Beads and Buttons

@lilfont

Thanks for that info. I figured as much about the buttons but figured I would ask/look around anyway

 

You can find "french jet" buttons though - black glass. Jet is really coal, and it's pretty easy to damage.

 

Coal is a mineral. Jet is a mineraloid made from decaying wood under extreme pressure.

Coal is a sedimentary rock that forms when dead plant matter is converted into peat, then lignite, then into the various stages of coal. Actually both coal and jet are formed from lignite, and jet is referred to as lignite. I believe that coal is to jet as humans are to apes, having a common ancestor, so to speak -the ape/jet being closer to that ancestor.

The first test for jet is the touch, black glass is cool to the touch, jet is not due to its lesser thermal conductivity and it is lighter than glass. Polished jet can also feel like plastic.

Hard Coal and Ebonite (a rubber product) are similar to jet and were used as imitation jet. Rubbed against unglazed porcelain, jet leaves a dark brown streak.

When I first started going to antique stores as a teen in the early 1970s, I found a cigar box full of all black glass buttons, under a shelf in the back of a little antique shop. There wasn't a price on the box and I asked how much for the entire box. The biddy who ran the shop snatched them from me and said, "it's twenty dollars, but you can't afford them -these are for real collectors." I had more than $20 on me, but didn't tell her. I just left the shop in a huff. Needless to say, that started my obsession with jet, black glass buttons and beads and only added fuel to my passion for buttons. I can't tell you how many hours I sat on the floors of antique stores, after they told me the buttons were all under 5¢, emptying the canister into a tray and pawing through them all.

By the time I was 21 (back when you could still find a quart jar of pre-1950s buttons for 50¢) I had filled a hall closet (3'x3'x9'tall) completely with boxes of buttons -all sorted. After moving to 4 different apartments and having my brothers and friends slowly begin to refuse to move me again, I finally relented and sold about 3/4th of that collection. I did rebuild it up to a point, and continued to buy buttons for a long time, but I have never had as huge a collection as was originally there. Of all the collections I have amassed and sold, I only really regret selling the buttons. It had to be done, but I still mourn the loss.

The last time I sold off any of my buttons, I had about 40 lbs of plastic 'craft' buttons I had sorted into colors. They were all from before 1960. I sold them about 10 years ago to my aunt who has a little booth in a small town antique mall. She kept them in her garage for years then last year she finally put them in little baggies of a half-cup each to sell them (like I originally suggested) and made out like a bandit. When I asked what took her so long to put them in her booth, she said 'I was thinking, who's going to buy buttons?'.

 

I found this gorgeous jet necklace {MIDDLE}.DROOL!

 

I'd wear that cross in a heartbeat. The chain looks like blackened rhodium finish with a sport ring.

 

The black butterfly is genius. I put that image in my 'bead design' folder for inspiration. Thanks!

 

I have a four shelf bookcase filled with boxes that have little drawers filled with beads because I used to make and sell beadwork in my misspent youth. That stuff was wicked popular in the early 70s. I keep saying I'm going back to it - when I have the time. I sold a lot of antique buttons that my mother left, but I still have a ton. I have a lot of black beads, whether glass or jet I can't tell, but they're larger than what you want. I have black glass prisms, too. They seem too heavy for jewelry.

 

I appreciate everybody checking out their stashes for me

The Mrs has at least 8 months to round something up, so I'm sure we will find something that will work

 

Just so I know, should I run across any in my stash, what kind of shank should these button have?

 

Good question

 

Do they have to be black? I can look for 6 shank buttons around 3/8th".I have shanks that have white rhinestones prong set,red glass hearts,and some others I can look for and measure.

 

desperate...yesterday I went through every button hoard I could find but no luck on a set of 6 of anything that small. I did find these...also can she sew on beads? I have these 6 genuine turquois beads and plastic black faceted beads,also this set of earings where I see at least 6 plastic beads with brass wire surrounding them.

Then I have 6 faceted black glass shank buttons but they are bigger than what you wanted,also 6 black plastic with metal decoration. You can have the whole lot and let her decide. Is she making more than one pair of gloves?

Faceted glass buttons.
Black plastic with metal decor.
Turq. beads.
Faceted black beads.
Glass beads, just noticed the deviated colors? OOPS.
Earrings,little dangles that have a metal loop to sew to article.
If you want them message me your addy.

 

Those 20s Czech molded black beads would work nicely as buttons. You just have to sew loosely and then wind the thread around the "loops" horizontally underneath the bead/button. It's what they used to do on high class wool coats. I don't know the correct terminology, as should be evident, but if the beads are the right size you're in business. Once upon a time I had some of those little shank buttons around, but they're long gone.

 

The beads are plastic? Are they molded plastic Czech beadss???

 

They look like 20s to early 30s glass to me. The earrings are 80s or later costume, so who knows.

 

Started collecting buttons about 40 years ago, when my Great, Great Aunt Karen, born in 1887, gave me her huge old button jar - still have way too many, even after selling off a lot of them. Haven't really collected actively for years and my buttons are packed away at the moment, but had my camera at Mom's house today and took quick shots of some swan buttons I framed for her. The top button in the first pic is modern sterling, and the second pic is a modern scrimshaw on deer antler.

~Cheryl

 

Absolutely gorgeous Cheryl.....

PS
Love the fleur -de- lis hanger, is it old or can they still be purchased?

 

I framed those up for her maybe 10-12 years ago, that one is a cheapie I picked up at the local hardware store, though she does have some hooks that are maybe 40-50 years old. I'm sure similar picture hooks are still available...

~Cheryl

 

I need to get some of those,they are lovely thank you.