Kahruba (Amber Resin): Unani Use, Teething Necklaces, Fakes
Kahruba is amber: tree resin that hardened over millions of years, not the whale product ambergris. In Unani it’s an old ingredient in pills like qurs kahruba, and today it’s best known for amber teething necklaces, which can strangle or choke a baby and should never go round a child’s neck.
The short version
- Names: amber (English), kahruba or kehruba (Urdu, Persian, Unani books).
- What it is: fossilised tree resin; Baltic amber from northern Europe is the best known.
- Tradition: Unani calls it qabiz (astringent) and uses it in compounds for bleeding.
- Biggest risk: teething necklaces. The US FDA has reports of deaths and serious injuries.
- Common fakes: plastic, glass, pressed amber chips, and copal (young resin).
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What is kahruba, and how is it different from ambergris?
Pine-like trees bleed sticky resin when they’re cut, and if that resin happens to get buried in the right kind of soil and left alone for millions of years, it slowly hardens. Bury that resin in the right soil for millions of years and it hardens into amber. Baltic amber, found around the Baltic Sea, is the classic jewellery and medicine amber and is far older than any human use of it. Some pieces hold trapped insects, which is why museums love them.
The name confusion is old. Very old. Persian kahruba means “straw-puller”, because rubbed amber builds static and picks up bits of straw. Ambergris (ambar) comes from whales and is a completely different substance. If a product label mixes them up, ask which one it means; you can read our separate guide to ambergris in the same series, Unani & Herbal, Decoded.
Copal is the trap in between. Watch for it. It’s tree resin that’s only thousands of years old, softer, cheaper and often sold as amber.
What do people say, what does tradition say, and what’s our honest take?
The famous claim
Amber necklaces “release succinic acid” through a baby’s skin and ease teething pain. Kahruba beads “stop bleeding” and calm the heart. Online, a necklace on a baby is shown as natural, gentle parenting.
Unani physicians describe kahruba as cold and dry and astringent. It appears in qurs kahruba and other compounds given for bleeding piles, nosebleeds, heavy periods and loose motions, and was worn as a charm. The idea is that its “binding” nature holds things in.
Our honest take
Skip it for babies, always. There’s no good evidence that an amber necklace eases teething, and the strangulation risk is real; a Canadian test of 15 amber teething necklaces found nearly half did not break open at the force used in the safety standard for children’s jewellery. For adults, amber jewellery is a lovely thing to own. The Unani bleeding tradition has no good modern backing, and bleeding needs a diagnosis, not a bead.
Are amber teething necklaces safe?
No. The US Food and Drug Administration has received reports of death and serious injuries, including strangulation and choking, from teething jewellery such as amber necklaces. Canadian doctors have published a case of an infant strangled the first time one was used.
- Strangulation: a necklace can catch on a cot, a chair or a hand, and many don’t snap open.
- Choking: if it does break, small beads end up in a baby’s mouth.
- Night and naps: unsupervised sleep is when most of these accidents happen.
So what actually helps? Simple things: a clean finger rubbed on the gums, or a firm rubber teether that isn’t frozen or liquid-filled, with an adult watching. Our guides on what teething does and doesn’t cause and dangerous teething totkay cover the rest.
Nothing goes round a baby’s neck. Not amber, not a taveez cord, not a pretty string.
Why is good amber expensive?
- Age and supply. True amber is a fixed, natural deposit. You can’t grow more.
- Size and clarity. Large clear pieces, rare colours and pieces with insects inside fetch far more than chips.
- Labour. Raw amber is dug or collected, sorted, cut and polished by hand.
- Origin. Baltic amber carries a name premium; other deposits are often cheaper.
- Grading. Natural amber costs more than “pressed” amber (small chips fused under heat and pressure), which costs more than copal.
What did kahruba cost before, and what should you expect now?
