Antique "Butterscotch" Amber Necklace, c. 1930

The Staatliche Bernstein-Manufaktur Königsberg (SBM) was founded in 1926 in the former capital of East Prussia and united several smaller companies to form one of the world's most important centers of amber processing. With up to 1,500 employees, SBM produced jewellery, everyday objects and decorative works of art to a high standard of craftsmanship, including necklaces, bracelets, boxes and watches. The manufactory became particularly famous for its faceted "Königsberg cut" and its collaboration with renowned designers such as Hermann Brachert and Jan Holschuh. SBM sourced its amber both from beach finds and from the Palmnicken open-cast mine, one of the most important open-cast amber mines in East Prussia, which systematically extracted large quantities of high-quality natural amber. After the Second World War, the manufactory was dissolved and many movements were lost. Today, SBM products are coveted collector's items and are exhibited in museums such as the Ribnitz-Damgarten Amber Museum. This faceted amber necklace, made around 1930, is a fine example of SBM's craftsmanship. The warm caramel-colored amber, so-called butterscotch amber, is carefully cut and strung in a graduated pattern, creating a harmonious line from the larger center to the smaller ends. Each piece shows the characteristic opaque structure and warm play of colors of naturally aged natural amber. The necklace embodies the typical "Königsberg style" of the interwar period. We have had the necklace restrung and added a practical magnetic clasp.

Estimate:$1,327.63

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