The Fragrant Amber Resin Charm
When Stephanie and I purchased the bookstore in 1975, one of the products we inherited from Larry Leder was a substance called Amber Essence from the Himalayas. It was a fragrant brown resin with a waxy consistency that softened at approximately 106 degrees Fahrenheit. For centuries, amber essence had been associated with uplifting the spirit and was sometimes considered an aphrodisiac. At the time, it was sold in a small carved rosewood box with tiny holes in the lid, allowing its remarkable fragrance to escape. Customers could place the box in a drawer for years even decades and it would continue to retain its distinctive aroma.
When we began participating in the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, amber essence was a natural addition to our offerings because it fit perfectly with the historic Amber Trade Route theme. One of the people who helped us present the product was Lois Long. She worked near our resin incense display, where charcoal burners released the aromas of fragrant resins from around the world.
To introduce customers to amber essence, Lois would rub a small amount onto her wrist. Whenever someone asked about the fragrance, she would simply hold out her arm and invite them to smell it. Several weekends into the season, Lois discovered a brass earring made by jeweler Norman Green, who operated a puzzle-ring booth in Jewelers’ Row. She purchased a single earring, removed the ear wire, filled the small brass compartment with amber essence, attached it to a cord, and began wearing it as a pendant. From then on, when customers asked about the fragrance, she could simply hold out the pendant for them to smell. The idea worked beautifully.
The following season, Norman visited our booth and introduced himself. He explained that Lois had been sending customers to his shop to purchase individual earrings so they could create their own pendants. He suggested selling the brass charms to us wholesale so that we could make and sell the pendants ourselves. I immediately recognized the potential. Soon, I was purchasing the charms in large quantities and reinvesting the proceeds into additional inventory. Before long, the amber resin charm had become one of our most successful products.
The concept was simple: body heat gently warmed the amber essence inside the charm, releasing its fragrance throughout the day. From there, we expanded the line. I blended pure frankincense essential oil into the warm amber to create Frankincense Amber Resin. I also developed Patchouli Amber. Later, we introduced Vanilla Amber, which gave the fragrance a sweeter character while making the resin slightly denser so that it lasted even longer.
When the charms were introduced in 1992, they retailed for $10. Remarkably, they remained at that price for decades before eventually increasing. By the time the Ananda Trader business was sold in 2022, we had sold more than 70,000 amber resin charms. What began as a single brass earring modified by Lois evolved into the most successful and enduring product in the history of the Ananda line.