Hope This Is Bakelite

Will test it when I get home but I have a good feeling about it.

 

Tagua nut perhaps on the large piece w holes?

 

Yeah, don’t know what’s with the grain. It feels like plastic but could be tagua. Don’t know how they did it but it’s all hollow.

 

Interesting but as we discussed in my previous red bakelite necklace thread, that color may give negative test results. By the way it got sold for $450.
Then, faturan cannot be tested so who knows...

 

The tan carved beads and pendant are definitely tagua nut (vegetable ivory)...

~Cheryl

 

Back in the day, when Goodwill didn't know about the internet and bakelite still sold for a king's ransom, I found a red bakelite hat brooch for $5 at Goodwill.

Simichrome test came back as bright red as the pin. That's what I said in my ebay listing. Sold it for $354.

For collectors, there was zero question that it was a a thermoset phenol formaldehyde resin.

I agree with the tagua nut identification.

 

Although... I'm finding a lot more similar pieces with "coquilla nut" as the search.

And almost all of the results are sewing accessories, so I'm tagging @Poisonivy

 

Definitely looks more similar to images of things that are tagged as coquilla nut - nice catch Jivvy. Suppose it could be either.

 

Two pieces stuck together.

Those circular carvings with holes in the centre are typical for coquilla nut, but I don't know those 'growth lines' from coquilla. Those are sometimes seen on tagua. So my jury is still out.

I have one of these carved coquilla nut eggs, I inspected it, no lines. Now it won't screw back together again, I'll wait till there is less moisture in the air.

 

We are way beyond my expertise on the subject of nuts.

 

I always thought I was quite a nutty expert, but how wrong can you be?

 

Tagua and coquilla are different names for the same palm nut (there are other names too) - it will exhibit tiny pores under strong magnification...

~Cheryl

 

Asked someone at the fleat market to test is with simichrome. Qtip turns reddish on the orange beads, no reaction to the yellow ones.

 

Had. No. Idea.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytelephas