Amber, the natural material, has been treasured for as long as man has desired to decorate himself, which goes way back into prehistory. Real amber is the fossilized resin from coniferous and other trees. Because of its low specific gravity, it floats, and for centuries has been collected on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Deposits of amber are found world-wide and make the areas around them prosperous, because the desire for amber never seems to diminish.
For that reason, amber-colored glass beads are one of any glass bead makers staple products. Because transparent amber is rare, glass beads that are transparent as well as amber colored are popular. The same golden color that enhances any skin tone is available in glass, and the prices are far more reasonable than true amber beads. In addition, while true amber has a sweet smell when heated that glass does not duplicate, the glass beads are more durable and stand up to usage much better than real amber. Real amber is affected by alcohol, ether or chloroform. For this reason, like pearls, amber jewelry should only be put on after any cologne or perfume has been applied and dried. This is also why amber glass beads are popular, as they are quite resistant to chemical effects and will stand up to hard use much better than real amber.
If you like amber, and who doesn’t, and have real amber jewelry, you might consider getting amber glass jewelry as well. The glass jewelry will stand up to daily wear and you can save the real amber jewelry for special occasions. I have a pair of amber earrings my parents gave me, and for several years I wore them daily. The smooth surface gradually became scratched and the amber is therefore not as transparent as it was in the beginning. Because amber is susceptible to chemical and abrasive action, cleaning it is problematic. With glass amber jewelry, the surface is much harder to scratch and the controlling factor in cleaning is the metallic part of the jewelry.
If you are buying amber jewelry, beware of pressed amber, bits of amber heated together and mashed into larger pieces. There is also plastic resin beads and jewelry made to look like real amber. So do a little reading and then talk to whoever is selling you the beads or jewelry. Discount half of what they say unless they can give you a satisfaction guarantee and full refund is you are not satisfied. Then take the material to a jeweler for testing. Or go for the glass beads, which are heavier and cannot be mistaken for real amber by the knowledgeable. Your friends will probably not know the difference, or care. Just make sure you get what you’ve paid for.
Learn about other glass collectibles.