If you’ve checked out our catalogue, you’ll know that we sell a wide range of Baltic Amber rings, pendants and earrings. For many years now, they’ve been amongst our top sellers - both retail and wholesale. And we’re not the only ones. It seems that every jewellery website and eBay seller is hawking ‘Baltic Amber‘ these days, and at first glance it all looks pretty much the same.

It’s yellow or green and it’s set in sterling silver, so it must be real. Right?

I’m afraid not. There is an awful lot of imitation Amber out there attempting to pass itself off as the real thing. Otherwise known as synthetic or faux Amber, it can be incredibly hard to spot. When all you have to go on is a picture on a website, how do you tell the difference?

The answer is quite simple. Just ask! Most sellers, though they may not admit to selling fake amber in writing on their web-site, will be honest about it if you simply send them an email and ask. They don’t want a charge back from your credit card company any more than you want to be lumbered with dodgy goods. The problem is, many people do not know enough to ask, and only find out a few months later when a particularly knowledgeable customer calls them on it - pointing out their mistake at the most embarrassing moment possible.

Here at Nirvana, we only sell 100% genuine Baltic Amber, and have never stocked the synthetic variety.

When buying jewellery of any description from photos on a web-site or eBay, your motto should be: “If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.” Bargains can be had, for sure. But how does the price stack up against the competition? Manufacturer’s prices for amber rings are reasonably consistent, so if you’re seeing rock bottom, bargain prices, that’s the time to start asking questions.

And if anyone offers you pristine pieces of Amber with perfectly preserved mosquitos, positioned dead centre and looking only a week or two old, chances are they ARE only a week or two old, and not the 30-50 million years you’ve been told.