Be sure to check out our sister store Amber Laine. You’ll find a selection of 100% natural top-of-the-line amber jewelry which you would expect from our site, but Amber Laine also focuses on a unique line of Fashion Jewelry and Gemstones as well. Whether you’re looking for a turquoise bead necklace, a amethyst ring, or a sterling silver pendant, or a fashion bracelet you’ll find it at Amber Laine. Our eclectic, always updated collection of jewelry is something to see, and our low prices are something to act quick on! Check out 2010 hot jewelry trends, and get a heads up on 2011’s upcoming looks.
Our traditional smaller Russian Shawls are just as popular as our larger ones. Their uses are limited only by your fashion sense, we’ve put together this viedo to give you some tips, and ideas on how you can wear them. If you have any other styles, or any uses of shawls as a piece of home decor, please leave us a comment, we’d be glad to hear from you.
All of our traditional Russian Shawls, both silk and wool, come from the award winning, world famous, Pavlovo Posad Shawl Factory in Russia. This particular shawl is silk, and measures 35″ by 35″. We also have wool shawls in the same size, so be sure to check out of collection of Russian Shawls.
We’ve gotten many questions and comments from customers on suggestions on how to wear some of our Russian Shawls. We thought we’d make some videos on possible looks that you might enjoy. We plan more videos in the future with narration, and tips on how to tie the various knots, if you have any questions, we encourage you to leave a comment!
All of our shawls are Russian Imported, and come from the world famous Pavlovo Posad Shawl Factory, which have been making, (and in our opinion perfected the art of) shawls for over 250 years!
We have both wool shawls, and silk shawls/scarves available, in a variety of colors, sizes, styles, and themes, so be sure to check out our collection of Russian Shawls!
Let’s get started with some Wool Shawls!
Amber has a humble roots - literally! It comes from an organic source: trees! This is why you may have heard the term “organic gemstone” thrown around when discussing amber. (However unlike other things that have an organic label, we’re not going to charge an arm and a leg for it 
) Amber is actually formed from the resin of trees; this resin becomes fossilized over millions of years if the right conditions are met. Most often amber comes from pine trees. In this picture Tim the tree is just relaxing and having a good time …
Ah Amber, it’s in such high demand that often people will try to sell fakes! The nerve of some people. There are even cases of people drilling holes in the fake amber, putting an insect, or in some cases even a frog or a lizard in the replica stone, and then filling it back up, and claiming its a rare piece of amber with a wonderful specimen trapped inside it. It’s not easy to distinguish real amber from fakes, but we have some tests you can preform, and hints to help you along the way.
The first, and most common test to preform is the buoyancy test. This only works on the amber stone, so if it is attached to silver, or any other kind of material, it will not give accurate results. The test is simple enough however – take two tablespoons of salt, dissolve in eight ounces of water, and drop the amber stone in question in the solution, if the “amber” sinks well we’re sorry, but that’s not real amber. Real amber will float
If you’re worried that your “amber” stone may just be a plastic replica, a taste test is a good way to distinguish the two. Gently clean your amber, and give it a quick taste, natural amber should give off no unpleasant or distinct taste, however its plastic imitations will give off the noticeable taste of chemicals.
Amber is a good conductor of static electricity. If you have a piece of velvet rub the amber swiftly and rapidly against it until the amber is warm to the touch. Then place the stone over a tissue lying flat on the surface, the amber stone should attract the tissue – if it is real that is.
There are plenty of ways to test amber out there, but these are some of the ones we feel most comfortable with. Shop with ease at The Russian Store, as we’ve yet to find an imitation among our selection of amber jewelry!
Though it may a little early to be talking about Christmas (unless of course you mean Christmas in July) we recently found some photos from a trip to Ukraine. Our hand blown glass ornaments are always one of our biggest sellers, so we thought you might like to see how they’re made:
First the glass blower has to shape the glass. The rings you see in this photo are to gauge the size of the ornament. Though a lot of these craftsman are so talented that they just eyeball it.
Russian Glass has a long and storied history. Glass factories unearthed by archeologists date back to the 9th century BC and were located in what is now modern day Russia and Ukraine. Russian glass in particular is known for its wide variety and vibrancy of colors. The great glass factories were destroyed and neglected when most of Europe was under Mongol rule, but the 19th century brought with it a new demand for the prestigious Russian glass work. Though the materials have changed, the end result maintains the same amount of beauty as ever. Here are some pictures of Russian Glass factories, and workers, taken on a trip a few years back:
The Fascinating World of Amber
Its allure is obvious, its charm is unmistakable, its appeal is widespread, and its beauty is unmistakable, but still what exactly is amber? Why do people hold it so dear to their hearts, what’s the big deal? Read on, and you’ll find yourself immersed in the story of this natural wonder– be careful though, for just like the insects in our special collection of amber with natural inclusions, you may just find yourself trapped in a world of amber!
How Amber Is Created
So, what separates amber from other precious and semi-precious stones? The answers lies in its organic roots, and when we say roots, we mean it in both the literal and figurative sense. Amber is the product of organic resin from ancient trees. Not to be confused with tree sap, the dense resin emerges from just below the tree bark, and if the right conditions are met, the resin will fossilize, and eventually, after a little time passes (a few million years) the result will be a piece of amber that after being polished, is ripe for adorning a stunning piece of jewelry.
