When I became a Mum in 2011, like many women I was struggling and often looking for a solution to be able to sleep and one of the most complicated times is when babies are teething. While talking to other mums and they all told me I should go to the pharmacy and buy an amber necklace for babies. I then googled that back at home and started to read about stories about european women who have been using baby amber Jewelry as a natural teething remedy for their children for centuries! I learned through these readings that it is believed that stones can alleviate pain for babies at the time of teething, just like they help adults when worn close. I had to try on my babies and almost instantly I noticed my cute boy Isaac was calming down, playing with his necklace. What a relief it was, I was able to sleep at least 3 hours straight, that was worth all the amber in the world! The Amber stone gently warms due to body temperature, helps to relax the child, and their teething pains fade away. Do the test yourself and rub amber on your skin, it almost instantly becomes warm and even has a very distinctive pine tree smell.
I read more about this unique and mysterious stone, and learned that natural Amber was used for thousands of years for pain reduction & relief, mental balance, winter fatigue etc., but among all, Amber necklaces are known as a traditional European remedy for colic or teething pain for babies. (Original Source)
Amber Teething Necklaces are baby jewelry strung with amber beads, designed to help with teething pain. Amber is a natural substance created with the help of fossilized tree resin. Basically, after a tree is cut down, its bark leaks out the sap, which fossilizes over time and hardens when left alone. This fossilized resin, later on, chipped and polished to make amber beads. Remember Jurassic Park story, well story starts with Dominican republic Amber mines where the DNA of prehistoric animals is collected to revive them. Of course this is legend but what is true is that it is very common to find insects and plants that have been captured for milenaries inside the Amber making it even more mysterious.
Several kinds of Amber are named for the regions in which they're found, and one of the most popular is Baltic amber, it can also be found in Madagascar and in Dominican Republic it is commonly admitted that natural Baltic Amber can alleviates pain and symptoms associated with teething, that is for the baby, but it also known to reduces & prevents migraines, reduces arthritis pain, reduces acid reflux, heartburn and balances the digestive system for the adults! That’s a lot for such a small stone. It was for me a surprise and something that really helped me as a mother and I decided I wanted to know more about this thousands years old resin. When Succinic Acid in the baltic Amber is heated against the skin, it releases an all-natural analgesic (pain relief), easing teething pains in babies. (Source: brickstreetmedical).
How come I never ever heard about succinic acid?..
It turns out that not just Baltic women have been using Amber, creating beaded necklaces for them and their babies have been used the same. This could not be just a hasard! There was no google, facebook and yet women on three continents have been using amber for pain relief and to calm down their teething baby. For me as an African women living in Europe rediscovering the usage of natural stones energy and wanted to learn more about the various usage and properties of natural stones.
How Does a Baltic Amber Teething Necklace Work?
The teething pain reduction is is majorly due to its primary ingredient, succinic acid, which contributes to its healing properties. And since this substance is found on amber beads' surface layer, this natural analgesic is absorbed directly through the skin during contact.
The succinic acid contained in amber teething necklaces is activated through body heat. The body heath of the wearer releases succinic acid, which is absorbed through the skin. It not only provides pain relief for your teething baby's discomfort but also has a mild sedative effect. (Source: kutekeiki.com). I was so stunned to understand this nature miracle process and how people were in some ways so advanced in listening to nature gifts.
How do I use Baltic Amber Baby Necklace?
Here are some important safety & precautions For Usage of Amber Teething Necklaces
Generally, Baltic Amber is safe for all ages and also non-toxic. Still, the FDA warns against the use of teething jewelry due to the risk of strangulation and suffocation. So, to all parents, it is advised to keep an eye on the children while they are wearing the Amber bracelet or necklace for safety purposes.
I hope this article helped you and do not hesitate to reach out and ask questions. You can follow me on instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/mariefrance_design/
You can also check-out our new collection of Acupressure Amber bracelets
Marie France Ingrand
Head Designer and Founder @MarieFrance_design
Email me here: mf@mariefrance-design.com
]]>Over the years the demand of Amber has increased due to its popularity among European mum’s using it on their babies. By discovering the power of unique properties of Amber, women have discouved the benefits of these stones. Amber necklaces are sold in chemists, as a natural teething solution in a form of Necklace/bracelet to control pain, stress and promote tranquility and inner peace.
