Natural Baltic Amber Explained

The term natural amber is often used simply to mean “real”—as opposed to synthetic or plastic. While that distinction is important, it only tells part of the story. According to the classification standards of the International Amber Association(IAA), natural amber has a much more specific meaning.

In IAA terminology, natural amber refers to amber that has not been modified in any way. It has not been heated, pressed, or clarified. Instead, it remains in the same state nature created millions of years ago—altered only through traditional processes such as cutting, grinding, polishing, drilling, or turning.

This means the glow, texture, and inclusions you see are exactly as they were formed in ancient pine forests. Nothing has been enhanced or forced. Each piece is organic, individual, and deeply connected to its origin. When you hold natural amber, you are holding a fragment of the earth’s memory.

An especially fascinating characteristic of natural resins—including Baltic amber—is that they continue to evolve over time. Through contact with air, light, and the environment, certain properties gradually change, most noticeably color. White and butterscotch ambers often deepen over the years, developing warm hues of orange, red, or brown. Another natural transformation is the formation of fine surface cracks or a weathered outer layer, known as amber crust—a sign of age, authenticity, and natural maturation.

These changes are not flaws, but part of amber’s living history. They remind us that natural amber is not static—it is a gemstone shaped by time, still quietly responding to the world around it.