Amberina: American Art Glass Shading Amber to Ruby

What Is Amberina?

Amberina is a distinctive American art glass that shades from amber at the base to deep ruby red at the top, created by reheating a gold-ruby glass formula so that the portions exposed to additional heat strike to red. Patented by Joseph Locke for the New England Glass Company on July 24, 1883, Amberina became one of the most commercially successful art glass lines of the Victorian era.

The original New England Glass Company production (1883-1888) represents the premier tier for collectors. However, Amberina was also produced by Hobbs, Brockunier & Co. (who called it "Rose Amber" until a lawsuit forced a name change), Mount Washington Glass Company, and later by Libbey Glass. Fenton Art Glass and other 20th-century makers produced revival versions.

Identifying Amberina

Color and Technique

• Classic shading runs from amber at the base to ruby at the top (heat rises, so tops were reheated)
• Reverse Amberina has the red at the base and amber at the top; these are rarer and more valuable
• Color quality varies; the best examples show smooth, gradual transitions
• The red color comes from colloidal gold in the glass formula, activated by reheating

Forms and Decoration

• Blown pieces - Vases, pitchers, tumblers, cruets, and decanters
• Pressed pieces - Produced primarily by Hobbs, Brockunier in the "Daisy and Button" and other patterns
• Mold-blown patterns - Diamond Quilted, Inverted Thumbprint, Swirl, and Venetian Diamond
• Applied decoration - Handles, feet, and rigaree (applied glass threading) in amber

Makers and Marks

• New England Glass Co. - Unmarked; identified by form, quality, and color
• Hobbs, Brockunier - Originally "Rose Amber"; some pressed pieces carry pattern identification
• Libbey - Later production, sometimes signed; quality varies
• Fenton - 20th-century revival; marked with Fenton logo after 1970

Auction Prices and Market Values

Reverse Amberina consistently commands premiums of 3-5x over standard orientation. Pieces with applied decoration (handles, rigaree) bring more than plain forms.

Condition Factors That Affect Value

• Color intensity is the primary value driver; vivid ruby-to-amber shading outperforms weak or uneven color
• Chips and cracks reduce value by 40-60%; art glass collectors expect near-perfect condition
• Ground or polished pontils are normal on period pieces and do not reduce value
• Stoppers on cruets and decanters must be original; replacement stoppers reduce value significantly
• Applied handles and feet should be intact; missing or repaired applied elements are major condition issues

Collecting Tips

Entry Points

Pressed Amberina in patterns like Daisy and Button offers an affordable entry at $50-$200. Blown tumblers from later production periods are also accessible at $75-$250.

Building a Collection

• By form - Assembling a range of shapes (tumbler, pitcher, cruet, vase) demonstrates the glass's versatility
• By pattern - Diamond Quilted, Inverted Thumbprint, and Swirl patterns each have dedicated followings
• Reverse Amberina - The premium subcategory for advanced collectors
• Maker comparison - New England Glass Co. versus Hobbs, Brockunier pieces show different approaches to the same formula

Authentication

• Period Amberina has a specific weight and feel that differs from modern reproductions
• Fenton reproductions are generally well-marked but occasionally lose their labels
• The gold content in genuine period Amberina creates a different quality of red than selenium-based modern reds
• Study museum examples at the Corning Museum of Glass and Toledo Museum of Art