as i understand it, european amber was not so very scarce or valuable until rather recently when the largest opaque yellow beads became most highly valued.

indeed i was told by gemmologosts in UK that up to about the last turn of the century the opaque was often clarified by heating in oil to make it look more like liquid honey, and adding to its desirability. in the Baltic amber industry.
in Victorian times that clear golden amber was popular.

the pattern of yours is in similar taste to this one, and also appears to have a plastic screw fastener.
this style is typical of the collar necklaces of the 60s-80s. and would not have cost very much.

today we are still waiting for the transparent clarified amber to catch up again with the opaque in value-