if they rubbed amber against wool, then small objects such as straw or feathers would stick to it. That was just a hint at the underlying metaphysical properties of amber.

So what was it about this orange-hued gem that cultures throughout history found so unique? What was the special meaning of amber?

 

The Healing Properties of Amber

First and foremost, amber has long been considered a pain-reliever. It’s used for toothache, gallbladder problems, rheumatism, and most commonly, stomachache. It’s thought to absorb pain. If held against the afflicted area, the negative distortions that create pain can stick to the amber, just like the straw or feathers.

Which brings us onto another one of amber’s healing properties. It transforms negative energy into positive. By removing the negativity from your system, all that’s left behind is good energy. It can stop self-destructive thoughts; soothe worries, sorrow and anger; and free your mind from stress. It keeps you focused on the present moment. 

Amber brings clarity to the mind and enables you to realize the true value of your time and energy. Don’t waste them on trivial things. 

 

Amber is often used for creativity. It’s great for self-expression, empowering you to release your vision to the world in an innovative way. It enhances confidence too so that you’re more willing to put yourself out there and receive feedback on your work. You’ll never lack motivation while using amber, so those long-term projects will continue to advance. 

It could be a combination of the above healing properties, but amber also prevents depressive thoughts and feelings. Its warm and sunny disposition has been known to bring people from the edge of self-sabotage to a happy and fulfilled life. Your decision-making improves tenfold under the influence of amber, but it maintains the freedom of spontaneity too.

Because of its age and the fact it’s made from organic material, amber is said to connect you with ancient wisdom. It strengthens the bond between you and your past lives, and it stimulates a greater awareness of time. Put things into perspective that were otherwise too hazy to make sense of.

It’s worth noting that while amber generally comes in translucent orange color, it’s been found in over 300 different colors. The chakras are color-coded so that a gem on the same frequency can activate them. For the vast majority of amber, that chakra will be the solar plexus.

If the solar plexus chakra is unbalanced, you might be overly critical of yourself and others. You may feel insecure and as if you can’t achieve what you truly desire, and in the worst cases, you might take it out on others by trying to prevent them from being happy and fulfilled. 

By stimulating the solar plexus chakra, amber empowers you to live with empathy and compassion. It inspires you to motivate other people, and propel yourself forward through the exchange of positive energy. Align your self-belief with your goals. This activates the hidden power of determination that makes you unstoppable in the pursuit of your life purpose. Talking of which, amber shines a light on the path you need to take in order to hit your targets.

 

Many people use amber as a good luck charm to keep them safe, especially while traveling. Be warned of fake amber though. It’s easy to be fooled, but a surefire way to test your amber’s authenticity is to hold it in your hands. Real amber grows warm fast. Another thing to keep in mind is that legitimate amber is powdery while phonies are usually flakey. As the last test, proper amber will float in salty water.

Amber really is a marvel of biology. It’s no wonder it has such amazing healing properties.