Millions of years ago, insects were trapped within sticky pieces of resin. We can now find these creatures in all their beauty within the golden beads of Baltic amber.

This necklace holds one of these fascinating displays of historical preservation, an authentic piece of amber which dates 40,000,00 to 60,000,000 years old all the way back to the Eocene. Each amber necklace contains a visible insect or arachnid from this period trapped within. It's an incredible window into the prehistoric Earth.

The material comes from deposits around the Baltic Sea, which is known to scientists as the greatest repository of fossil insects ever discovered.

Each Insect in Amber necklace comes with an 18" sterling silver wheat chain. The coloring of the necklace will change depending on the lighting and background, so it is a very dynamic item to add to your wardrobe.

Each necklace comes in a black jewelry box and anti-tarnish bag, along with an informational authenticity card. This is perhaps one of the most unique jewelry pieces we have in our collection and we're excited to be able to offer it!

Photography of the necklace is available at the top of the page and we have several others listed by price in the collection below.

Amber is a unique fossil substance that shines with a golden hue. For millennia it has been an object of interest to many cultures and some pieces are especially interesting due to the prehistoric creatures captured within. The story of these nuggets of time all begins millions of years ago with an insect and a tree.

When a plant is damaged by a hungry bug, it secretes a substance called resin to activate its defense system. Resin is a viscous material produced by plants, primarily from conifers, that is both sticky and smelly (some might say fragrant). This scent lures the insect towards it, where it can quickly become trapped in the resin. In essence, it is an ancient and organic flypaper.

The tackiness of resin comes from carboxylic acids which make up the bulk of its mass. Hydrocarbon compounds known as terpenes provide the fragrance. Together, these organic compounds create the perfect bug-catching defense for trees. In fact, if you've ever enjoyed the scent of a pine candle, you may be falling for the very same evolutionary trap!

When compressed and heated beneath layers of sediment for millions of years, tree resin undergoes a process of molecular polymerization. This changes the chemical structure of the resin, making it tougher and stony. The result is a low-density, amorphous solid known as amber.

When recovered, amber is often dull, reddish brown, or even gray. After polishing, amber practically glows. The original color of the resin is preserved in a beautiful yellow-orange, but the material becomes translucent, allowing you to see what's been captured inside. Thanks to the stickiness of the original material, small objects can be perfectly preserved during the fossilization process. These are called inclusions, and they range from dust and pollen to insects and even fossilized lizards!

The discovery of amber with animal inclusions is always an incredible find. While they can't exactly be used to clone dinosaurs, they tell us a lot about the anatomy of prehistoric insects and help us better understand their evolutionary paths. When you hold a bead of insect amber, you're looking through a portal to our planet's past.

The largest amber deposits in the world are located around the Baltic Sea. Amber from this region, referred to as Baltic amber, is considered the highest amber quality in the world. Baltic amber deposits date from the Eocene period, some 40-60 million years ago. Scientists consider Baltic amber the greatest repository of fossilized insects from any age.