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Amber hunting
Amber hunting
Nordens guld - The gold of the north
Baltic Amber
Find it anyware 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.
Where to look
Amber in Denmark
In Vendsyssel, amber is deposited in layers across the country, from east to west. It lies here along with small twigs, coal, etc. – this layer is called the "amber stick layer" – and in some places, it’s close to the surface. That’s why, especially in the eastern part of Vendsyssel, you can find a good amount of amber on the fields. It’s often farmers who get lucky here when they turn the soil in preparation for planting or when harvesting potatoes. In the cliffs of Rubjerg Knude, you may be lucky enough to see the dark amber stick layers.
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.
Facts
What you need to know about amber:
Amber is much lighter than stones. While it may be hard to tell with small pieces, you’ll clearly notice the difference with larger ones - around the size of a 5-krone coin and up.
Even in freezing weather. This is because amber has poor thermal conductivity, meaning it quickly absorbs body heat. This is also one of the reasons amber is such a wonderful material to wear close to the skin, such as bracelets and necklaces, as it will never feel cold against bare skin.
When you tap it against your teeth. It’s useful to bring a piece of amber with you when you’re on your amber hunt so you have something to compare with.
If you rub it against wool, it can attract a hair. This electrical property is actually the reason electricity is named as it is. The word “electricity” comes from the Greek word "ēlektron," meaning amber. Already in ancient times, it was known that amber could build up an electric charge when rubbed against textiles.
With a clear flame and an aromatic scent. This is due to amber's organic origin, as it is originally fossilized resin from coniferous trees that grew millions of years ago.
Ravgaard’s Best Tricks
Determining If It’s Amber in Your Hands
Are you holding a piece and unsure if it’s amber? Great! I hope you’ve had some luck, but what do you do next? We’ve put together a few do's and don'ts for determining whether what you’ve found is amber:
- Always bring a piece of real “test amber” with you when you go amber hunting so you have something to compare with.
- The first thing you should do is feel if the piece feels cold when you pick it up from the beach. If it feels cold, you can be pretty sure it's not amber. If it feels warm or neither warm nor cold, congratulations, the first test has passed.
- Next, feel how heavy the piece is. You can take a stone of the same size and compare. As mentioned, amber is much lighter than stones, in fact, about 2-3 times lighter. So, unless it's a very small piece, you’ll likely feel the difference. If it’s light, the second test has also passed. Congratulations!
- You may have seen some amber experts “bite into amber”? Well, you’ve been tricked, because yes, if you bite into amber, it will break, and if it’s a stone, you shouldn’t be biting into stones either, so that’s an absolute don’t! What experts actually do is lightly tap the amber against their teeth to hear the sound, which is different from, say, a stone. If you’re unsure what the sound should be, try tapping your “test amber” against your teeth so you can hear if the sound is the same or different. It’s said that the sound of a stone makes a “tick-tick,” while amber makes a “tuk-tuk.” Try it out!
- Then you can choose to rub the piece against wool and see if it becomes statically charged; if it does, it might be amber, but it could also be plastic. If you're still unsure, you can heat the piece with a lighter and smell the smoke. You’ll likely smell if it’s plastic, as it doesn’t have a pleasant scent.
Why Go Amber Hunting
Even If You Don’t Find Amber?
A walk on the beach can be a fantastic and therapeutic experience. It’s a chance to unwind, and perhaps even enter a flow state, which is incredibly good for both body and soul. Flow is a mental state where you become fully immersed in your activity, experiencing deep concentration, satisfaction, and joy. The benefits of being in flow include reduced stress, increased creativity, better mood, and a stronger sense of well-being. So even if you return home empty-handed, we hope you still enjoyed the journey.
There are many more benefits to amber hunting:
- Peace and relaxation: The calm surroundings of the beach and the sound of the waves help you release the stress of everyday life.
- Exercise and fresh air: A walk by the water provides good physical activity, fresh sea air, and plenty of oxygen for your brain.
- Nature experience: You get close to nature and experience its sounds, smells, and changing landscapes up close.
- Social interaction: Amber hunting is a fun activity you can share with friends and family – creating wonderful memories together.
- Mindfulness: When you focus on finding amber, you train your presence and attention, enhancing your overall well-being.
- Gymnastics for the brain: The focused search for amber strengthens your attention and sharpens your senses, keeping your brain sharp and stimulated.
With that, we’ll just say
Happy amber hunting!
Want to know more?
Our Amber
History
Amber has been a part of our family for generations. Would you like to know more about where it started and how far our amber pieces has spread?
What types of amber excist
Would you like to know why some amber is black while other pieces are almost white?
Where do the colors come from? You can read more here
The Story of
Amber
Discover how amber has been used through the ages — from ancient amulets and Viking trade to modern jewelry. A timeless story of beauty and belief.