Amber glass

Description

A pale yellow glass tinted with mixtures of Sulfur and red iron oxide. Red and orange colors were the easiest to make and occurred naturally in early glassware. From the 16th century, the inexpensive amber-color glassware was commonly used for medicine bottles and chemicals in order to prevent deterioration from light. In the US, the New England Glass Company, patented a formula to produce a yellowish amber color glassware. Its successor, the Libbey Glass Company, made a wide range of ornamental colored tableware ranging from golden to reddish. By the early 20th century, amber color glasses became popular in 'Depression era' glassware.

Synonyms and Related Terms

amberina; rose amber; vidrio ámbar (Esp.); vidro âmbar (Port.)

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p.365

• Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/art/amberina-glass. Access August 2020