I’ve always been a big believer in the power of crystals. It’s not too different to food, really. Anything that the Earth provides naturally must be there for a certain reason and if we utilise them correctly, we can reap the masses of benefits they provide.

Long before having Braxton, I found Iris Bluebird (real name Hannah), who made amber jewellery. I’d heard quite often about necklaces and anklets for teething babies and looked into it a lot as I always thought it was a lovely gift for friends with teething babies, and I wanted to know that I was buying top quality amber.

Hannah stocks only top quality, raw natural Baltic amber and threads them with knots in between each one to make it safer for babies, and with safe clasp options. There is also the option of adding other stones to give extra benefits. We added turquoise for Braxton for added ‘cooling’ when teething seemed hot and burning.

Everyone comments on how lovely his necklace is and although it is advised that you remove necklaces on babies for nap times, we personally leave his on. As his neck got thinner and the necklace stretched a little over time, he started being able to put it in his mouth – which was funny because for the first year of his life he never even noticed it was there – so we sent it back to Hannah and she adjusted the size for us.

Here he is during his 1st birthday cake smash wearing nothing but a nappy and the necklace! Aside from how beautiful it looks, we really do notice the difference in his behaviour and how bad his teething is when he doesn’t have it on, so we truly believe in the power of amber. Of course that is anecdotal and who knows for sure, but it’s a belief of ours so we decide to go with it!

My dad decided to jump on the bandwagon after after eyeing up Braxton’s necklace for a while, and decided he wanted a bracelet for himself to help his aching joints, so I ordered one from Hannah and we designed it to look a little more masculine! My dad loves it and doesn’t take it off.

Recently, I ordered an anklet for myself with amber alongside my favourite stones: blue lace agate, amazonite, rose quartz and some howlite, which helps with calmness, concentration and creativity. It looks so pretty and I just love having my favourite stones so close to me all the time. Here it is:

If you’re thinking about buying amber for yourself or your children, I highly recommend Hannah. Her website is irisbluebird.uk.

If you want to understand more about the benefits of amber, read on…

In the meantime, love & health,
Lauren

Amber is an organic material made up of fossilised resin – Baltic Amber (considered to be the finest) was formed from the resin of coniferous trees 30-60 million years ago. It has long been honoured by humans for it’s energetic and healing properties.

There are various theories about how Amber actually works: the first is that the warmth of the skin releases tiny amounts of healing oils (succinic) from the Amber, these are absorbed through the skin into the body. The healing effects of succinic are said to be calming, analgesic, anti-pyretic (temperature reducing) amongst others. A second theory is that Amber is electronegative and wearing it against the skin produces negative ionisation, which leads to a positive effect on the body.

What succinic acid is and how it benefits you.

Succinic Acid (also called Amber Acid) has been used in Europe as a natural antibiotic and general curative for centuries. Succinic acid makes up a large part of natural baltic amber. Succinic Acid is also a natural constituent of plant and animal tissues.

Natural Baltic Amber contains as much as 8 percent succinic acid by weight.

It is very important to your body. It is used in the Krebs Cycle which is involved in the intermediary metabolic process. Another name for the Krebs Cycle is the Citric Acid Cycle.

A powerful anti oxidant that helps fight toxic free radicals and disruptions of the cardiac rhythm, succinic acid has been shown to stimulate neural system recovery and bolster the immune system, and helps compensate for energy drain in the body and brain, boosting awareness, concentration and reflexes, and reducing stress.

Even before mankind knew that there were things called acids and antibiotics, the people of Europe recognized that amber had magical curative powers. They used it when we today would use an antibiotic.

Now that modern science has discovered what succinic acid can do, it has confirmed what the people of Europe have known for centuries.

The ancients wore natural Baltic amber necklaces and bracelets, made from amber stones and chips that washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea, that were thought to have magical curative powers. They surely had no idea that they were high in succinic acid, but they knew they worked magic on their ills.

They used amber in other forms, as well. They made medicines from powder, chips, and stones. They applied amber oils to their bodies to cure ills and slow aging. Amber chips and oils were burned to improve the air in their living quarters and repel flies, mosquitoes and other insects. .

A Dominican Monk, Albert The Great, born in 1193, called Natural Baltic Amber Succinium and stated that it was the most effective of the leading medicines of the time. In order of effectiveness he listed them as Succinium, ocastoreum, mors, camphor, tartarus, and aurum. Amber tinctures were made from beer, wine and water. People found them effective against everything from stomach aches to rheumatism.

When the plagues devastated Europe during the middle ages, amber was used for fumigation. Burning amber is both aromatic and irritating. And that is due to the high content of succinic acid in the smoke.

The Prussian Priest Matthaus Praetorius recorded that in 1680, “During the plague not a single amberman from Gdansk, Klaipeda, Konigsberg or Liepaja died of the disease”

Even today aroma therapists use Amber smoke to cure people of a wide range of ills and to revive energy.

More modern Europeans used the curative properties of amber in many ways. Recognizing its properties as an antibiotic, they have used, and continue to use it, for amber baby teethers, baby teething necklaces, spoons and pipe mouthpieces. Aristocrats of the 17 th Century brewed tea in special amber containers.

In the 20th Century, European scientists and military doctors led the way in following up on the ancient knowledge. They found that it would help improve the bodies immune system after exposure to radiation from industrial accidents.

It has also been found to help the immune system combat infections, help cure hangovers and work against other toxins.

Research at the University of Hamburg, Germany confirms the safe and positive effects of succinic and fumaric acids in cellular metabolism.

Dr. Veniamin Khazanov of the RAS’ Institute of Pharmacology at the Tomsk Scientific Center says “For aged people, succinic acid has proved to be indispensable. It is capable of restoring the energy balance at the cellular level, which is often upset as the years go by, and helps the patient regain his youthful energy.” He says also that it has proven the equal or better of many commercial drugs and is significantly less expensive.

You can see clinical test information at Clinical studies on succinic acid (succinates) antixodant effects.

And once again following up on what the Europeans have known from their use of amber for centuries, science has found that it helps cure a hangover by helping the body rid itself of the toxins that cause the hangover. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb517372.htm Deadly Hangover: Beyond the ‘Morning After’ .

Succinic acid is now produced commercially. And it is approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Amber cures are now widely available and can be purchased online. You can see what is available at Amber Cures.

Source: http://www.chamberofcommerce.pl/amber-succinic-acid/