The Natural Mama’s Guide to Amber Teething Necklaces

Many mamas swear by amber teething necklaces, but do they work? Are they safe? What kind of amber teething necklace should you buy for your baby? Find out now.

Amber teething necklaces. Many mamas swear by em, but do they work? Are they safe? Should you buy a baltic amber teething necklace for your baby? Find out!

It’s so exciting when baby’s first tooth appears, but it certainly doesn’t come quietly. The drooling, fussing, and long nights have many parents searching high and low for natural teething relief.

Enter amber teething necklaces. Many natural mamas swear by them, but do they work? Are they safe? Should you go ahead and purchase one for your baby?

We’ve waded through the scientific and anecdotal evidence so you can make the best choice for your family.

Amber teething necklace Mama Natural

Amber teething necklaces: Proceed with caution

For the safety of your child, it is important to use amber teething necklaces with caution:

  • Always under adult supervision
  • Never at naptime or bedtime
  • Ensuring that the necklace has a pop or breakaway clasp (not a screw clasp)

When used properly and under adult supervision, amber teething necklaces do not pose much of a risk.

However, there have been reports of babies injured by amber necklaces, usually when sleeping with them or wearing them while unattended.

If you have concerns about amber teething necklaces, I encourage you to consider other natural baby teething remedies.

What is an amber teething necklace?

Amber teething necklaces are designed to be worn by babies when they are teething. The common belief is that the child’s body heats the amber, causing it to release oils containing succinic acid. The succinic acid, in theory, gets absorbed into the bloodstream, helping to easy baby’s pain.

Nearly all amber teething necklaces are made from Baltic Amber, which is fossilized resin from the sap of conifer trees. It originates in the dark, cold forests of the Baltic region; by some accounts, Baltic amber is over 44 million years old.

The Baltic region is so well known for its amber deposits, they’re sometimes referred to as “Baltic gold.” Other forms of amber from other regions of the world also exist, though Baltic amber is known for having higher levels of succinic acid.

Baltic amber comes in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, brown, black, red, green, and blue. The kind you’ll most often find for teething necklaces is brown/orange and milky. Blue and green amber, caused by gas and inclusions, is rare and thus highly valuable—too valuable for teething necklaces.

Baltic Region, home of baltic amber for teething necklaces

The Baltic region refers to the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.

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Baltic amber’s magic ingredient: succinic acid

The key component affiliated with Baltic amber’s healing properties is succinic acid, which accounts for 8% of its make-up.

Succinic acid is found in many vitamin supplements, heart medicine and topical creams for arthritis. Baltic Amber, in particular, is often found as an active ingredient in Chinese medicines. Baltic Amber necklaces are sold in pharmacies in many European and Asian countries.

That’s because succinic acid can be:

  • anti-inflammatory,
  • immune boosting,
  • antioxidant-rich
  • calming and soothing

Amber in its natural state remains popular to wear for everyone from babies to adults suffering from arthritis due to its pain relieving potential.

So how exactly does succinic acid work in amber teething necklaces?

In theory, when placed around baby’s neck, Baltic amber warms up, causing it to release oils that contain succinic acid. The acid, in turn, is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream.

Amber teething necklaces aren’t meant to be chewed or gummed on for comfort.

They’re simply meant to be worn around baby’s neck while baby is awake.

Your baby can and will probably want to use other physical forms of teething relief like teething biscuits, a frozen washcloth, or the types of teething necklaces made from silicone or wood that moms wear and babies can chew on.

Definitive scientific studies that show how much succinic acid is released from an amber teething necklace—and whether this amount is substantial enough to have an impact—do not exist.

Succinic acid safety

Succinic acid itself is considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), because it “occurs widely as a natural constituent of the plants and animals which are commonly used for human food.” Succinic acid received attention and testing from the FDA since it’s often added to ingestible products.

How to use an amber teething necklace

  1. Fasten an appropriately sized necklace around baby’s neck (we recommend a “pop clasp” safety release)
  2. You may need to distract baby momentarily so baby forgets the necklace is there
  3. Leave the necklace alone; let the amber lay against baby’s skin
  4. Remove necklace during naps and at bedtime
  5. Never allow baby to wear amber necklaces unsupervised
  6. Enjoy the benefits that so many natural mamas attest to

How to find real Baltic amber teething necklaces

Do your research when purchasing an amber teething necklace. You want to be sure it’s made of genuine Baltic amber, and also that it’s raw.

