Featured confusing old pastic bead necklace

hey guys, 2 little items i couldnt pass for a £1 and £1.50

plastic looked too old, and pink one looked too damn purrrty

i saw the seams straight away on the plastic one, so presumed defo not bakelite

but it smells without rubbing, and stinks after, i mean like prroooooorrrrrrr

failed simi test quite impressively

has fingerprint like marks on surface of each depression of bead

the pink one looks to be plated, glass stones ?

any help at all appreciated

 

The necklace is an early plastic (I know...), faux amber. Really nice beads and nicely made. Maybe 1920s-30s. I like the fingerprints, it almost looks like pressed amber that way. But if the smell isn't good, it isn't amber. Amber smells like tree resin when you heat it, often like pine.
Try the UV test anyway, you never know.
I have sold a few old faux amber necklaces, and there were always several bidders.

 

awesome, thanks aj

i bet those meddling ladies at the back of charity shops tested it for bakelite, failed the test, then thought it was worthless so put it out for a pound

it smells plasticy to me, but not a bakelite smell

so will give it a uv blast to see

i like the fingerprints as well, like its been pinched into shape

mucho gracias

 

I doubt the old biddies had a clue on Bakelite.

Bracelet is tennis in style and pretty . Might be CZ.

 

Perhaps this info may be helpful


Celluloid is one of the earliest man made plastics that was widely used in making plastic jewelry. Jewelry made of celluloid dates roughly from 1900-1930. Celluloid has certain characteristics which differentiate it from other plastics. In general, pieces made from celluloid tend to be thin, light, somewhat brittle, sensitive to heat (they crack and craze), and early celluloid can be extremely flammable (do not ever test with a hot pin!). Celluloid is flexible. It can be bent, twisted, and molded. When placed briefly in hot water, early celluloid smells like camphor, while later cellulose acetate smells like vinegar. Celluloid jewelry should be stored carefully. Extremes of temperature, moisture, exposure to cosmetics or perfume, or lack of adequate ventilation can cause a celluloid piece to become "sick" and begin to discolor, crack, or even disintegrate. A "sick" piece is contagious, and should be placed in quarantine away from other pieces. Bakelite Bakelite was developed by Dr. Leo H. Baekeland, and it was patented in 1909. It was the first thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin. Other companies produced similar phenolics, calling their products Catalin, Prystal, Marblette, and Durez, but since it is almost impossible to identify pieces by their manufacturers, phenolics in general are commonly referred to as Bakelite. A very wide range of items were produced from Bakelite, including billiard balls, telephones, radios, kitchen utensils, poker chips, and of course, jewelry. Bakelite's unique characteristic is that once it has been heated and formed, it can not be melted down and re-formed. It can be cast, laminated, inlaid, carved, and tinted almost any color of the rainbow. Bakelite colors, however, do change with age. Most pieces which collectors identify as Apple juice yellow were originally colorless, and white Bakelite mellows to a creamy ivory color. Bakelite can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Bakelite tends to be heavy. When two pieces are tapped together they make a distinctive deep "clack", as opposed to the high pitched "click" of later plastics. Bakelite pieces develop a surface patina over time. Their surface color tends to darken, and very fine pits and scratches are produced with wear. A nice patina enhances the value of a piece. When placed briefly in hot water, most but not all Bakelite has a unique unforgettable carbolic acid smell. Bakelite should be stored carefully, although it is not as fragile as celluloid. Lucite Lucite, an acrylic resin, was first marketed by DuPont in 1937. Lucite began to appear in costume jewelry around 1940. Like Bakelite, it is a thermoset plastic, but it was much cheaper to produce. Lucite could be molded, cast, laminated, inlaid, and carved. Although in its original state it is clear and colorless, it could be tinted any color of the rainbow, from transparent to opaque. Lucite continues to be used in jewelry manufacture, but it reached its height of popularity in the 1940s-1950s. Common post-war pieces of interest to collectors include clear Lucite imbedded with glitter, seashells, rhinestones, or flowers. When placed briefly in hot water, Lucite is odorless. Older Lucite can develop cracks from age or exposure to heat. HOT WATER Provided that the piece does not incorporate string, wood, hand painted decoration, or other non-plastic decorative materials; hold the edge of the piece under HOT running tap water for up to 30 seconds and then smell it. Bakelite has a characteristic Phenol or fresh shellac odor. No odor probably means that the piece is Lucite. RESTORING STRIPPED BAKELITE Unfortunately, many pieces of Bakelite are showing up with their finish stripped by over enthusiasatic chemical testing. These pieces are dull and unattractive , and need to be restored. The best product to use to restore these pieces is Simichrome Polish. I have also had good results with Turtle Wax Clear Coat. Simichrome produces a hard shiny finish, whereas the Turtle Wax finish is less brilliant. It may take several applications and polishings with the product of your choice to restore a stripped finish. (hint: use a swab to work on that nasty cloudy residue that is present in carved areas on stripped pieces.)

 

cool thanks obb

the nice old(just put it on shelf) types have been replaced now by super robots unfortunetly

 

I remember a huge marketing push for 'genuine Lucite' in the early/mid-60s. We acquired 2 bi-color translucent bangle bracelets & a pen holder with Lucite base in that period, as well as several decorative items with botanical material embedded that may have been genuine Lucite or another similar plastic. The pen holder base had a rose shaped hollow in it that had been filled in from underneath with pink paint & plaster. There were a lot of novelty items made that way.

 

I've got a necklace somewhere that has a label on it saying 'Genuine Lucite' so that was obviously considered to be a selling plus point!

 

@Bronwen - do you know the story of why and how the reverse carved and painted Perspex/lucite jewellery came about?

 

Nope, but I love knowing stuff like that, so do tell. Someone patched an unintended bubble?

 

I recall they positioned it as though it were a luxury brand. Not any old plastic, Genuine Lucite. I remember an ad campaign along the lines of, It's not fake anything, it's genuine ____. Could have been them, if not some silky brand of nylon.

 

It was supposedly therapy for wounded servicemen after WW2 - I've a cite for that somewhere, can't find it, but I'll unearth it.

 

I heard the same story. Some of it was carved in theater by bored GIs and Tommy's, out of bits of trashed windscreens /airplane windows. They made pieces for wives and sweethearts out of whatever they could clap hands on. Often it was coinage. I'd imagine it went from there.

 

ive got a knife thats supposedly theatre made, and out of lucite (among others), its missing the scabbard which would of had the important info on it, so who knows

dont know what the hell im gonna do with it though, certainly wont be trying it with ebay

 

me new uv light came today, but no sign of amber unfortunately

but where things i hoped would glow didnt, others became apparent

think i can safely desribe the green one i posted before as uranium glass, how cool is that !!

 

Yay!!!

 

Fab!. Love that surprise when it happens

 

one of these 2 lit up like a blimin christmas tree, anything interesting, or does this happen to some plastics as well ?

 

That's not an amber veil, but I do think your bangle is organic. May be tortoiseshell.

 

Horn lights up with UV - I got excited something was amber and then found it was horn. .