It is associated with a growth of tourist flow from Asian and Middle East countries, where jewelry with such amber is especially appreciated

Photo: Kaliningrad Amber Combine

Kaliningrad Amber Combine records a growth of demand for opaque medium-size amber. The cost price of such type of Baltic amber for Russian companies exceeded the starting price by 300% in the first quarter of this year. 

In previous years, an increase in the auction cost was maximum 30%. The change in the domestic demand pattern is currently associated with a growth of tourist flow from Asian and Middle East countries, where opaque amber jewelry is especially appreciated. 

Opaque Baltic amber, like other gemstone varieties, is produced in the Primorsky quarry in the Kaliningrad Region. This type of opaque amber has a wide range of shades — from milk-white to lemon-yellow. Color of the organic mineral depends on its degree of air saturation — the more air bubbles there are inside, the lighter and brighter the amber is. 

“From the beginning of the year, we have been observing a revival in demand for finished amber products in the Moscow and Far Eastern regions. The major buyers are Chinese tourists, who currently can travel to our country on a visa-free basis, and visitors from Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. Opaque amber of any shades is historically appreciated in these countries. The gem is generally integrated in items that are traditional for these regions — cameos, pendants and beads. Consequently, companies are extensively increasing production of items using opaque amber,” said Anatoly Babir, one of the co-founders of the Amber Industry Cluster of the Kaliningrad Region. 

Kaliningrad Amber Combine is the major global amber market player. The company accounts for about 89% of legal mining of this unique gemstone.