The early 1900's created Bakelite, a castable plastic, quite a common item. Bakelite very first appeared in the construction of radios. Later on jewelers realized the lightweight characteristic of it was ideal for less costly jewelry.It became well-liked following a lot of colors were available for Bakelite. One well-known user is Coco Chanel.
There many classes provided on how you can make hand produced jewelry the affordable way. There are other plastics which appear like Bakelite, including Lucite. Take caution if getting Bakelite jewelry given that other materials are similar. Bakelite feels heavier than Lucite.
See how opaque the item is. If you can see through the piece of jewelry, I would bet that it is a Catalin, even though it might be getting sold as Bakelite. Hold it as much as the light, or the sun itself. If light is able to come by way of then the item is most likely Catalin and not Bakelite. Because Bakelite is opaque, light won't be able to shine through it.
Look at the seams. Check your jewelry for mold marks or seams. These are marks that will not happen on authentic Bakelite products.
Noise. Should you assume the objects are created from Bakelite, try hitting them together. If it really is in fact Bakelite you are going to hear a distinct clunking sound.
Test for friction. You are able to use this approach whilst you're outside or in a flea market and you cannot test the jewelry yet another way. You are going to wish to smell the jewelry following you've got rubbed it until your skin or thumb is warm. The actual Bakelite jewelry will give off a scent like formaldehyde.
In the event you put hot water over a bracelet or other type of jewelry, you could smell formaldehyde. Should you repeat the test a second time and don't smell formaldehyde, the jewelry is probably not Bakelite.
There's not a single test which can confirm whether or not the item is made of Bakelite. To be able to be certain that it's indeed a Bakelite jewelry or bracelet, you will need to carry out some of the other tests mentioned above.
There many classes provided on how you can make hand produced jewelry the affordable way. There are other plastics which appear like Bakelite, including Lucite. Take caution if getting Bakelite jewelry given that other materials are similar. Bakelite feels heavier than Lucite.
See how opaque the item is. If you can see through the piece of jewelry, I would bet that it is a Catalin, even though it might be getting sold as Bakelite. Hold it as much as the light, or the sun itself. If light is able to come by way of then the item is most likely Catalin and not Bakelite. Because Bakelite is opaque, light won't be able to shine through it.
Look at the seams. Check your jewelry for mold marks or seams. These are marks that will not happen on authentic Bakelite products.
Noise. Should you assume the objects are created from Bakelite, try hitting them together. If it really is in fact Bakelite you are going to hear a distinct clunking sound.
Test for friction. You are able to use this approach whilst you're outside or in a flea market and you cannot test the jewelry yet another way. You are going to wish to smell the jewelry following you've got rubbed it until your skin or thumb is warm. The actual Bakelite jewelry will give off a scent like formaldehyde.
In the event you put hot water over a bracelet or other type of jewelry, you could smell formaldehyde. Should you repeat the test a second time and don't smell formaldehyde, the jewelry is probably not Bakelite.
There's not a single test which can confirm whether or not the item is made of Bakelite. To be able to be certain that it's indeed a Bakelite jewelry or bracelet, you will need to carry out some of the other tests mentioned above.
About the Author:
Bonnie Mieler is a professional writer and an expert on bakelite jewelry and related topics.