Assala Hayder and Amato Allah El Gharbi
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Tunisian amber is one of the most precious and rare natural materials found in Tunisia. It originates from the southern regions of the country, where traditional craftsmanship thrives and the secrets of perfumes and natural substances are passed down through generations. This amber is distinguished by its three natural colors black, red, and green each carrying a unique character and special qualities that reflect the environment it comes from and its deep cultural heritage. What truly gives Tunisian amber its exceptional value is its natural, rich fragrance, which requires no chemical or industrial enhancement to reveal its elegance. It has a deep, warm, and mysterious aroma that lasts long and stirs the senses with an authentic, heritage-inspired spirit. This makes it a key ingredient in fine oriental perfumes and a source of inspiration for artisans who incorporate it into creations that blend beauty and scent.
Tunisian amber is not merely a fragrant substance it is a cultural legacy rooted in the identity of the southern people. It is used in special rituals, offered as symbolic gifts, and crafted into artistic pieces and jewelry that express authenticity and uniqueness. Today, it has gained global recognition in the world of perfumery and fine artisanal industries, valued for its rarity and the richness of its aroma.
We have realised that new generation do not have any interest on the cultural heritage. The amber accessories as a rare and specific cultural element has been started to disappear from the daily life in Tunusia. We see that as a problem and the new generation uses different materials to the same when there is locally produced amber which is environmentally good and authentic to the Tunusian culture.
First, we have gone to Tunis, the capital as the material with quality is produced mainly in that region. Our team member mother ( Assala’s mother ), is a craftwoman, so we have learnt from her how to do amber accessories. We tried to make new designs with the same methodology of production and we did original trendy accessories and it started to become more and more innovative. Then we did social media page to promote the jewellery as amber accessories. We have done workshops with the people with disabilities and elderly in care causes of these target groups. In the next, we did other workshops with the young people in “Green Hive” which was as well a part of Give a Chance Programme.
We have participated in exhibition in University of Sousse in Chatt Mariem as a group to present our products to the other people and we have sold some products which created income for the sustainability of the project. We had a difficulty to reach out the materials in the initial phase, but we have tried to find not really expensive or not really cheap but it was hard to find. In addition to that, we had troubles to make different shapes for the people. We had as well pedagogical difficulties to work with the people with disabilities and it was hard to reach out to them during the initial phase. But we have learnt by time how to work with these groups and overcome this challenges throughout the project period.
