Amber Bracelet

I first encountered this supplier at the 2023 Denver Gem Show.  My previous supplier from Poland had retired and so I was on the lookout for a new supply chain for Baltic Amber.  My attention was caught by some beautiful Amber jewelry from Lithuania.  I spoke with the owner and learned he had a polishing factory in a coastal town on the Baltic Sea that employees many craftsman, some of whom come from families that have worked Amber for generations.  After I selected some Amber to purchase, I asked him how the war between Ukraine and Russia was impacting the Baltic Amber trade and he told me about some of the difficulties they were facing.  In fact, some of the Amber I selected was mined in Ukraine.  At that point, he was speaking in a carefully politically-neutral tone, which is usually best in business.  So I asked if Lithuania was on Ukraine’s side.  I already knew how the country stood officially, but it’s always interesting to talk with real people.  All neutrality was set aside, as he declared they were “100% on Ukraine’s side.”  I laughed and told him “me too,” then we shook hands and made our first business deal.