Founded in 1996 The International Amber Association associates manufacturers and merchants from the amber industry, artists who create amber works of art and the collectors of natural specimens and historical amber artefacts. The Association also includes researchers from various scientific fields who deal with amber-related issues. Currently The IAA has over 200 members from 24 countries.

Since 1997, the Association has been granting Certificates to recommend companies which have committed themselves to meeting the criteria required by our organisation. The Certificate gives its bearer the right to use the Association’s logo. The logo testifies to the correctness of the processing method, the good quality of the entire product, as well as to the company’s reliability, it is a guarantee of the authenticity of the raw material used: exclusively Baltic amber, and therefore a protection against forgeries and substitutes. Recommended companies must comply with Amber Classification System created by IAA.

BURSZTYNISKO, the only bilingual (Polish-English) information bulletin devoted to the amber industry, contains information about what is currently going on in the industry and is a platform for the exchange of information, business contacts, and popularising amber research and knowledge about amber.

We distribute the latest specialist literature on to amber. We accept orders for the books, postcards, posters and amber advertising labels which we print. They are adapted to the needs of small shops, galleries and wholesale outlets, and published in a number of languages (Polish, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish).

The experts who work for the Association have created an Amber Classification System, which covers all the stages of the amber manufacturing process and trade. We hope that this system will be accepted and adopted by other organisations in the industry and that together we can systematise the amber terminology.

We run training courses devoted to amber starting from introductory information about the gemstone’s properties through issues such as technology, marketing and sales methods. We organise courses for amber experts where the lecturers include the most distinguished Polish amber researchers and the most experienced practical specialists. We organise trade missions and trips to trade exhibitions abroad. We support amber-oriented tourism (displays of amber jewellery making, amber fishing and mining, as well as lectures on the history of amber and inclusions).

The information and knowledge provided by our experts is frequently used by periodicals, travel agencies, economic research centres and the authorities. You can find out more about the Association and amber, find links to the recommended companies, as well as information and current announcements on our web-site at: www.amber.org.pl

Annual membership fee amounts 120 PLN. Artists, scientists and retired employees has 50% discount. Entrance fee is 120 PLN.