Also, look for your amber to be certified by a third party. The necklaces that we sell are certified authentic by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. They’re the gold standard when it comes to certifying the authenticity of jewelry and precious stones.

You also want to be sure your amber teething necklaces are:

  • Raw and unpolished so that the oils can easily escape the necklace and soothe your child’s gums.
  • White, milky yellow, butter-colored, lemon yellow, or green in color. The traditional golden and darker colored beads are most likely cooked to enhance the color, and may be less effective as a result.

Is unpolished or “raw” amber better than polished amber?

We recommend raw, unpolished amber teething necklaces. When amber teething necklaces are polished, the succinic acid can become sealed inside, making it less available to the body.

Raw, unpolished amber is the way nature intended it to be. Raw amber contains the highest levels of succinic acid (up to 8%), which can naturally help quell inflammatory processes in the body.

Not all “raw” amber teething necklaces are truly raw!

Many amber teething necklaces claim to be raw, despite being heat treated in a process called autoclave. This makes the amber easier to work with, but it disqualifies the amber from being truly raw.

How to test your amber to make sure it’s genuine.

There are several tests that will help you confirm you have purchased genuine amber. We recommend these two tests:

  1. The heat test
  2. The saltwater test

1. The heat test

Heat the tip of a needle or nail, and then touch the heated tip to your amber bead. If it is genuine amber, it will give off a pleasant pine or forest smell, along with a slight smokey smell.

Do NOT hold a flame to the amber, as it will burn and not smell like pine.

Amber burns because amber is a resin, and resins burn. The fact that your amber burns does not mean that it is fake.

To summarize, the heat test does not involve setting your amber on fire. It involves heating a tiny portion of a bead and seeing if it smells of pine.

2. The saltwater test

This test involves creating a glass of extremely salty water and seeing if your amber floats.

Add salt to water in a 1:2 ratio. For example, mix 1/2 cup salt into 1 cup of water. Stir well. Drop your amber necklace in. Does it float? Great! It’s genuine amber.

Note that the water has to be extraordinarily salty water. Regular sea water, or slightly salty water, isn’t adequate to perform the test.

Truly Raw Amber Teething Necklaces

How tight should the necklace be?

A good, standard length for an amber teething necklace is 30 centimeters or approximately 12 inches. This fit isn’t too tight to cause discomfort, but also not too long where baby is more inclined to bite, play, or get tangled in it.

Can my baby wear an amber necklace while she sleeps?

No. Remove the amber teething necklace while baby naps and sleeps.

This is probably the most asked question about amber teething necklaces, as parents are unsure if this is something that can be worn at all hours, even while baby sleeps.

For your child’s safety, only allow them to wear an amber teething necklace during waking hours and while supervised.

Could baby choke on an amber teething necklace?

Parents rightfully wonder if amber teething necklaces are a choking hazard, which is understandable given that it’s placed around baby’s neck.

As mentioned above, the necklace length should be at least 12 inches long so it’s not too tight and definitely not too long, both of which can be dangerous. The necklace also shouldn’t be worn while the baby sleeps or if the child is unattended.

Many amber teething necklaces feature breakaway closures (aka “pop clasps”) and double knotted beads to provide additional safety measures against strangulation and choking.

How to care for an amber teething necklace

Wash your necklace every month or so with gentle soap and let dry it in the sun. Your child can bathe with his/her necklace on, too. It’s best to take amber necklaces off before entering a chlorinated pool.

Other benefits of amber

Online sellers of amber point out some long believed benefits, including controlling the pain of:

  • rheumatism
  • arthritis
  • and aching muscles and joints

They also claim amber can act as an anti-anxiety remedy that relieves fatigue and weariness.

Others get a little more woo woo, praising amber for its psychic protection, ability to balance emotions, and release negative energy.

2021 update – Paleopharmaceuticals from Baltic amber might fight drug-resistant infections

Per this article and press conference from the American Chemical Society, scientists recently pinpointed compounds that help explain Baltic amber’s therapeutic effects — and which may lead to new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. This is very encouraging news, as each year in the USA nearly three million people get antibiotic-resistant infections. And it also affirms why people in the Baltic nations have used amber for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years.

Baltic amber folklore

Historians don’t know when, exactly, humans began using amber as a medical tool. However, there’s evidence that people prized amber as far back as the paleolithic period (think cavemen).