As the demand for Amber increases there is also an increase in the number of unauthentic Amber especially in the jewelry industry. The issue with Amber imitation is although it looks very similar to real Amber, it can easily be mold in different shapes and sizes and considerably cheap, it does not contain the same quality, properties and benefits of authentic Amber. This is the reason why I would recommend that you refer to a trustworthy source when purchasing your Amber jewelry, unless there is a certificate of authenticity available, to avoid any disappointments.
How to recognise authentic Baltic Amber from Imitation.
Baltic Amber is a fossilized tree resin around the Baltic sea, which has been around since the Neolithic time. It can take thousands of years before the resin is extracted from the tree and molded into its shape, therefore it is very likely to find insect remains inside Baltic Amber. Because of its natural beauty and shiny finish Baltic Amber resembles very much to a gemstone.
Below I have highlighted different tests that one can carry out to identify authentic Amber from imitation and different materials that are used to make Amber imitation.
How to identify authentic Amber
This is the most common and preferable test. Simply add salt (seven teaspoons) into 250ml of cold water and stir for half an hour. Then place a bead inside the mixture and check if it floats. If the bead floats then it's genuine. (Source: nms.ac.uk)
Besides, when you rub real Amber for a while, it gets charged as it has some electrostatic properties. When you further hold this charged gemstone near a strand of hair, the hair will get attracted, which means you are holding real Amber. The fake Amber will not get charged during the process and will only get sticky. (Original Source)
This test is ideal but less preferred for distinguishing fake Amber as it may potentially damage the stone. You need to scratch the Amber with a pin and if your amber created jewelry is not getting scratched with a pin then it's fake. (Source)
The color of the amber changes when you apply UV light to the bead. It can be assured that the bead is fake if there are no changes in the color of Amber. (Wikihow)
If you have excellent vision power, this is the easy test you can try out. When you look at the surface of Amber, the reflections on the amber stone always show up the downside. That means, with the real Amber, the images will reflect in the downside position.
Amber imitation and its properties
You can easily distinguish glass from Amber as glass is more solid and cannot be scratched by metal. Also, it is cold and fireproof.
No one can tell the difference at first glance if you put celluloid and Amber together. However, when you burn celluloid, a smell like burnt plastic diffuses, which is a clear sign that it is not a real bead. Amber is combustible.
Cellulose nitrate, a product of treatment of cellulose with nitration mixture, is usually yellow and cloudy. It is hard to visually differentiate it from Amber, but after heating, it diffuses the smell of burnt plastic. (Original Source)
Like Amber (in appearance), casein, a conjugated protein forming from the casein precursor, is made from milk. A plastic-like material, a little heavier, can be distinguished by burning it, as it too smells like burnt plastic.
Copal is a younger form of tree resin that is sometimes sold as Amber due to a similar appearance. However, as a primary difference, Copal melts rather than burns at a lower temperature, Amber does not. (Source)
Plastic is also used to produce artificial Amber and inclusions. The beads indeed are too perfect but not at all contain any of the characteristics of natural Amber.
At Marie France design we use plastic amber imitation for creole earrings and other necklaces to get the perfect shape and light finish.
Some more names are Galalith, Bakelite resin (resol, phenolic resins), Carbamide resins, Epoxy novolac (phenolic resins), Polyethylene, Epoxy resins, the resins of acrylic type, etc. (Wikipedia)
Resolane (phenolic resins or phenoplasts, not in use at present)
Phenolic Resin is found in artificial amber beads. These beads are shaped oval, faceted, and the color is very similar to real Amber. The fact differs it from the original ones is, it does not exude the smell of pine-tree resins, and Baltic Amber does.
Overall there might be more ways to Identify authentic Amber then I have mentioned above and I hope this information was helpful to you. Always remember to rub the amber on your end and feel that warm stone feeling and a slight piney small, this is how I usually do it. Also make sure you ask to see the Amber authenticity certification when purchasing your piece of Amber Jewelry to be 100% sure of its authenticity.
Marie France Ingrand
Head Designer and Founder @MarieFrance_design
Email me here: mf@mariefrance-design.com
]]>Only a few people know that some natural stones carry huge benefits rather than only being used in jewelry. According to studies, in modern times stones are mainly used for ornamental purposes. But in ancient Egypt and other cultures from antiquity, people used to believe natural stones had extensive health benefits.
It is believed that gemstones comprise unique healing powers and that’s not all, almost every gem represents a planet and carries the ability to draw energy from that planet directly to its wearer.
Sounds too wondrous to be true? But it is!
