best port to buy amber

[auntshushy]

I am getting conflicting info on which is the best port to purchase amber jewelry(good quality,value). Friends say Tallinn, but I've been reading about Gdansk. I'm cruising on the Constellation in August. any info appreciated. Can you get decent quality pieces for under $200.00?

[sunprincess]

You can get amber in both Tallin & Gdansk. I found Tallin to be a bit more expensive.

Also when you arrive in Gdansk there are vendors lined along the pier selling good quality amber too.

I got several pieces from the ship as well - birthday gifts from friends.

You can get something nice for $200.

 

Enjoy your cruise :)

[mycruz]

I agree, both cities have the better prices. In Gdansk in town there are vendors set up on the street and are willing to bargain for prices. Tallin has several stores and I found some really good deals on amber at a shop on the bottom of the square where the outdoor market was on the right. I also found in Tallin a good antique shop that had some very nice antique jewelry at some great prices.

[Jane110]

Generally speaking, Gdansk was less expensive than Tallinn and I bought alot of amber gifts there for under $30.00.

 

That said, if you're looking for a special piece for yourself, you should buy where you see a piece that you love. You'll be getting fair deals in both places, so don't fret about a few dollars. Buy the piece you love, not the piece that costs less or you'll be sorry once you get home, IMHO.

[CaptainG]

I think the key here is to do your homework. Have in mind what you are looking for and know what you can buy it for here. My sister-in-law was not particularly impressed at any of the ports. Her impression was that she could do just as well here at places like Costco.

 

The great amber deals went with the fall of the iron curtain. With the former communist states now dealing in hard currencies, the price advantages have narrowed.

 

Gordon

[Marilyn08]

On the May 15 Princess cruise, I purchased a number of pieces on board the ship. Exquisite pieces here. There also were very good prices at the pier in Poland. Many tables were displaying amber and the sellers were willing to negotiate. There was a nice selection of all colors of amber. Of course in Gdanst itself there was a overwhemling amount of amber. Very beautiful pieces. It is good to check the ships prices first and then compare. Tallinn was a great city for wool sweaters. Approx $30. American dollars were widely accepted. Brought $300 in new one dollar bills.

[swdke]

I am getting conflicting info on which is the best port to purchase amber jewelry(good quality,value). Friends say Tallinn, but I've been reading about Gdansk. I'm cruising on the Constellation in August. any info appreciated. Can you get decent quality pieces for under $200.00?

 

My aunt bought some in Gdansk.

[sultan_sfo]

Not only street vendors but the stores in the pedestrian street in Gdansk have good amber. Some street vendors are from the stores behind them. I just kept waiting and waiting outside for DW and her friend to get out from those stores or stop bargaining with street vendors. They got a lot of small items as gifts from there. /Sultan

[chrismch]

It is easy to get caught up in the "rush" and fun of buying jewelry at the ports and paying too much. However, as a previous poster mentioned you need to know your prices and know how to tell the real from the faux. I've brought amber from several sources and I know what prices to expect from checking online as well. Many times you can buy better at home "on sale." I usually buy something at home of the type of jewelry that is promoted for the ports prior to my trip that I can show off on the cruise. This way I don't feel pressured to buy something if the prices aren't right. It's still my souvenir even if I bought it in advance.:p

[cruisemom42]

I thought Gdansk (particularly Mariacka street) had the best prices and the most interesting designs. On this street, as someone mentioned, there are vendors set up outside -- with generally inexpensive pieces -- as well as actual stores with some very nicely designed pieces.

 

I wanted to find a bracelet similar to a necklace of amber chips that I already owned, as well as something in green amber. I was able to find both easily in Gdansk, and both were under $200 (although not by much for the large, green amber pendant I ended up falling in love with...) Both were purchased from the shops on Mariacka. I highly recommend these if you're looking for something distinctive.

 

However, as Jane said, if you are in Talinn and fall in love with something, you should get it.

[dbh62ark]

That said, if you're looking for a special piece for yourself, you should buy where you see a piece that you love. You'll be getting fair deals in both places, so don't fret about a few dollars. Buy the piece you love, not the piece that costs less or you'll be sorry once you get home, IMHO.

This would also be my advice. As a disclaimer, I have been on two Baltics cruises but did not get to go to Gdansk, so I can't compare amber in Poland. I bought a beautiful cross that had stones in various colors in Tallinn for approx $60 U.S., and I get a lot of compliments on that piece. I wanted to mention to you that in 2005, Celebrity was selling pieces on board by a very talented artist, and I actually bought my silver chain on board the ship for $75. That sounds high for a silver chain, but the design was unique, and it's just lovely. Then I bought a very nice amber piece in a very unique setting in Copenhagen on the Stroget for about $100 and another silver oxidized chain for $30. I know I overpaid for the piece in Copenhagen, but the silver setting was very unique and unlike anything I saw in the other ports--and I shop HARD--and I love having unique pieces (in my home too!). So it was worth the extra $30 or so to me but may not have been to others. I bought a few other small pieces for family members (you can buy the bracelets that look like beads for around $10-20, etc.), but then when I was at the Atlanta Market Center for work (on a buying trip) in January, I found the wholesale jewelers selling the nice amber pieces for 1/3 to 1/2 of what I paid in the Baltics. The selection was not as vast, but I bought some awesome pieces for me and for some family members. I get a lot of compliments on all of the pieces. Do I regret paying more to purchase in the Baltics? No, because although my pieces that I bought there were more expensive than what I found later, I have the pleasure of remembering my trip when I wear the pieces bought in the Baltics, and the selection in the Baltics cannot be beat.

 

Here's one site where you can preview styles: http://www.souvenirboutique.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1004. We actually shopped in their store while on a Denrus tour in St. Petersburg.

 

I think that since the Amber pieces vary in color and are kind of like art with all the unique settings, you can't really compare apples to oranges and just need to buy a piece that you love that is within your price range.

 

I also bought a miniature ship, approx 2” high, that was made from Amber in Tallinn. I think it was around $70, and I love it. It looks like the sails are bending in the wind. There were a number of miniature animals and all kinds of other Amber pieces, so you might find some mementos other than jewelry.

 

The nicest piece that I saw on board the Constellation in 2005 that was right at $200 was a silver bracelet with a nice Amber chunk. I bought a comparable item for $68 at the Atlanta Market Center. The Amber on board the Constellation was maybe 20-30% higher than what you see in port, but time in port is limited and the Celebrity artist is talented, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy something on board if you see something you like.

 

So yes, you can find very nice pieces for $200. I hope that helps you to decide what works for you.

 

:) Donna