As a boy I used to spend many summer vacations in a region called the Amber Coast.
With my friends, we wandered through sand dunes overgrown with pine forest, looking for some tarnished souvenirs of WWII.
Sometimes, we found rusty military equipment lying around, which we later traded with collectors of war memorabilia.
After a heavy rain, we would go to the beach to collect Amber.
We had learned in school that amber was a commodity, sought after since the times of the Roman Empire, when traders were sent to procure this precious gem from the Baltic Coast and bring it back to Rome.
But in the Communist economy, nothing really had any market value. So after playing with it a bit, the prized amber usually got lost among other pretty-but-worthless stones that were scattered about.
Several decades have passed since then, and a few years ago I ventured into the jewelry business.
I refreshed my old contacts and used my extensive knowledge of the the region from where the most valued amber on the market hails: the Baltic’s Amber Coast.
In my line of work, I endeavor to find the most skillful artists and manufacturers; those who know how to set the finest Amber in Sterling Silver that has been probed according to restrictive European regulations.
I make sure not to overpay for these products, so that they remain affordable for my clients and their discerning customers.
Matt