The energy in the gemstones neutralizes the energetic blockages causing poor health and indeed nurtures all aspects of your being. This is the reason most people still believe we can receive health bonuses from certain natural stones and minerals. My personal experience prove me that natural stones' energies are extremely powerful and this is the reason why I decided to use them in my designs.
How to use NaturalStone to get most out of it?
Some cultures used natural stones as part of their spiritual practices to gain peace, restore energy fields, and promote love and safety. In a few systems, gemstones are worn or placed on the body energy center to keep your spiritual, physical, psychological, and emotional energy in balance.
In other cultures systems, leveraging health benefits from natural stones can be as simple as wearing a piece of jewelry made with a particular gem.
One of the stones gaining huge popularity nowadays for the right reasons is the Baltic Amber.
What is Baltic Amber ?
Technically, an Amber stone is not a stone, but a fossilized resin (Source: Wikipedia). However beautiful jewelry is created from it resembling gemstones, therefore it is sold as a gemstone.
Apart from being used in jewelry, it has also been used as a healing agent in folk medicine. (Original Source)
Being a powerful healer, it can give the person who wears an Amber and Gold Necklace a lovely sense of warmth and beauty (Source: Sciencing).
Amber mainly comes from eastern europe. In earlier times, it was commonly or widely used in locations where it is found, but now many people are understanding its benefits. Those people who used it or kept it on their body as ornament would have been aware that it helped to improve their health.
Let's learn more about Baltic Amber
As stated above, amber is not a rock or gemstone, contrary to popular belief. Amber is a tree resin that has further become fossilized and it is found in various locations around the world, but Baltic amber is particularly from trees in the Baltic region.
There is succinic acid available in Amber that works to decrease and relieves inflammation, which lessens ample types of discomfort and pain caused by illness, teething, and also injuries (Source: Wikipedia). We spend time selecting the best stones, our amber beads contain up to 8% succinic acid.
What are the different usage of Baltic Amber ?
As mentioned above, Amber for its several healing properties, has long been used in ancient medicine. From the time of Hippocrates in ancient Greece, Amber was used for a fantastic array of treatments via the Middle Ages and up until the early twentieth century. Even in traditional Chinese medicine, people used amber to "tranquilize the mind". (Source: Wikipedia)
Especially, Baltic amber is popular for babies, where it is commonly used as a natural method of reducing teething pain and is widely sold in pharmacies.
Some specific properties of Amber
Amber has accumulated its share of mystical properties just like any popular gemstone that has a long history of use in various cultures. For example in Asian cultures, Amber was considered the "soul of the tiger" and referred to as the stone of courage. (Source : Wikipedia)
The pieces of amber were carried for protection purposes during long travels.
There are many benefits of using Baltic amber over types of pain relief and inflammation relief, be mindful that you need to wear baltic amber regularly.
Broadly, the reason behind wearing your Baltic amber jewelry regularly is that Baltic amber shows amazing results if you wear it daily. Well, the more often succinic acid builds up in your system, the more resulting the compound will be in offering relief in pain. If by any chance you are suffering from chronic pain, like pain from inflammation-based arthritis, wearing your baltic amber jewelry daily can be the top-notch way to get continuous pain relief.
Baltic amber to reduce soothes inflammation and pain:
Obviously, Baltic amber is not a painkiller in itself but the succinic acid, found in amber is the active compound that has analgesic properties where it can assist in pain relief. Comprises 3-8% succinic acid, has been studied for years in contemporary medicine. (Source: NCBI)
Most of the concentration of succinic acid is found in the amber cortex, i.e., the outermost layer of the stone. Trace oils from the resin are absorbed through your skin when you wear Baltic amber, as it heats to your body temperature. It enables the amber’s acid to enter your bloodstream leading to the highest therapeutic benefits.
Good for Children during Teething
Because of the purported analgesic properties of succinic acid, Amber necklaces are a traditional European remedy for colic or teething. However, there is no such evidence proving that this is an effective remedy. (Source: Wikipedia)
How can Amber target the source of the pain?
No wonder that the pain-relieving medications are built to mask pain, whether it’s arthritis pain, teething pain, headache pain, and more. But in the case of Baltic amber, it actually targets the source of the painful inflammation and reduces it, thereby decreasing the pain as a whole instead of covering it up with medication.
Take natural Amber everywhere with you
If you consider the value of having to buy new bottles and tablets as pain relievers over the months and years, Baltic amber jewelry is affordable. More importantly, if you use the Baltic amber jewelry the right way, it can last for a time being, saving you plenty of money in the process.
