House of Amber

This past week The House of Amber had an open house for Stockholm hotel concierge in order to properly introduce themselves and show what they have to offer ahead of the busy summer season. This is their first boutique in Sweden (having opened a little less than a year ago), but they have their origins in Denmark starting in 1933 and their stores can be also found in China with plans of expansion to the US and the Persian Gulf region in the future.
As the name suggests... they specialize in amber jewellery. Amber (Bärnsten in Swedish) has deep roots in Scandinavian culture and history. It has been used for trading, jewellery and healing properties as far back as the Paleolithic Age and up through the Viking period until today. The most well known type of amber is gold in colour, but it does also come in a variety of colours from milky white to reddish brown and even green and blue. The stone also ranges from transparent to opaque.
Amber is fossilized tree resin and while it is found in several places around the world, the largest amounts, highest quality and most famous amber is found in southern Scandinavia and along the coasts of the Baltic Sea. This amber is between 30 and 44 million years old. Amber is mined is some places but can also be found washed up on the beaches... though it takes a keen eye to spot amber in its raw form.
The House of Amber is located in the Stureplan district and is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... just four stations on the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg, exiting to Stureplan. The boutique consists of two floors, with the second floor functioning as a mini-museum with amber artwork as well as information and interesting facts on the history of amber. A nice way to bring a piece of Scandinavia home with you. Don't forget that if you are a non-EU citizen, you can get the sales tax refunded when you leave Sweden. More information on tax free shopping.

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