Featured What material are these unusual beads made of - THEY STINK!

These beads were just gross with crud when I got them. Last night I washed them with some unscented dish soap and let them air dry. I put them in a zip lock bag and when I opened it this morning, wow the smell was awful. It is an old fishy odor.
They are quite pretty with their carving actually

 

Galalith or celluloid are stinky. I’d think Galalith gone off a bit.

 

Ask the facebook beadman.

 

@Lark, I don't know who that is.

 

Are they glass or more like a plastic material?

 

It's a lightweight plastic material.

 

The smell may be attributed to an amine component in the chemistry - "The amine smell is instantly recognizable, fishy and penetrating".
https://www.science.org/content/blo... smell is instantly,/burning rubber and worse).

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Organic/amine.html

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

 

Thank you, that is good info. Not sure if I should re-assemble these into a necklace or not considering the lovely wafting odor lol

 

I wonder if you give then a clear coating of lacquer (or something else) it may make them usable.

 

too bad, ...damn nice look to them !!!
since u just cleaned them..........let em sit for a while and revisit the smell later on !

 

Bluefish, of course!

 

That may eventually de-skunk (or de-fish) on their own. Eventually. I don't think galaith comes apart at the seams like celluloid.

 

I would string it and just not put it into a baggie ever again

 

Lovely beads.
The fish smell is probably from the aniline dye, not from the material itself.
Don't store them in a plastic bag, a breathable material like paper, textile or cardboard is fine.

 

Some one on this site posted about Beadman on facebook. i have joined his page and when i get around to it will post some beads there. He seems very knowledgeable . Writes books on beads and his site is searchable for older posts.

 

I just found the group on FB. Thanks for the information.