A chilly, light rain falls as we join the throngs of people huddled under colorful umbrellas on the crowded cobblestone streets of Gdansk. We meander past store after store, which all look the same. Each shop claims to have the “Best Amber in Poland,” or the “Most Unique Pieces.” With countless options, I walk into the first store on the block and encounter wearable pieces of art like I have never seen before.

A bus had transported my family and I from our cruise ship in the port city of Gdynia, Poland, to the small city of Gdansk, which is one hour’s drive inland. As we drove past Polish towns with run-down, gray buildings, reservations had slowly filled my head.

Crowds of people walk the Gdansk waterfront in search of the perfect memento.

It wasn’t until we reached our destination in Gdansk that a different vision of Eastern Europe began to emerge. The Gothic-style buildings, vibrant with color, and the castle-like towers and archways gave the city a fairy-tale essence.

Located at the mouth of the Vistula River, on the Baltic Sea, the city of Gdansk is the capital of Poland’s Pomorze province. Dating back to the first century, the city’s ancient architecture is reminiscent of times past. Home to nearly 500,000 residents, Gdansk is a far cry from the gloomy stereotype of Eastern Europe.

Now, as my mother and I peruse the shops, my excitement rises as I ogle the mass assortment of amber jewelry displayed on wooden carts and in shop windows in every direction. I feel like a child in a candy store, not knowing where to begin. Rows of earrings overwhelm the senses, while bracelets line the shelves beside a glass case full of necklaces and unique brooches.

The smoothness of one gem contrasts with the rough, uncut stone just beside it. While one pendant shows off its deep yellow color, another one displays a bright green hue.

Aside from countless styles of jewelry, these “amber galleries” have everything from artsy picture frames to flatware, all donning the always-different stone. The prices of these pieces range from a few U.S. dollars to a couple thousand, the price tag most often reflecting the uniqueness.

While amber’s best-known color is a deep gold-brown, it varies from misty yellow to bright orange to speckled green. Amber is the fossilized plant resin of ancient trees, which commonly range from 30 to 90 million years old. The Baltic nations (including Poland) are well-known for amber, which is found along the coastline in quartz sand or in shallow water, as well as in inland clay deposits.