The shores of the Baltic Sea in Poland are where most amber is found today. It can also be found in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, where it is known as "Mayan amber". However, as the American deposits are dated at a juvenile 25 million years, it is the ancient Baltic variety that is most prized. Some pieces found in this region have been dated at 100 million years. Amber rocks weighing more than 10 kilograms were found in the 19th century.

This material has, for years, been turned into jewellery in Poland, where amber is regarded almost as a sacred object with therapeutic qualities. Sufferers of arthritis wear amber and even those in good health like to wear some around their neck as a talisman. A tiny fragment dropped in water is a traditional cure for hangovers. A piece placed on a television set is supposed to generate positive energy (and perhaps improve what's on the box).

Once considered folk art, amber jewellery is growing in popularity as a fashion accessory. The smaller fragments are cheap and easy to work into pendants and rings, even cufflinks.

While the traditional honey-coloured amber is the most common, it comes in most shades from black to white, described with names such as cognac, champagne, butterscotch and cherry.

There are also attractive shades of green and blue. However, the most valuable variety is milky white, especially if left in its original shape.

The challenge for designers is to alter the amber's original shape as little as possible while turning it into a wearable work of art. Also considered valuable are any pieces with insects or natural material trapped inside the resin. Prehistoric spiders, even frogs, have been found preserved in amber. These are not that rare but are uncommon enough to be regarded as premium-quality jewellery. They are also regarded as symbols of good fortune.

Silver settings complement amber jewellery best and, for collectors, modern sculptural designs, in the organic style of Georg Jensen, are among the most collectable. Even when set in sterling silver, these are economical compared with gemstones. Amber in silver usually costs from $1000 to $5000. There are items available much more cheaply than this but it's unlikely that these will be particularly old. Some may be only 20 years old.

It's also possible that they may not be amber at all. The market is flooded with imitation pieces, easily picked from the genuine article. There is a test for age. If the piece is placed in water with a little salt then is touched with acetone, the very old examples will be unaffected. Modern resin will become sticky to the touch. Specialist jewellers will also be able to date your piece of amber, at least to within a million years or so.

Despite this material's astonishing age and story of survival, amber is less durable than opal, for example. A valuable piece shouldn't be exposed to strong sunlight or washed with soap. Even hairspray can adversely affect the quality and colour.

My collection

Yvonne Friedman is a Melbourne jewellery designer who runs Ashley Jewellers in cosmopolitan Collins Street. Her business specialises mainly in Australia's own opal but her personal passion is for the amber jewellery of her native Poland.

These pieces are a reminder of growing up in Poland, where she was known under her Polish name, Iwona. As a child she was taken to the Baltic Coast for holidays and it was here that she found her first piece of amber, washed up on the beach.

"See, you can find a treasure anywhere," her mother told her.

She still has this first discovery and, according to Polish custom, she keeps it as her personal talisman, rarely leaving home without it. She has since acquired a small collection of premium-quality pieces featuring the oldest specimens of amber she can find. A few pieces are on display in her shop, mainly for clients from Polish or Baltic backgrounds.

She says there are few serious collectors in Australia, although more women are wearing amber these days, perhaps without realising its traditions. "It's like wearing the history of nature," she says.

$225

This distinctive brooch shows how this ancient organic material can work in a contemporary setting. In this case, the amber is 20 to 40 million years old.

$1700

Amber can be fashioned into spectacular necklaces. There are cheaper examples than this; the value rises if Baltic amber is used.

$2400

This piece has been set in silver to highlight the "Australian" shape of the amber. Most designers preserve the organic shape as far as possible.