Plated Amberina: Rare New England Art Glass
Plated Amberina is one of the rarest and most valuable forms of American art glass, produced briefly by the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1886. It consists of a heat-sensitive amberina layer (shading from amber to ruby red) plated over (cased with) a creamy white or opalescent lining, creating a striking visual effect where the warm colors glow against the pale interior. Production was extremely limited -- likely only a few hundred pieces were made during a production run of just months -- making genuine Plated Amberina among the most sought-after of all American art glass types.
Identification & Characteristics
- Construction: Two layers of glass -- an outer layer of gold-ruby amberina over an inner layer of opaque white or cream opaline
- Color shading: The outer layer shades from deep ruby/fuchsia at the top to golden amber at the base, characteristic of amberina glass
- Ribbing: Most pieces have a distinctive vertical ribbing pattern molded into the glass
- Weight: Plated Amberina is noticeably heavier than single-layer amberina due to the double-wall construction
- No marks: Pieces are never marked; identification relies entirely on visual characteristics and construction
- Interior: The white/cream lining is visible when looking inside the piece
Types & Forms
- Tumblers: The most commonly found form, though still quite rare
- Pitchers: Water pitchers with applied amber handles
- Vases: Various forms including lily vases and trumpet vases
- Cruets: With amber stoppers and applied handles
- Punch cups: Small cups with applied handles
- Syrups: Lidded syrup pitchers; among the rarest forms
- Salt and pepper shakers: Extremely rare
Auction Price Ranges
| Item | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumbler | $1,500 | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| Punch cup | $2,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Vase (small) | $3,000 | $8,000 | $15,000 |
| Pitcher | $5,000 | $15,000 | $30,000+ |
| Cruet (with stopper) | $5,000 | $12,000 | $25,000 |
| Syrup pitcher | $8,000 | $20,000 | $40,000+ |
| Rare form | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000+ |
Condition Factors
- Any chip, crack, or repair dramatically reduces value on pieces in this price range
- The inner white lining must be intact and free of staining or deterioration
- Color intensity matters: strong ruby-to-amber shading is preferred over weak, washed-out color
- Applied handles must be original and firmly attached; reattached handles are detectable and reduce value
- Ribbing should be crisp and well-defined; poor mold definition indicates possible reproduction
- Original stoppers on cruets are essential; replaced stoppers reduce value by 30-50%
Collecting Tips
- Plated Amberina is strictly for advanced collectors with significant budgets; every genuine piece is rare
- Learn to distinguish Plated Amberina from regular amberina (single-layer, no white lining) and from Wheeling Peachblow (shades from red to yellow but has no ribbing and different construction)
- Reproductions and "in the style of" pieces exist; the double-layer construction is the definitive test -- look inside the piece for the white lining
- Due to the extremely short production period and limited output, provenance and exhibition history significantly affect value
- Major collections have been documented in museum catalogs and reference books; pieces with published histories bring premiums
- Handle Plated Amberina with extreme care; its rarity makes every piece essentially irreplaceable