⚠️This fact has been debunked
No scientific evidence supports therapeutic claims about amber necklaces. Multiple peer-reviewed studies (2019-2023) found no release of succinic acid from amber beads at body temperature, and succinic acid itself shows no anti-inflammatory properties. Major health organizations (AAP, FDA, Health Canada) warn against their use due to strangulation and choking hazards.
Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
The Dangerous Myth of Healing Amber Necklaces
Walk into certain wellness shops and you'll find amber necklaces marketed as natural remedies for everything from teething pain to cold prevention. Retailers claim these fossilized tree resin beads release succinic acid into the skin, providing anti-inflammatory benefits. It's a compelling story—ancient natural medicine meeting modern wellness. There's just one problem: none of it is true.
Scientists have put amber necklaces to the test, and the results are clear. When researchers submerged whole amber beads in solutions mimicking skin conditions, they found zero measurable succinic acid release—unless the beads shattered into fragments. Your body temperature simply isn't hot enough. Succinic acid only escapes from Baltic amber at temperatures near 200°C (392°F), which would mean your skin is, well, on fire.
The Science Doesn't Add Up
Even if succinic acid could somehow leach from the beads, it wouldn't help. Laboratory studies treated cells directly with succinic acid and found no reduction in inflammatory markers. At high concentrations, the substance actually showed toxicity. The entire proposed mechanism—from release to absorption to therapeutic effect—fails at every step.
Major health organizations have spoken. The American Academy of Pediatrics, FDA, and Health Canada all warn against amber necklaces, particularly for children. Their concerns aren't hypothetical: children have died from strangulation by these necklaces, and others have choked on broken beads.
When Safety Features Fail
Retailers often claim their necklaces have breakaway clasps designed to open under pressure. Researchers tested this promise and found that 8 out of 10 necklaces failed to open at 1.6 pounds of force—well below what's needed for safety. Some required over 15 pounds of force to break, more than enough to strangle a child.
The FDA issued an official warning in December 2018 after receiving reports of choking incidents and the strangulation death of an 18-month-old during a nap. Suffocation ranks as the leading cause of death for infants and among the top five for children ages 1-4.
Why the Myth Persists
Amber's use in folk medicine stretches back centuries across Baltic and European cultures. That historical pedigree gives the practice an air of ancient wisdom. Combined with modern wellness marketing and desperate parents seeking natural remedies, you get a persistent myth that refuses to die—despite mountains of evidence against it.
The bottom line: Amber necklaces can't cure your cold, ease inflammation, or provide any measurable health benefit. They can, however, pose serious choking and strangulation risks. Sometimes the old ways aren't the best ways—they're just old.