By David Brough
GDANSK, Poland – The natural Baltic amber market outlook is constructive, bolstered by expectations for higher demand in Asia and the Middle East supported by a Gdansk-driven global branding effort in the coming years, amber industry sources say.
City officials in Gdansk, home of the Baltic amber industry, are planning to step up branding initiatives to boost the visibility and understanding of the fossilised resin, with plans to showcase Polish natural amber at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
At Gdańsk’s international amber jewellery show, AMBERIF Spring 2023 (March 22-25), Chinese retail amber buyers were out in force.
Chinese and Gulf Middle Eastern collectors acquire rare forms of natural Baltic amber, such as the hotly sought-after opaque yellow, or “butterscotch”, and white colours. Prices can exceed 25 euros per gramme at the high end of the market.
An exceptional item of Baltic amber jewellery from NAC _Amber, seen at AMBERIF Spring 2023
Exceptional antique Baltic amber objects command a premium in the market, and are notably sought after by Chinese collectors, such as pieces that circulated in China several centuries ago.
Rare natural Baltic amber can potentially be a hedge against inflation, but the amber collectibles market cannot be considered to be very liquid when compared with other portable assets such as diamonds, said Michal Kosior, head of Gdańsk-based lab Amber Experts.