The Origins of Amber as Jewelry
Now before reading that, you may have thought, “I don’t know how it’s formed, but I know it looks pretty.” This would put you in the same boat as some of our earliest civilized ancestors. Some people date the use of amber for decorative purposes back to the bronze ages (roughly 3,000 BC – 1,000 BC.) However it may have been used for jewelry even long before then. Entomologist and museum curator David Grimaldi writes of polished amber beads being found in Southern England that could date back to 11,000 BC! Over 13,000 years, and still in demand; in fact during the Middle Ages the demand was so high for amber prayer beads was so high that anyone without the proper authority would be hanged for collecting amber stones. Luckily for you there are no Teutonic Knights guarding the king’s supply of amber anymore, and whether it’s religious amber jeweler, or just a gorgeous set of earrings, you can get them with ease nowadays (and free shipping on orders over $75! 
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Common Myths
With such a rich history, it’s no wonder that amber jewelry plays such a prominent role in the culture of societies so far separated by geography. When societies moved away from egalitarian hunter-gatherer societies, and onto agricultural based societies, that relied on trade, amber was a highly sought after commodities and made its way around the world. A Chinese legend tells that the honey colored amber stone is the spiritual remains of a tiger, and to wear an amber pendant, or amulet would give someone the strength and courage of a noble beast. Many cultures also believe amber protects children from harm, its luster providing a guide for the power of good to protect them from the evil in the world. Other tales tell of amber being the tears of the gods, Norse mythology tells of Freya the mother of Odin crying tears of amber, and Greek mythology tells the same tale of Phaethon, son of Helios god of the son, being mourned by his sisters, whose tears turned into stones of amber.
Natural Healing Powers
Now, we hope those tales of crying mythological figures didn’t get you too sad, because aside from wearing a beautiful amber ring, or amber bracelet, there is much talk of the healing, and medicinal properties of amber. According to the world of metaphysics, Amber emits a soothing calming light, known to enhance mental clarity. Amber’s organic roots, and close relationship with the earth supposedly draw negative energy, and illness, and anything unnatural from the wearer, thus purifying them, and restoring the natural vitality of life. It has been common practice to wear an amber necklace, especially an amber beaded necklace, to help ease the pain of a sore throat. Not only that, but wearing an amber necklace is said to work wonders on helping children deal with the hardships of teething, this can be attested to by not only tales of folk-lore and legend, but by many smiling children, and happy parents who can now get a good night’s sleep thanks to amber. Amber also carries with it a negative electrical charge, bringing your body back in balance if you’re over stimulated, or restless. Small pieces of amber are occasional used in skin care products for their regenerative and restorative properties. The list could go on and on, seemingly ever culture that has come into contact with amber make claims uses for healing the body and/or mind. From clearing up the respiratory system, to aligning chakras, to helping with thyroid issues, even the most skeptical of curiosities would be peaked after learning of the innumerous claims backing up amber’s healing properties.
Knowing What to Look For When Buying Amber
Chances are however that you’re in the market for a piece of amber for aesthetic purposes, you want a piece of jewelry, and you want a beautiful piece of jewelry. Well you’re in the right place, despite the lore surrounding amber; the main attraction people have with it is its beauty. The incandescent sun glistening through a green amber ring and lighting up all of its natural inclusions is going to make it more appealing than anything else. Or maybe not green, maybe you prefer butterscotch, or cherry red, or citrine, or honey, or cognac, amber jewelry comes in a rainbow of colors! Each piece of amber is truly unique. Many pieces contain natural inclusions, or bits of organic matter caught up in the tree resin before it solidified, and fossilized. These inclusions make the light dance around the amber stone making it shine like no other piece of jewelry you have ever seen.
Just as every person has their own unique personality, characteristics, and charms, so does each piece of amber, and we’re positive we can match you up with your perfect piece of amber. Do you prefer something with more of a natural flair, something to highlight your natural beauty, a look that defies refined standards, and exemplifies the pure spirit of life? Our natural amber bracelets are just the thing showcases the raw beauty of nature, to compliment a casual outfit, or to add a gorgeous contrast to something more formal.
Perhaps you’re looking for a gift with a touch of class, and classical appeal, a piece of jewelry to show that special someone how much you care. Well then, take a look at our amber cameo pendants. Made of beautifully polished Baltic amber; the traditional art of etching an image into amber has been perfected by modern technology. Artists use the amber stone as their canvas for making a beautiful three dimensional work of art. Symbolizing the meeting of two worlds, nature and art, our cameo pendants, and cameo rings are the perfect anniversary gift to show her how she means the world to you.
Every year at the world famous New Mexico Balloon Fiesta, The Russian Store has a booth, one of our best sellers is the Aeolos Hot Air Balloon Nesting Doll. Aeolos is one of the many popular balloons that fill up the New Mexican sky with a rainbow of colors. It’s appropriately named after the Greek God of the Wind (actually perhaps the slavic god of the wind Stribog might be more appropriate for The Russian Store )
How the heck do I get these Nesting Dolls open?
When we receive e-mails or calls on how to open up our Nesting Dolls, we usually direct them to our blog post entitled “How to Open Up Your Nesting Dolls.” However, it’s always better to show, rather than tell (after all, monkey see, monkey do!) So here’s a video on opening up our large, and normal sized Nesting Dolls!
