Clear Amber

Clear or transparent amber takes a high polish and is in great demand for making faceted beads. Since the era of the amber guilds of the Middle Ages, amber beads - as meticulously as any other transparent semi-precious gem - were produced in great quantities by skilled craftsmen. During the 1920s, when amber was second only to diamonds in the United States gem imports, much of the clear amber imported was in the form of faceted beads, and these can still be found in antique shops. The USA importers tended to favor clear, golden varieties, and this is the hue most often thought of when speaking of amber.

The clear or partially clear shelly amber is rarely cloudy throughout and seldom contains cloudy layers as does massive amber. Transparent specimens range in hue from almost colorless to dark reddish yellow. The "water-clear" amber is very rare. Most frequent are "yellow-clear" colors.

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