We couldn’t find a dated, checkable price record for kahruba in Pakistani or Indian pansar shops, or a trade statistic we could tie to a fair retail price, so we won’t print a number. What’s clear is the direction: as Baltic amber became a fashion and wellness item worldwide, natural pieces moved well above loose resin and copal in price. Treat this as a guide for October 2026, not a quote.
| Grade | Price signal | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Baltic amber, clear or with inclusions | Highest | Ask for a certificate from a gem lab |
| Natural amber, cloudy, small beads | Mid | Most honest jewellery sits here |
| Pressed or reconstructed amber | Lower | Real amber chips, but should be labelled |
| Copal sold as amber | Low | Younger resin, softer, often tacky with solvent |
| Plastic or glass | Very low | Fake, sinks in salt water |
How can you tell real amber from fake?
- Salt water float: stir salt into a glass of warm water (roughly 1 part salt to 4 parts water by volume) until no more dissolves. Loose amber floats; glass and most plastics sink. Copal floats too, so this only rules things out, and remove any metal clasp first.
- Weight and warmth: amber feels light and warm in the hand. Glass feels cold and heavy.
- Static: rub it on wool for 30 seconds and hold it near a scrap of tissue. Real amber often lifts it, but some plastics do too.
- UV torch: natural amber usually glows blue or greenish under ultraviolet light. Many fakes don’t.
- Lab: for a costly piece, a gem lab gives the only firm answer. Skip the “hot needle” and “acetone” tests at home; they damage the piece and the fumes aren’t worth breathing.
How is kahruba used, and how much?
As jewellery for adults, wear and clean it with a soft, damp cloth; keep perfume and hair spray off it, because they dull the surface. As an incense or in perfume, amber resin is burned in small chips on charcoal, in a ventilated room, away from children and anyone with asthma.
As a Unani compound taken by mouth, such as qurs kahruba, the pack or a qualified practitioner sets the amount. We don’t give one, and bleeding of any kind is a reason to see a doctor first.
What are the risks?
Never put amber necklaces, bracelets or anklets on babies or toddlers, awake or asleep, and don’t use them on older children with special needs either. Bleeding from the back passage, vomiting blood, heavy periods soaking a pad an hour, or a nosebleed lasting over 20 minutes with pressure needs a doctor, not kahruba. Pregnant women, people on blood thinners and anyone with a bleeding disorder should speak to a doctor before any compound sold to “stop bleeding”. Keep loose beads and resin chips away from small children; if one may have been swallowed or inhaled, or a child is coughing, gagging or struggling to breathe, get emergency help.
Kahruba and amber questions people ask
Kahruba kya hai?
Kahruba is amber, fossilised tree resin that has hardened over millions of years. Unani uses it as an astringent ingredient, and it’s also popular as jewellery.
Are amber teething necklaces safe for babies?
No. The US FDA has reports of deaths and serious injuries from strangulation and choking, and there’s no good evidence they ease teething pain. Use a firm rubber teether with supervision instead.
Is kahruba the same as ambergris?
No. Kahruba is plant resin turned fossil. Ambergris (ambar) forms in sperm whales. The similar names cause a lot of mislabelling.
What is the kahroba stone?
It’s not a mineral stone but amber, a fossil resin that’s soft enough to scratch with a steel pin. Sellers call it a stone because it’s used like a gem.
How do I check if amber is real at home?
A saturated salt water float rules out glass and most plastics, and a UV torch often makes real amber glow. Neither separates amber from copal; only a lab can do that for an expensive piece.
What is qurs kehruba used for?
In Unani tradition it’s given for bleeding, such as bleeding piles or heavy periods. Bleeding needs a medical check first, and the amount of any compound is set by the pack or a qualified practitioner.
Does amber release succinic acid into the skin?
Amber does contain succinic acid, but there’s no good evidence that wearing it releases a useful amount through skin at body temperature. The claim is marketing, not proof.
Why is Baltic amber so expensive?
It’s a limited natural deposit, it’s hand-sorted and polished, and big clear pieces are rare. A well-known origin name also adds a premium.
Can adults wear amber jewellery safely?
Yes, as jewellery. Just don’t sleep in long necklaces, and keep it away from children who could chew or swallow beads.