That jewelry store owner was nuts! Whenever I need advice or jewelry cleaning i go to antique/consignment store in my town .. The owner is an accredited gemologist and he's also passionate about antique jewelry. The value of amber beads fluctuates and does depend on condition and quality... But a strand of good amber beads can be very valuable . You just went to someone who didn't know what the heck he was asking about. ( An insect inside an amber piece or bead can be rare and valuable but there are so many fakes on the market it takes a specialist to analyze anything like this.)