Table of Contents
How can you tell if jewelry is Bakelite?
The first quick thing to look for: Bakelite will never have mold or form markings on it. If you feel a line running around the center of a bangle, it is not Bakelite. Another way of identifying Bakelite is with Simichrome polish which is a pink polish made for cleaning metals.
How do you test Bakelite with baking soda?
The Baking Soda Test – Dip a cotton swab into baking soda and rub it into a test spot on the item. Ex. a bracelet on the inside, brooch on the back etc. If the cotton swab turns a yellow tone you have a positive test.
How can you tell the difference between Bakelite and celluloid?
Bakelite is a sturdy material and is heavier than Celluloid. Bakelite is denser and heavier than Celluloid. Hold two pieces of jewelry in your hands and compare the weight.
Is Bakelite jewelry worth anything?
Value of Bakelite Jewelry Pieces. No matter what type of piece you have, genuine Bakelite jewelry is worth money. Many simple necklaces and bracelets sell for $100 or less, but more elaborate designs with multiple colors or intricate carving can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
What color is Bakelite?
Bakelite in solid colors is the most recognizable type even without employing testing measures. The most readily found colors are yellow, ranging from butter yellow to dark butterscotch, followed by various shades of green.
How can you tell real Bakelite from Amber?
Amber is lightweight, warm to the touch and sometimes has inclusions like insects, leaves and maybe even air and water bubbles. Amber is fossilized sap from extinct pine trees. It actually feels more like plastic or Lucite than rock or glass. Bakelite is very heavy.
How can you tell if jewelry is lucite?
If you put it under hot water, rub it vigorously or poke a hot pin into it it will have no smell. Catalin, bakelite and celluloid have chemical smells and casein smells like burnt milk. If it’s transparent or transparent with objects embedded in it (plastic pieces, flowers, coins, etc) it’s lucite.
Why did they stop using Bakelite?
Bakelite applications in conservation were discontinued in the 1940s because of certain disadvantages that soon became apparent. The lack of records and relevant information precludes any assumption on the extent of its use and in which institutions.
How do you identify Bakelite buttons?
One way to identify a bakelite button is to run hot water over it and then smell it. It should have the smell of formaldehyde. Some say they smell like cod liver oil or have a sweet chemical smell. Another way is to put a bit of Simichrome metal polish or 409 All-Purpose Cleaner on a Q-tip and rub it on the button.
How can you tell the difference between Bakelite and Catalin?
Bakelite is opaque, while catalin is often translucent (can often see this at the edges of an item). If the item is brightly colored jewelry or similar items, it is more than probably catalin.
Does Bakelite come in red?
Bakelite comes in deep rich colours, from mustard, caramel, reds, oranges and greens, through to tortoiseshell, burgundy and black. Transparent and marbled colours are also common, and “end of day” pieces were made from a mixture of colours mixed together at the end of the day and these can be particularly collectable.
How do you clean Bakelite jewelry?
Over a period of time, Bakelite, like all other materials, accumulates dust and dirt which takes away from its appeal. To clean it, rub the Bakelite using a dry cleaning cloth. To remove the dirt that has collected within the cracks and the grooves, scrub it using a soft bristled toothbrush.
What is the rarest color of Bakelite?
Bakelite comes in a variety of colours: black, red, yellow, green, butterscotch, apple juice, orange, etc. The rarest Bakelite colours are purple and blue.
How do you stop Bakelite from smelling?
Apply a small amount of liquid metal polish onto a second clean cloth. Wipe the bakelite down, using the cloth to apply the polish with a scrubbing motion. The metal polish will be slightly abrasive, lending a hand in the cleaning process of stuck on residue. Allow the polish to sit and dry to a film.
What is the difference between Bakelite and Lucite?
Bakelite jewelry develops a surface patina over time. Lucite, an acrylic resin, was first marketed by DuPont in 1937, and it began to appear in costume jewelry around 1940. As with Bakelite, Lucite is a thermoset plastic, but it was much cheaper to produce. Lucite could be molded, cast, laminated, inlaid, and carved.
Is Bakelite jewelry still made?
Yes, there are imitations of Bakelite. Cheaper and lighter plastics are often used today and are called Bakelite to try and capitalize on its popularity. It’s not rare, especially online, for people to try and sell newly made, cheap fakes as old and classic jewelry pieces.
When was Bakelite jewelry made?
Bakelite was invented in the early 1900s by Dr. Leo Baekeland and his team of chemists. Although some pieces in muted colors without carving were made earlier, jewelry cleverly crafted from phenolic plastics became really popular in the 1930s.
When did they stop making Bakelite jewelry?
Many companies stopped using Bakelite in the early 1940s as the need for World War II related products took hold. By the end of the War, new technologies in the world of plastics had made Bakelite obsolete. The height of Bakelite jewelry was the late 1930s, up until the end of the Art Deco period.
How do you test Bakelite beads?
To use, dampen a cotton swab with 409 and rub it gently on the inside of the item being tested. If it is Bakelite, the swab will turn yellow. If a piece is lacquered, it may test negative with 409. Black Bakelite pieces often fail this test as well.
How do you test if something is amber?
Hot Needle Test Simply take a hot needle and press it gently against the amber stone. Baltic amber is usually quite fragile. If you were to insert the needle into a plastic stone, then melting would occur. If you have a real amber stone in your presence, then the needle will show signs of cracking the object.
How do you test amber with a blacklight?
UV or Black Light Test: In a dark space, shine a UV black light on the samples in question, and if it is authentic amber it will fluoresce a bright blue or yellow green.
