The Amber shop and museum is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm Sundays and Bank Holidays. Admission is FREE.

01502 723394

When Robin Fournel went traveling, little did he know that he would meet his wife, Astrid in Germany, that led him to call a halt to his travels and settle into a more stable life in Suffolk. The couple bought a jewellery shop in nearby Aldeburgh and after 7 years of hard work, they looked for a second shop in Southwold.

The local area is well known as a popular source for Amber and its colour and beauty began to captivate the new owners of what is now a successful jewellery business. They inherited some Amber stock items in the original shop in Aldeburgh and when they took over the second shop in Southwold, which already specialised in Amber, they decided to focus their entire business on Amber. They are now the largest Amber specialists in the UK.

A sailing ship made entirely from Amber in the museum

Amber comes from the resin left by trees 50 million years ago. A gigantic forest covered much of Northern Europe, containing massive pine trees. When the Ice Age came along, the resin became trapped and under extreme pressure it hardened. As the ice retreated, the Amber was left on the sea bed. The coast line around Norfolk and Suffolk is a good place to find Amber and quite often it is literally tossed onto the beach by the crashing waves!

Antique Chinese carving of Buddha, from around the mid 19th century

The Amber shop in Southwold became the Amber museum in 1997 and it attempts to answer questions such as where Amber is found?, how old are the insects often trapped inside the Amber? and how did they actually get there? You can also see many Amber artifacts, carvings, and jewellery from around the world, including pieces on loan, and the shop gives you the opportunity to take something away with you.

Displays inside the Amber museum

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