With amber’s age somewhere in the tens of millions of years, there’s little surprise that extensive lore exists as to both its metaphysical and medicinal properties. Amber used to be worn to protect the swapping of newborn babies, not to mention preventing snake bites. But from very early on, those who grew up with it believed it to have healing properties.

There’s written mention of amber as a healing agent as far back as 79 AD. Amberpieces.com describes the recommended uses of amber in ingestible and distilled forms in the 17th and 18th century:

[D]octors recommended the use of amber remedies for rheumatic and heart diseases, skin tone and convulsions, neuropathic disorders, ailments of the lungs, kidneys and other internal organs, and for curing ulcers. Another recommendation of amber as a traditional remedy was the use of it against common coughs or stiff-neck pains.

Amber enthusiasts will point to how, in 1886, Nobel-prize winner Robert Koch discovered that a derivative of amber had “a positive influence on the body.” (Technically, he discovered an acid via his own bodily secretions that happens to be in amber, but the story remains true-ish.) The 1930s and 1940s found that the same acid was critical to how the body functioned.

Today, the Baltic region still carries amber products in its pharmacies.

Should you buy an amber teething necklace?

Given all this information, should you consider buying an amber teething necklace for your baby?

Anecdotal evidence of amber’s efficacy as a teething necklace abound in both directions, but the scientific research is sparse.

However, amber teething necklaces may pose a risk if used improperly, or if the child is unsupervised while wearing one.

If you choose to use one of these necklaces, always supervise your child while he or she wears it.

Mama Natural recommends that you look at other natural teething remedies as an alternative to amber teething necklaces.

How about you?

Did your baby wear an amber teething necklace? Let us know if you’ve tried an amber teething necklace and how it worked!

Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a childbirth educator and breastfeeding advocate. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 130,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

Maura Winkler Certified Nurse Midwife square

Reviewed By
Maura Winkler, CNM, IBCLC

Maura Winkler, CNM, CD, IBCLC is a Certified Nurse Midwife, Registered Nurse, Certified Doula, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, wife and mother of three.

44 Comments

  1. I don’t think amber works as a teething necklace fnaf

  2. Thank you, Genevieve Howland, for this thorough and informative article on amber teething necklaces. Your balanced approach, highlighting both the potential benefits and safety considerations, is greatly appreciated. It’s a valuable resource for parents navigating the challenges of teething. Great work!

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  3. I actually saw someone suggest doubling the necklace in half and putting it around baby’s ankle under their footy pajamas while they sleep so that it isn’t a choking hazard. Brilliant! My babe has gotten better sleep ever since. 😀

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  5. Where is the best place to order the raw Baltic Amber necklace for teething?

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  7. “The proponents of amber teething necklaces claim the necklaces relieve teething pain by releasing succinic acid that gets absorbed by the skin and then acts as an analgesic in the body. However, this claim falls flat for several reasons. First, succinic acid is only released from Baltic amber at very high temperatures – close to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit). Your child’s skin will never be this hot and so nothing will be released from the amber. Secondly, there is no evidence succinic acid, even when applied directly to the skin, is absorbed by the body. Finally, there is no evidence that succinic acid (which is already found naturally inside our bodies) relieves pain.”

    https://www.texaschildrens.org/blog/warning-against-teething-necklaces

  8. I find it crazy how a person can’t recognize that this is a hazard! My first thought after putting it on my baby was I need to take it off before she sleeps. It’s the same reason your baby shouldn’t sleep with things in the crib that they don’t choke suffocate or strangle themselves. As a parent you need to be 3 steps ahead at all times to protect your child from injary or death. I read an article where a woman’s child died at day care when her child had a nap with this necklace around the child’s neck. As a mother you need to inform the care givers to remove it before nap time or rather don’t send your child to day care with it on. But as an adult you should know these things parent or not..

  9. No where in this article do I see where to purchase the amber teething necklace. Please let me know

  10. We had one really terrible night where baby was clearly in teething discomfort. She was gnawing away at anything she could get her little gums on. And she had some puffiness on her lower middle gums. After that night we began using amber teething necklaces. And I honestly questioned whether or not she had in fact truly began teething since she had ZERO fussiness! Welp, about 6 weeks later (and still using necklaces) two teethers sprouted out of her gums! Coincidence? I dunno. But, I’m definitely a fan! Important to note that I personally co sleep (nights and contact naps all day). I remove necklace for overnight sleeping and when she is in the care of ANYONE else (church nursery). Other than that, she always has my complete attention and so I’m able to monitor her while wearing her necklace. If anyone isn’t able to be that available, I definitely would say go a different route.