Not much maintenance needed
After reading above mentioned benefits, you can say without a doubt that Nature’s healing wisdom is locked within Baltic Amber, so wearing it in the form of ornament as a beautiful part of your daily wellness practice will do miracles. The stone is low-maintenance that does not need charging or thorough cleansing regularly; its soothing warmth is prepared for you now and as you need it! Wearing Baltic Amber is a very natural way to boost your immunity, reduce pain and inflammation, and strengthen the well-being of your body inside and out.
Let me give you a great tip to get the most benefits of an amber bead necklace, you can try this exercise to de-stress!
I think this is all I could find about natural amber. But it's not the only stone I would like to share with you about. During my research about amber I also came to read and discover the properties of freshwater natural pearls, and I would like to share some of my learning and discoveries with you in this post.
What are Freshwater Pearls ?
Pearls being a smooth, flawless, shining gemstone, known for their eternal beauty. They may be categorized based on their texture, color, and size, but they are majorly distinguished based on their origin. Jewelry created with freshwater white pearls is unique as they are the only tissue-nucleated cultured stones in the world.
Let me tell you more about Freshwater Pearls?
For those who are unaware, Freshwater pearls are created by using freshwater mussels in lakes, ponds, and rivers. Today, most freshwater pearls come from rivers and lakes in China, although Japan and the USA also have a small fraction of the market. The interesting part is a freshwater mussel can hold up to 50 pearls at a time.
How are Freshwater Pearls farmed ?
All of the freshwater pearls are cultured, i.e., grown in pearl farms using trained technician, who implants an irritant in the mussel to boost the formation of a pearl. As in Akoya and other saltwater pearl farming, a bead nucleus is commonly used, but with freshwater pearls, the method is somewhat different. Then, to stimulate nacre secretion, the tissue of a donor mussel is placed in the host mussel.
The result of this technique is that freshwater pearls are composed solely of nacre, and do not comprise a bead nucleus. The more solid nacre normally results in a durable, elegant pearl.
What are the main benefits of wearing freshwater pearls ?
Apart from being silky and radiant elegance, it is believed that these pearls also hold a few advantages that you might not know.
Natural freshwater pearls can heal
There are various healing properties associated with the Grade A natural cultured Freshwater Pearl that are good for our bodies. For instance, the freshwater pearls are helpful for the issues of the respiratory illness. It is also known that wearing freshwater pearls is good for our heart, liver as well as for our skin in Asian cultures.
Brings luck and prosperity for june borns
The people who are born in June wear freshwater pearls as their birthstone as the stone brings prosperity and fortune to them. (Original Source)
How can freshwater pearls help me to maintain my inner peace?
The astrologers suggest wearing pearls for various reasons. Like to calm your anger and to maintain your peace of mind.
In various Asian and Europeans cultures many people also use it to heal respiratory disease, there is no scientific proof of this, however I believe it is important to share this information
Wearing freshwater pearl could be beneficial for the lungs as it fights against some respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. They carry a soothing influence on the kidney, heart, and liver. It also reflects the healing effects on allergies and skin rashes. Besides, stomach issues and menstrual problems could also be cured with the gemstone. Again there are no scientific proof other than the fact that millions of people have been doing it for centuries.
Bring positive changes in life!
The metaphysical powers of the stone can act as a pathway to get connected within yourself. Some believe about it, some don't, find your own path.
If you want to experience some visible changes you need to capitalize on the energy fields and molecular vibrations of the stone.
Before you get out of bed in the morning, wear the stones or keep them on your body. According to top researchers, this practice helps kick start the day with enthusiasm.
If you are fond of wearing jewelry that too with classic and decent choice, then jewelry made with baltic amber and pearls is a very unique element you should add to your jewelry box. The best part is, whether you are an everyday office person, love to attend wedding receptions, or a date person, wearing such a piece surely adds to your elegance, confidence and portrays you as a beautiful strong woman.
Being evergreen; it will not lose its luster for a long-long time and will continue to be the most graceful jewelry you own. Just like the beauty, the health benefits are inexplicable too. However, keep in mind that not all the health benefits are scientifically proven as most of them are just based on theories and beliefs.
So, what are you waiting for, add beautiful Amber, pearl bracelets, earrings, or necklace to your life and add prosperity, gorgeousness to your life!
Now let's live Naturally, beautifully and healthy ;-)
Marie France Ingrand
Head Designer and Founder @MarieFrance_design
Email me here: mf@mariefrance-design.com
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