Axel Kramer knows exactly where to find amber.

He walks down the boardwalk of the village of Dahme on the German Baltic coast , checks the wind and the surf, looks at the different kinds of mussels and algae that washed up, and points to a small bulge on the beach.

A dozen people who followed his every move eagerly jump down to the waterline, then pull up seagrass and kelp . One of them triumphantly holds up a little piece of shiny, honey-colored amber.

"Unbelievable. I'm 57 now and grew up on the Baltic Sea, and I've never found it before," Frank Philipp said. "I'm really excited about it. Now I'm digging around more and I'm hooked."

Ancient pursuit

Kramer, a 66-year-old nature guide, has been collecting amber since he was 6 years old. At some point he realized that he has talent

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