Featured Thoughts on origin and age of these bakelite earrings?

Hi everyone,

I picked up a bag of earrings at a local antiques centre and they had these earrings in them. I gave the yellow beads a rub and noticed the bakelite smell from them, so I think that is what they are probably made from.

I wouldn't have thought looking at these earrings that they were very old, so I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this; are the earrings older than I think or modern using old beads? I am also wondering where they may be from, as I think I saw once on here about prayer beads being made from bakelite beads (which is why I actually thought to even check them, so thanks whoever posted that), so it makes me wonder the origins of these earrings due to how they look.

TIA for any help you can give.

 

I think someone was messing with old loose beads. The little guys look like Italian trade beads. The bakelite barrels were probably part of a necklace that fell apart. Someone added a and b and made earrings.

 

That's what I see too.

Debora

 

Thank you both for confirming they are old beads re-used. I have just been looking into trade beads after reading your comment @evelyb30 and interesting to see the history of them. I am guessing there is no way to tell how old they are but guess they may have a wee bit of age which is nice.

 

Could be 20 years old, and could be 200 from what I can remember.

 

Very pretty. Agree with reused old beads, which is done a lot in ethnic jewellery. The earrings were probably assembled in the Middle East.

 

Thanks for the information everyone.