Group of beads

This group of amber beads was found in a 14-15th century rubbish dump during excavations on the site of Baynard's Castle in the City of London in 1972. They were found with other amber fragments, jet and box wood beads and one fragment of coral. Some are partially worked.

Baltic amber was a precious and highly valued commodity in medieval times. In the late 1400s the major centre for amber bead manufacture was Bruges. Over 400 craftsmen were employed in workshops there, and in 1496 the English Merchant Adventurers established permanent facilities at Antwerp, boosting trade to London from this region. Amber varies in colour from orange, through yellow, to off-white and was one of the most popular semi-precious minerals to be used in bead production. Beads were used for rosaries or on the elaborate trimmings of clothing.