Amber News
New trends, unique events, fascinating personalities, inspiring competitions and exhibitions - you will find everything that is most interesting in the world of amber in Amber News. Discover amber anew with us!
Opinions
Aleksandra Harasiuk: Arab misbah collectors
In Arab countries, a still popular male accessory is the so-called subha / misbah / tesbih, or prayer ropes. Centuries ago, they were used to count down repeated prayers - hence their name. The number of balls in the rope was closely linked to the 99 names with which God was praised.
Katarzyna Michalska: Amber education really makes sense
The conversation about the future of amber often focuses on the market, design or promotion. Meanwhile, the foundation of everything is education. Without it, even the most beautiful raw material remains devoid of context and emotion.
JULIA GROOS: Amber has become a universe to me
My first contact with amber will probably always remain an unforgettable impression. I remember it as if it were today: I picked up a piece of amber, cut it open and suddenly smelled the resin from over 40 million years ago.
Competitions
Bursztynowe Rzemiosło: tradycja, która inspiruje kolejne pokolenia
Bursztyn od wieków pozostaje symbolem rzemieślniczej doskonałości – materiałem wymagającym, ale też niezwykle wdzięcznym dla tych, którzy potrafią wydobyć z niego światło, kolor i emocję. 23. edycja Ogólnopolskiego Konkursu Złotników i Jubilerów „Bursztynowe Rzemiosło” im. Karola Kowalskiego po raz kolejny udowodniła, że siła tej tradycji znajduje nowe, świeże interpretacje w rękach zarówno mistrzów, jak i…
Bursztyn na nowo: mistrzostwo formy i odwaga interpretacji
Współczesna biżuteria coraz śmielej przekracza granice tradycji – a bursztyn staje się w niej materiałem zaskakującym, otwartym i niezwykle aktualnym. AMBERIF Selection pokazuje, że w rękach najlepszych projektantów klasyczne rzemiosło spotyka się z nowoczesnym myśleniem, a efektem są formy, które nie tylko zdobią, ale opowiadają historie na nowo.
Amberif Design Award 2026 „Magia materii” – znamy laureatów
Dziś – w epoce cyfrowej, zdominowanej przez obrazy, dane i symulacje – powraca pytanie fundamentalne: co sprawia, że materia wciąż potrafi nas poruszać? Co nadaje jej znaczenie, wyjątkowość, siłę oddziaływania? Jaka ukryta w niej magia pozwala jej stawić opór wirtualności i odzyskać swój urok?
Information
Bursztynnik Roku 2025: dr inż. Małgorzata Kucharska
Jedna z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych postaci świata bursztynu, naukowczyni, rzeczoznawczyni i mentorka kolejnych pokoleń ekspertów – dr inż. Małgorzata Kucharska została zgłoszona do tytułu „Bursztynnika Roku 2025” za całokształt swojej działalności.
Why I ask about Amberif and the strategy „Gdansk - World Amber Capital”
At a meeting of the Amberif Programme Board on 5 February this year, an accusation was made against me that I was „playing investigative journalist” and not allowing the fair team to work because I was asking questions for „months”. Yes, I ask questions because I am a journalist.
Barbara Kosmowska-Ceranowicz passed away
It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Prof. Barbara Kosmowska-Ceranowicz, an outstanding amber researcher, who died on 31 January 2026, having lived to the age of 95. Her name became permanently inscribed in the history of amber research and in the history of the Polish and international amber community.
Collections
Amber „Labyrinth”
The labyrinth - one of the more symbolic and recognisable works by Professor Andrew Boss - embodies the idea of European amber routes.
Maria and Paweł Fietkiewicz
It may happen that today this ring will no longer arouse admiration. However, it is worth knowing that its creators went down in history as the founders of the so-called Polish school of amber and silver, creating sophisticated, unique artistic forms in the 1960s.
Jaroslav Westermark: Golden Amber
He became interested in Baltic amber over 40 years ago simply because... he wanted to make unusual jewellery. In those days, it was an extremely difficult challenge - to make interesting, ambitious jewellery from a material that was very common. He succeeded, as evidenced, for example, by numerous awards in design competitions.
Interviews
Why do we need artistic jewellery? - interview with Prof. Sławomir Fijałkowski
Artistic jewellery is not just a product, but a message. Although it reaches a narrow audience, it sets the direction for the entire industry - from craftsmanship to design. Why is it worth creating and how does Poland compare to the world?
Jewellery more precious than gold - an interview with Anna Wiszniewska
It not only decorates, but tells stories, comments on reality and records the emotions of the era. The art historian and curator of the exhibition „Project: artistic jewellery” at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Toruń talks about Polish artistic jewellery - underestimated but exceptionally strong culturally - a return to craftsmanship, artistic courage and jewellery as a carrier of ideas.