    • Jess, where did you purchase your amber necklace ?

  11. What you are saying is ridiculous. The difference between teething and a wisdom tooth extraction is huge. Would you trim your Bonsai Tree with a chain saw?

  12. I love my baltic amber necklace! It works great and my baby feels calmer and happier when she wears it. I am a responsible parent and I am not afraid to use it. Yes, we could always lock our babies in empty boxes to remove any and all risks in life, but everything is a balance between risk and reward. And it seems to me that in our society today for fear of the 1% risk we throw out the 99% reward. I guess we can always lock our babies in sterile empty boxes for life to guarantee a risk free life. (or would it be risk-free?) I am not playing that game. Living comes with risks, let us be smart about our choices rather than prisoners to fear and policies. I am going to keep using my amber necklace because it works great for me and my baby : ).

    • I agree whole heartedly

    • Please do your due diligence as a parent. There is Scientific proof that your body is not hot enough to release anything from the amber. Therefore debunking any claims that these necklaces do anything other than “look cute” and cause harm and sometime death to kids

  13. These amber necklaces are not proven to work. They pose serious hazards for babies, you can find this information online. There are better ways to deal with teething. I reccomend giving the baby (at 4 months and up) a cold dill pickle to gnaw on and soothe their gums. You can also rinse and reuse them.

    • A cold dill pickle won’t even fit in my baby’s mouth. Nothing has worked so far for my baby accept Tylenol, and we both know I can’t be giving that to my baby around the clock. I’m going to give Amber necklaces a try. Why not? Just as they haven’t been proven to work, they haven’t been disproven. And we already know about the health hazards (they are mentioned in this article in case you didn’t see it).

    • A cold pickle? That comes with its own risks. Babies have gummed off pieces of veggies and fruits and choked on them. That would only be safe under supervision… kinda like supervising your kid while wearing the necklace like your supposed to. Besides, I can’t see pickle juice (all that vinegar) being so great for a 4 mo old who’s only just been introduced to oatmeal. We start with gentle foods for a reason. I also seriously question the safety of rinsing and reusing food for a baby. Sterilize the bottles but rinse a pickle?
      If it works for you, great. But responsible parents can disagree on method and still be responsible.

  14. Can my 2 month old wear this after lip and tongue tie release?

    • Please go watch Dani’s story on TikTok.

  15. I bought one for my First son eight years ago and have used the same necklace on every child since. It is currently on my fifth child, Mac, who is five months old. On my previous children I noticed it made drooling almost nonexistent (drooling is usually caused by inflammation of the gums during teething which the Amber typically handles very well), but Mac drools sooo much. I know when I bought the necklace it said they make great heirlooms and can be used generation after generation, but I’m wondering if the succinic acid can be depleted from the Amber.

  16. Does this amber work for calming down adults? I have some Baltic amber wheels, want to make necklaces for disabled adults.
    How on earth do you get the Chinese herb medicine-ish, smell out. My grandpa was a Chinese herb doctor. Oh, I remember well, the hippie girl aromas.
    Much Aloha.

  17. Hi Genevieve, would you consider making these necklaces for adults? I have one for my baby but I would love to have one for myself!

  18. Just ordered my daughter’s tonight because I hate dosing her with meds n orjeal so so much! Question how long after putting the necklace on should it start working????

  19. My son is 2 months old and just began teething 🙁 is it not safe to use the necklace this early on for any particular reason? I know the post says 4 months, curious why, or if that is when babies typically start teething? Thank you!

  20. I used one for my first born from 4months old till she was 2 and swear by it. Can I use the same necklace for my second born who is now nearly 5 months old or do I have to buy a new one? I live in a country where access to all this stuff is very limited.

  21. Thanks for the info! I used one with my first son (4 years old now) I almost immediately saw a huge difference in the amount of drool he had. He wore it until he was probably 3 and started maybe around 6 months. That being said my 3 month old has started drooling a lot so I was going to start putting the necklace on him in the next month or so. Should I buy a new one? Or is the one I’ve had and used for my first son still effective?

