Since ancient times, the word "amber" had only one meaning - Baltic amber. This amber was formed from a particular type of pine (Pinus succinifera) and is called succinite. It contains 3-8 percent of amber acid. For a long time this feature of the Baltic amber distinguished it from other fossil resin, which was found in different places. Amber definition refers to the fact, that many different fossil resins were unknown. Now are known more kinds of amber, which also contain amber acid. So, this feature is no more a defining characteristic of the Baltic amber. Recent studies have shown that geological knowledge of each fossil resin is important to their botanical classification. Even when fossil resin comes from the same plants, it might be different since it got fossilized in different conditions.

In ancient Rome amber was used as medicine and as a protection against different diseases. Calistratus, the famous physician of those times, wrote that amber protects from madness, powder of amber mixed with honey cures throat, ear and eye diseases, and taken with water cures stomach illnesses.

Juodkrantė’s Treasure story started in the middle of the 19^th century, a lot of amber was found after some navigation works in the Curonian Lagoon near Juodkrantė. Rumours had been spread about enormous amber resources on the bed of the Curonian Lagoon. In 1857 two famous merchants of Klaipėda Wilhelm Stantien and Moritz Becker established a company: "Stantien and Becker".

More than one location on the coast of the Baltic Sea keeps the layers of amber but they are deep underground. A primitive was able to learn about amber only when nature itself had opened up its secrets. In Schleswig Holstein, in undermined amber layers, people began to collect this nice mineral and make a variety of ornaments and figures of it in middle Stone Age. However, these reserves were too little.

6000 year old traditions show amber prevalence and respect of people, who lived on the Baltic Sea coast (Lithuania and the Kaliningrad area). At first these traditions were created by ancient inhabitants of the Baltic coast, and Balts since 2000-1800 BC. In Lithuania the oldest findings of amber are of Neolithic period (4000-1600 BC). Neolithic amber jewellery - pendants, beads, buttons, amulets - were discovered in the former settlements near the Baltic Sea (Curonian Spit, Palanga, Šventoji and Prussia).

In the Baltic lands amber trade began in Neolithic period. Amber spread from the main centres of its extraction from Jutland and eastern Baltic countries, including Lithuania, to the Central, Eastern Europe and even reaching Egypt. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann during the digging in Troy with many other things found amber beads in 1871-1890. Scientists determined that the article came from the shores of the Baltic Sea 3000 years ago. This archaeologist found Baltic amber when dug Mycenaean domed graves which were poured in about 1600-800 BC.

We can only guess when people started using amber as jewellery or amulet raw material giving it magical meaning. It is known that it was treated with flint knives, cutters, scrapers, burr grinding stone and sand. The oldest known amber article was created at the end of the Old Stone Age (8 chiliad BC). It was an amber plate found in reindeer hunting camp near Hamburg. Ancient amber is rich in examples of art in many European museums. They possess amber of each period of the history beginning with the Neolithic and ending today, ornaments and other articles show a great popularity of amber and its wide usage in applied decorative arts.

Amber is mentioned even in the 10^th century BC in Assyrian cuneiform. It says that in the sea, where Northern winds are changing (Persian Gulf), his (king’s) merchants gather pearls, and in the sea, where Northern Star shines (Baltic), they fish amber. In about 600 years BC Ezekiel describes king Tyre’s clothing decorations, and mentions amber jewellery. Amber is very often mentioned in Greek literature.