Featured Can't decide if this is bakelite..

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by RachelW, May 21, 2024.

  1. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    Hi all, I picked this up for 50 cents, hoping it was bakelite. I've never come across any so I figured it'd be good as a learning tool. But its being tricky. Here's what I have so far:

    It certainly looks right according to the lens search (color, swirl, old cotton..too shiny?)
    The clunk test is inconclusive: Its between the clink of lucite and the clunk of bakelite, it has both timbres when smushed around together.
    I've tried hot water, friction, and a gentle blow dryer, no fromaldehyde smell.
    BUT I just tried the baking soda test @Houseful kindly told me about, and it comes up positive. I cleaned the bead with a damp paper towel to make sure it wasn't just dirt, and the result was the same.

    Scratching my head with this one! I confer with the experts. TYIA!
    IMG_20240521_100346.jpg
    IMG_20240521_101112.jpg IMG_20240521_101043.jpg IMG_20240521_101034.jpg IMG_20240521_101019.jpg IMG_20240521_101005.jpg IMG_20240521_100959.jpg
     
  2. Houseful

    Houseful Well-Known Member

    Well as you thought to me it does look good for Bakelite but I’ve never had any without the distinctive odour when warmed up. Wait for others.
     
  3. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Did you wash the bead before the baking soda test?

    It must be my sniffer, but I never get the smell no matter what I do :(
     
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  4. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    I am no Bakelite expert, but it looks like the real deal to me.:)
    ;)
     
    kyratango, wlwhittier and RachelW like this.
  5. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    oh interesting! I did get my mother to smell it as well and she confirmed it only smelled old :hilarious: THAT smell got stronger the warmer it got.
     
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  6. Dessert58

    Dessert58 Well-Known Member

    If soda turns it yellow, it might be bakelite
     
  7. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    I really like the unusual colors in them! Quite a find, imo!
     
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  8. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    Yep the soda did go yellow. I'll test it again on different beads and see what comes up.

    Its really pretty isnt it! It was in a bowl of necklaces thrown together. Not sure why it caught my eye but I've seen enough of the bakelite posts here to consider the possibility.
     
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  9. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Looks good from here! Brown is one of those bakelite colors that's tough to test chemically. Red and black are the others. The red only reacts sometimes and black never. Another giveaway is weight; bakelite weighs more than acrylic.
     
  10. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    Woot woot!! Good to know about the colors, I didn't find that info on the articles I was reading. This does indeed weigh more than acrylic for sure, but since I've never handled bakelite before I don't know by how much it should.
     
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  11. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    This would be brown and butterscotch marble right? In terms of color terms.
     
    wlwhittier likes this.
  12. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Make sure you clean the beads before testing. Dirt, like cigarette smoke, can give you a false positive!
     
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  13. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Especially cigarette smoke. Niccotine yellow looks about the same. And yes, butterscotch is about right.
     
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  14. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    And we are a go! Cleaned it thoroughly with a damp cloth, still testing positive.

    imresizer-1716483616298.jpg
     
  15. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Dingdingding!
     
    kyratango and RachelW like this.
  16. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    YES!!!!!!!
     
    kyratango likes this.
  17. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    I had a charity thrift try to sell me a necklace today. "It's Bakelite". Price was fine for bakelite, but one guess what it wasn't. It was yellow, but the wrong yellow and the wrong weight. Beads didn't appear drilled. No bakelite there. Yours however are the real deal.
     
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  18. RachelW

    RachelW Well-Known Member

    Beads need to be drilled..got it :writer:

    Excited with this one! I'll keep it for a bit as a reference for future guess buys. I appreciate all y'alls input!
     
    kyratango, komokwa and Any Jewelry like this.
  19. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    beads for dummies question.......
    how does one pronounce Bakelite...

    bak elite
    bake eh lite
    or just bake light.....

    ?

    Y'now, I talk to you guys and gals......but I can't hear you.....& I'd dearly luv to hear all your voices.......... I'm very auditory ! ... sigh.....:(
     
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  20. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    This one.:)
    :singing::singing::singing:
     
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