Featured Massive Bakelite (?) Black Necklace

I picked up this necklace at the thrift today for 2e. I found three identical ones, two (from the same seller) said 60s bakelite, another attributed it to Gerda Lynggaard Monies. I did the soda test and didn't seem to make much happen..

The shine is gone on the two upper beads, though it got better after a go with the sunshine cloth. The odd brown marks are after a clean with a damp cloth, is this damage or do I need to take a toothbrush to it?

Etsy prices are usually silly but they're tempting, so is this Bakelite, or another type of plastic? What sort of age are we looking at here?

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Your last photo especially makes this look like something other than Bakelite. Maybe some kind of coated plastic or even stone? You wouldn't have finish chipping off of Bakelite if that's what I'm seeing.

No idea about maker. If you want to link the other auctions, I'd be curious to see what they say.

 

It did seem to get better after a polish, so maybe it just needs some elbow grease? there's no difference in the surface so i'm not sure its chipped.

I did link the listings in the post, but inconspicuously. I'll post them here too: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1252338175/vintage-large-bakelite-necklace-massive
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1597553277/vintage-large-black-beads-massive

 

See that link now, thanks for reposting. If polishing returns it to a fully shiny surface, maybe it's some kind of dirt or sticky stuff? I wouldn't expect any wear looking like that on Bakelite.

It doesn't look like a Deco piece, more ethnic to my eye. Maybe others will have thoughts, too.

 

?black coral

 

Oh coral is a good shout, I've seen similar online. Is there a test of some sort?

 

I just happened to take my fingernail to both the brown marks and the faded/chipped areas. Both come off! Looks like the latter scrapes off to reveal the polished finish of the rest of the piece. A toothbrush is in order I think.

 

Not bakelite. Does it have a screw clasp, or a magnetic one? The metal the screw is made from is way to determine age. I.E. if the screwthread is metal at all. The really old bakelite screw clasps were entirely plastic. If it's magnetic it's 20 years old at the most.

 

Heavy or light? Cold or warm?

 

It's got a metal screw clasp, shiny white metal. I'll post a pic in a minute.

Medium weight, on the heavier side of the scale but not by much. It's cool, but not cold.

 

Here's a photo!

 

I'd guess 70s/80s for that clasp. I've seen plastic necklaces with similar clasps from that era. The odds for bakelite just dropped again.

 

Drat. Just ordinary plastic then?

 

I can't get this clean after a scrub with some water, dishsoap, and a soft toothbrush. It comes right up with my fingernail but there's quite a lot so I'd be here for days. Would soaking this be alright? It's strung on some sort of nylon.

 

I wouldn't put the clasp in, unknown metal and all, but soaking nylon cord is usually OK.

 

Gotcha, thank you!

 

In the last photo with the close-up picture of the bead, you can see some small almost perfectly round spots from air bubbles that are tell tale of something being cast in resin. You see it a lot in pieces trying to be ivory or jade.

 

oh those are air bubbles? I thought that was part of the carving!