Bakelite Jewelry

Want to know how to find a real gem of bakelite? Many people are not familiar with jewelry in Bakelite, and can not be a term that you have met before.

In a nutshell, Bakelite jewelry is made of a lightweight plastic material, and was created in 1900, and became very popular in 1930. E 'became very popular around the time of the Depression, when the financial situation of many Americans has meant that women were looking for accessories that would buy cheap clothes for their clothes. Bakelite jewelry fitted the bill, especially since it was available in a variety of colors. Many pieces of Bakelite jewelry were designed to mimic the coral, ivory, amber and tortoiseshell, which would have been much more expensive to buy. If women buy these pieces of jewelry that could easily seem like wearing jewelry that was much more expensive and sophisticated than it actually was.

Besides being a favorite of the poor, Bakelite jewelry also appealed to those who have more money. The most intricate, detailed pieces of heavy bakelite jewelry are designed with the rich in mind. They sold in department stores for a considerable amount of money, as few were produced. These types of jewelry are now highly sought after by collectors of Bakelite jewelry.

Bakelite jewelry is made of plastic, and refers to a form of jewelry that is deeply carved, and may include information in the form of dots and multiple colors that are layered. These details are highly sought after by collectors of Bakelite jewelry. Common colors are green pea and caramel. They also tend to be cheaper to buy the colors, as most of them are produced. Bangles seem to be the most popular types of jewelry, but brooches, rings and necklaces are items that are becoming more popular among collectors.

How to tell if a piece of jewelry is a true piece of Bakelite jewelry

There are several ways to tell if a piece of jewelry really is bakelite or not. These usually include evidence of touch, hearing, smell and general appearance of the jewelry for small claims.

Watch

Fake pieces often have a chalky appearance along the ridges of carving. This has the appearance of dust, but can not be removed. Not a good idea to scrub the chalkiness, as this will probably damage the jewelry.

Authentic Bakelite jewelry is likely that some signs of wear indicating that it is not a new piece of jewelry. You may need a magnifying glass to search for small scratches and chips that are usually present on authentic pieces of Bakelite jewelry. E 'unusual for a real piece of Bakelite be completely free of scratches or chips, since that date back to 1930 or earlier.

Another good test is to rub the jewelry with enamel jewelry Simichrome. It is not abrasive, so it is often used to clean various types of materials. If a small amount of enamel is rubbed on the back or the inside of a real bakelite jewelry, cloth usually turn yellow. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If the piece is bakelite lacquer, not pass this test. Similarly, if the jewelry is made of black bakelite, will also fail the test. The test can be done using the Formula 409, but if it bakelite or black lacquered, does not pass the test with this either. If the gem does not pass this particular test, it is worthwhile to conduct some of the other evidence, is not necessarily as a false only because it has passed this particular test.

Feel

Bakelite jewelry tends to feel heavier than many other types of jewelry. If you hold two pieces of jewelry in the opposite hand (which is a piece of Bakelite, and a piece that is not), there should be a difference in weight of each piece. If not, the Bakelite is unlikely to be true.

Sound

Authentic Bakelite jewelry that is used together will give a clunking sound. This happens most often when you are wearing a wristband at the same time, and then of course will jangle together as you move. If yours did not make this sound, there's a good chance that at least one of the pieces is false. However, it is not necessarily as simple as this, as the sound that is produced will depend on how dense the material is Bakelite. Therefore, it is not the most reliable test of authenticity.

Smell

A good way to test the odor is to rub the piece of jewelry gently until it begins to heat up. At this point, the jewelry should smell of chemicals (formaldehyde to be precise). The chemical smell is the result of carbolic acid in bakelite. Alternatively, you can run the jewels in the hot water tap for a short period of time. This should produce the same smell. If the gem does not have a chemical smell, it's probably not a real jewel of bakelite. This test is particularly useful when trying to test bakelite bracelets. The strength of the scent will be different depending on the type of Bakelite jewelry that is made - some types will produce a very strong odor, while others emit a faint odor that is difficult to collect.

The hot pin test

If you touch a hot pole (the one who had been in close contact with an open flame) for Bakelite, should be immediately apparent whether the item is bakelite or not true. An authentic piece of Bakelite will not be permeated by the pin. Instead, simply leave a burn mark. For this reason, you should perform the test on the inside of the bakelite, where the burn will not be evident. The security rules for obvious here - as the hot must have been placed in a very hot open flame, you should do this using a set of pliers or other tool that you may not have to risk your fingers being burned by the flame .

French Bakelite

Contrary to its name, is not actually French bakelite bakelite. It has no chemical bonding of Bakelite, so that will almost certainly fail the test of authenticity. Just like France, was also produced in Germany. It stopped being produced after the start of World War II.

Bakelite jewelry can be purchased at some flea markets, some people could pay to have a look around during your next visit. The plastic jewels that you probably overlooked until now could be true jewel of Bakelite, which means that you might have a rare piece of jewelry and profitable in your hands!
credit:articlet