The necklace is composed
of 54 multi-sided polished clear amber beads and a tulip-shaped pendant. The
diamond-cut polish method is a very precise means of polishing amber and was
particularly valued in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A piece of natural
amber would be polished from various sides to give it the appearance of a
diamond. Amber processed in this way would uniquely reflect beams of sunlight
and sparkle in hundreds of shades.
Up
until World War I around 20,000 kg of raw amber material was processed in
Palanga. Manufactories employed anywhere from 300 to 500 amber craftsmen. Some
of the workshops belonged to the Tiszkiewicz counts. Works by the Palanga amber
craftsmen were in high demand in the international market and successfully
competed with their German counterparts.
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