Baltic Amber

Find it anywhere in Denmark

Especially the southern west coast of Jutland and the northern east coast are well-known as great amber hunting locations. However, the largest quantities of Baltic amber are found in Eastern Germany, Poland, the Baltic States, and western Russia, where amber is actually mined in open pits.

How to Find Amber

Ravgaard’s Recommendations for a Successful Amber Hunt:

To find amber on the beach, it's best after the big winter storms. Look for the black belts of seaweed, twigs, and sea sponges. Amber is often found among these. You can, of course, also look for experienced amber hunters. If they are not on the beach, there is likely no amber. You can also retrieve amber from the sea. Fishermen sometimes find amber in their trawls, and much larger quantities are sucked up with sand pumps.

Need some gear

Amber Lamp

In recent years, amber lamps have become a popular tool for amber hunting. These lamps make the amber glow with UV light, but why does amber light up when exposed to UV light? Amber glows under UV light because of its natural fluorescence. When UV light hits amber, it absorbs the energy and emits a characteristic blue or greenish glow. This glow is due to the presence of organic compounds in the amber that react with the UV rays and make the material glow. This is a useful property that helps identify genuine amber from other materials when searching for amber on, for example, the beach. If you'd like to learn more about amber lamps, you can find them here. We offer a limited selection of quality-tested amber lamps.

See our selection of amber lights

How to Recognize Amber

  • Amber found on the beach is often mistaken for stones, glass, lacquer, wax, plastic, and similar materials. Or rather, these are often mistakenly identified as amber. Amber has the following characteristics that distinguish it from the above:

What You Need to Know About Amber

Amber Is Lightweight

Amber is much lighter than stone. Although it can be difficult to tell with small pieces, you can clearly feel the difference with larger pieces—about the size of a nickel or larger.

Amber Feels Warm

Even in freezing weather, amber can feel warm. This is because amber conducts heat poorly, allowing it to warm quickly from body heat. That is also one reason amber is such a comfortable material to wear close to the body, such as in bracelets and necklaces—it never feels cold against bare skin.

Amber Has a Dull Sound

When you tap amber against your teeth, it produces a dull sound. Bring a piece of amber with you when you go amber hunting so you have something to compare it with.

Amber Creates Static Electricity

When you rub amber against wool, it can attract a hair. This electrical property is actually why electricity has its name: the word comes from the Greek word elektron, meaning amber. Even in ancient times, people knew that amber could build up an electrical charge when rubbed against textiles.

Amber Can Burn

Amber burns with a clear flame and an aromatic scent. This is due to amber’s organic origin: it is fossilized resin from coniferous trees that grew millions of years ago.

Ravgaard’s Best Tips

How to tell whether the piece in your hand is amber

Are you holding a piece and unsure whether it is amber? Great! We hope you’ve had some luck, but what should you do next? We’ve gathered a few do’s and don’ts to help you determine whether you’ve found amber.

See our raw amber

Always carry a genuine piece of test amber in your pocket when you go amber hunting so you have something to compare it with.

First, check whether the piece feels cold. If it feels cold when you pick it up from the beach, it probably is not amber. If it feels warm—or neither warm nor cold—congratulations: it has passed the first test.

Next, check how heavy it is. Pick up a stone of a similar size and compare the two. Amber is much lighter than stone—about two to three times lighter. Unless the piece is very small, you should be able to feel the difference. If it feels light, it has passed the second test.

You may have seen amber experts “bite” amber. Don’t do this. Amber can break if you bite it, and biting stones is not a good idea either. Instead, try the next safe test.

Rub the piece against wool. Amber can build up static electricity and attract a small hair or piece of paper. This is a useful sign, but no single test is conclusive. When in doubt, have the piece assessed by an experienced amber expert.

A walk on the beach can be a wonderful and deeply restorative experience. It gives you space to slow down, and you may even enter a state of flow—something that is beneficial for both body and mind. Flow is a mental state in which you become fully absorbed in an activity and experience deep concentration, satisfaction, and joy. Its benefits include reduced stress, increased creativity, a better mood, and a stronger sense of well-being. So even if you come home empty-handed, we hope you still enjoyed the journey.

There Are Many More Benefits to Amber Hunting

Peace and relaxation: The beach’s calm surroundings and the sound of the waves help you let go of everyday stress.

Exercise and fresh air: A walk by the water provides physical activity, fresh sea air, and plenty of oxygen for your brain.

A connection with nature: Get close to nature and experience its sounds, scents, and changing landscapes up close.

Time together: Amber hunting is a cozy activity to share with friends and family, creating lasting memories together.

Mindfulness: Focusing on finding amber trains your presence and attention, which can improve your overall well-being.

Exercise for your brain: The focused search for amber strengthens your attention and sharpens your senses, keeping your brain alert and stimulated.