My designs create a modern amber narrative - a conversation with Monika Blaszkowska
Amber is over 40 million years old, plastic just a short while. Monika Blaszkowska juxtaposes these two worlds, creating art that not only delights in form but also raises uncomfortable questions about consumption, sustainability and responsibility. In the context of her exhibition Amber Chamber at the National Maritime Museum in Gdansk, we discuss the construction of a new contemporary amber narrative, which for little...
Fashion
Amber in fashion 2026: the natural power of emotive jewellery
Fashion in 2026 is looking less and less for the „wow” effect in flashiness. Instead, it is betting on emotion, authenticity and things that matter. This is why amber jewellery is experiencing a real renaissance today. Warm, organic, unique - it fits perfectly into a fashion world that is rediscovering the beauty of nature and personal style.
Radom Fashion Show - the return of amber beads in style
For many of us, amber beads are associated with grandma's casket and a tradition we don't expect to return to the living rooms. And yet! With her „Mazovia Heart of Poland” collection presented as part of the Radom Fashion Show, designer Diana Walkiewicz proved that amber, also in the form of classic beads, has an absolutely rightful place in today's fashion.
Jewellery with character - Bondarowski & Gurgul
During the jubilee gala celebrating the 15th anniversary of Moda magazine in Poland, the Bondarowski brand by Eliza and Krzysztof Bondaruk - designers who have been proving for years that Polish jewellery craftsmanship can be bold, contemporary and full of emotion - appeared on the catwalk. In duet with Mateusz Gurgul's collection, their designs created a cohesive, expressive show in which jewellery was an integral part of the styling.
Trade fair
AMBERIF Spring 2026 - Gdansk shines brightest again
At the end of March, Gdansk will once again become a place where design meets nature and tradition meets modernity. From 26-28 March 2026, the AMBEREXPO space will be filled with the light of amber and the energy of creators from all over the world. This is where AMBERIF Spring 2026 takes place - an event that has been setting trends in jewellery and...
Why I ask about Amberif and the strategy „Gdansk - World Amber Capital”
At a meeting of the Amberif Programme Board on 5 February this year, an accusation was made against me that I was „playing investigative journalist” and not allowing the fair team to work because I was asking questions for „months”. Yes, I ask questions because I am a journalist.
AMBERIF Spring 2025 - the heart of world amber beats in Gdansk
On 12-14 March 2025, AMBEREXPO in Gdansk will host the next edition of AMBERIF Spring, the most important spring trade fair for amber, jewellery and design in Europe. This prestigious event has been attracting both exhibitors and buyers from all over the world for years, creating a space to showcase the latest trends and innovations in jewellery. The 2025 edition promises to be one of the...
Events
17th century amber cannon returns to Gdansk
A unique relic of European amber art has found its way into the collection of the Gdańsk Museum, or more precisely the collection of the Amber Museum. Made of amber and gold, decorated with precious stones, the cannon was created around 1660 in Gdańsk. It is an extremely rare example of artistic craftsmanship of the modern era - one of only two known objects of this type in the world. After centuries, it returns to the city where it...
What does a true „amber” perfume smell like?
What do natural amber-based perfumes, the philosopher's stone and the Holy Grail have in common? Generations of scientists have searched for them. And while the latter two are likely to persist, Alan Balewski from Pomerania has managed to do the almost impossible: he has created an „amber” perfume.
Jewellery promotion the theme of the 3rd Goldsmiths' Art Forum
Organised by the YES Gallery in Poznań, the Goldsmiths' Art Forum is a meeting at which topics important to the goldsmiths' community are discussed. This time the workshop focused on PROMOTION.
Exhibitions
Amberif Spring 2026: The alchemist's sister
One of the events accompanying the AMBERIF Spring amber fair in Gdansk is an exhibition by Kelly McCallum, a British artist acclaimed for her rich and imaginative work. „The Alchemist's Sister” is her first exhibition of works made from Baltic amber.
SCHMUCK 2026 - with a Polish accent
SCHMUCK is the world's largest and most important exhibition of contemporary artistic jewellery, which for 65 years has presented the latest phenomena in the field. One of them this year was the jewellery of Malgosia Kalinska - the only Polish woman qualified for this year's edition.
Unnecessary Jewellery: jewellery that says more than it needs to
In a world dominated by fast trends and repetitive forms, jewellery is increasingly losing its personal dimension. The Unnecessary Jewellery project goes against this trend - it restores jewellery to its original meaning: a unique object, a carrier of emotions and individual identity. The second edition of the exhibition has just made its debut in Munich, making its presence clearly felt on the international map of contemporary artistic jewellery.