  22. I second this! I’d like to wear a necklace or bracelet – @MamaNatural is there one you recommend for us mamas?

  23. I also bought the necklace you recommended but haven’t tried it yet because I’ve read that spit up can harm the knots tied in the middle of each bead and potentially mess up the beads. And my LO still spits up a lot after every nursing (at 6 months old) but is gaining weight fine so doctors not worried. But how does this effect the necklace use?

  24. Did you read her whole post? The necklace is not to be worn unsupervised, during naps etc so there shouldn’t be any worry of strangulation or choking when used properly. Many people also put them on the baby’s ankle and tuck them under their sock, works the same. It brought more than a tiny bit of relief for my son personally, I’m super into safety and never had any worries when using it as recommended.

  25. My 9th month old is constantly busy and stays pretty distracted from teething pain during the day. However, the pain really bothers her at night and keeps her (and me) from sleeping. If she wears the necklace during the day will the acid that she absorbed throughout the day be able to ease the pain through the night or does it only help while being worn?

    Are amber anklets are safe to wear through the night if worn under socks?

    • For your child’s safety, only allow them to wear an amber teething necklace during waking hours and while supervised. Remove necklace during naps and at bedtime. Never allow baby to wear amber necklaces unsupervised.

  26. How early can I use the teething biscuits on my child — she is now 5 months. Is there any danger of choking on these? Not sure of the age or when I can start this…? Thanks!

  27. My lil man is almost 7 months and has been teething since 5 1/2 months. Always complaining or crying with his temperature out of control. I received my necklace & anklet from mycutiepie.com.au when he was 6 months! It took a day before it kicked in, but once it did, there was hardly any crying and his temperature regulated by itself. I’m honestly so stoked that I bought these!!! I was really reluctant to buy these out of skepticism, but I am going to buy these for every baby I know when their parents complain about teething coz THEY TRULY WORK!!!

  28. My mother in law made my baby a pillow filled with 2 ponds of amber. Is that going to work or the amber has to touch the skin to activate the oils?

  29. Baltic amber necklaces worked wonders for us! We used them in conjunction with homeopathic remedies which were also very helpful. Another option for teething necklaces are those made of hazelwood…they works differently than amber but can be very helpful for when teething is accompanied by those really acidic stools that cause bum rashes. 🙁 We usually had both on…hazelwood wrapped twice around the ankle and an amber necklace around the neck (which you can remove for naps).

  30. My daughter has 6 teeth coming in- all back teeth!?- at 3 1/2 months and I’m ready to try anything! I’ve tried the narural teething gel (didn’t realize it had clive oil in it ?) tethers, frozen washcloths, cold bottle (no help at all from those 3) chamomile tea, chamomile oil, teething cookies….similasan gas and colic tablets bc of their similarity to hylands teething tablet (some relief), ibuprofen/tylenol and traditional teething gel (some relief but very temporary) it’s killing me to see my Willow in this much pain! My son was a bad teether but this is the worst! How can my 3 1/2 month old be getting her molars already?!?! Her Dr had no words of wisdom either, besides “Oh! Wow! Um good luck!” any advice please!

    • Oops typo city lol

      • Did the onions work? Did you try that?! That sounds amazing and scary!

        I’m with you – my 4 month got her first 2 teeth on the bottom and now at 5 months is really going hard for the top ones. It’s miserable all around and I don’t know what to try. I ordered the Amber necklace and am waiting for it to arrive.

    • Try onions! I know that sounds completely odd but I have a 4 month old that started teething about 2 weeks ago (fussiness, crying, screaming at the top of his lungs the whole nine yards) and my mother told me to try an old traditional remedy that she used on my siblings and I while we were teething. At first I simply rejected the idea but after trying a million teething toys and Tylenol, I finally decided to give it a shot a few days ago and it absolutely worked!! My son had not slept well for over 3 weeks and the past few days he’s been catching up on some serious zzZzz!!! Simply cut up a white onion, grab a sliver, rub it against their gums and allow him/her to gnaw on it (they don’t mind the taste! Super weird I know!) I always rinse the outside of my sons mouth afterwards because I can’t stand the smell haha but trust me it works! Give it a shot! And good luck!

  31. Too funny — I bought the exact necklace you recommend just last week. It’s really helped! My 10mo got his first eight teeth without much fuss, but his molars were hurting him.


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