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Elegant Flea Antiques & Bakelite Jewelry
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Small Part of My Bakelite Collection
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The History of Bakelite
Belgian-born chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (1863-1944), working independently, patented Bakelite in 1909. For several years Baekeland had been searching for a solvent to dissolve the product of a condensation reaction between formaldehyde and phenol. His intention was to use the solvent as a substitute for shellac. Because the residue was resistant to so many solvents, Baekeland became intrigued with it and began to search for a way to produce it in large quantities. He began to experiment with the substance, using a reaction vessel he built and named for himself, the Bakelizer. Baekeland found that by controlling the temperature and pressure of the reaction, he was able to produce a clear solid in large amounts. He called it Bakelite after himself.
For the first 10 years or so following its introduction, Bakelite was used primarily for electrical and automobile insulators, and in heavy industrial products. Eventually, Bakelite spread to the consumer market in the form of castings that could be sculpted by designers using fast wheels and razor-like tools. After World War II, many companies began using patterned molds instead of hand-carving.
When the Bakelite patent expired in 1927, it was acquired by the Catalin Corporation. Catalin began mass production using the cast resin formula, and succeeded in adding 15 new colors (including a marbleized effect) to the 5 originally introduced by Baekeland.
In 1942, production of novelty items was suspended in order to concentrate on wartime needs. These wartime products, which included defense phones and aviator goggles, numbered in the thousands. By the end of the war, a new generation of plastics, including fiberglass, vinyl, and acrylics had been developed; and Bakelite and Catalin had largely become obsolete.
Nevertheless, because Bakelite is resistant to solvents, water, and heat, and is nonconducting, Bakelite retained a specialty market niche. It was the first fully synthetic thermoset polymer and one of the first artificial substitutes for a natural product. (A thermoset polymer is one that does not soften when heated.) It replaced hard rubber and amber as an electrical insulator, and is still widely used in automotive applications and in radios.
The discovery of Bakelite prompted a concerted effort to produce plastics and polymers unlike anything found in nature (like polystyrene and low density polyethylene). When Baekeland died in 1944, more than 125,000 tons of Bakelite were being produced annually and research into plastics and polymers showed no signs of diminishing.
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Bakelite Jewelry History
Plastics in some form or other have been used in jewelry for many years. Celluloid was the first known plastic, invented in 1868 by John Hyatt. Then in the first part of the 20th century, casein (made from a milk protein) came along.
He best known of the plastics used in jewelry was developed by Leo H. Baekeland in 1909. Mr. Baekeland was working on developing a type of varnish when the durable material Bakelite was invented. It was found that it could be easily moulded and cast. Once it was cast, it could not be melted.
Shortly after bakelite jewelry caught on, the Great Depression of the '30s occurred. Money was scarce; women were looking for an inexpensive way to refurbish their old wardrobe and give it a new look; bakelite was the answer. One could find this unique jewelry in almost any color: red, green, and butterscotch being the most common. Bakelite jewelry added a cheery note to a bleak time in our history.
Bakelite was not only bought by people with little money, it was also accepted by the very rich. Manufacturers produced bright, massive, heavily carved pieces. Designer pieces, produced on a very limited basis, sold in departments stores in the '30s for around $10, a hefty price in those days. These pieces, understandably scarce today, were often decorated with metal, rhinestones, or additional plastic ornaments.
There seems to be no limit to the shapes found in Bakelite. Miniature fruit is quite common: pears, oranges, cherries, carrots, bananas, etc. Among the animals that are found, horses and dogs are most common.
Bakelite was used to imitate tortoiseshell, amber, and even gemstones. It was dyed to imitate coral and looked so believable that it often has to be tested to tell the difference. (Coral test: place a drop of lemon juice on the jewelry and if it bubbles and is effervescent it is coral; if not, it might be bakelite among other things.)
The 'ivory' bakelite that can be found is done with great skill. Many pieces are carved entirely by hand by fine craftsmen. If you look closely at the carved articles you can see the tool marks in the crevices, whereas the newer pieces of imitation ivory are entirely glossy as they are not carved by hand.
By manufacturing bakelite to imitate coral, ivory, amber, and tortoiseshell materials by hand carving these items, jewelry buyers could look like they possessed the real thing.
These old Art Deco bakelite pieces are beautiful and have a lovely patina that has taken years to produce. It is being collected for itself now, rather than for its resemblance to more precious jewelry, and is continually rising in price. Since most women did not save their plastic jewelry, the scarcity factor makes it even more valuable.
BAKELITE 101 testing: For testing genuine Bakelite, Catalin or other phenolic plastics the following testing methods are commonly used: Semichrome polish (which is available at your local hardware store) turns the cloth to a yellowish or even orange/ brown color no matter what color the Bakelite is but too much polishing will remove the patina and may make the piece no longer able to test. 409 turns a q-tip to a yellowish to brownish color but too much exposure will permanently discolor it and should be washed off with a mild soap. Some people use Scrubbing Bubbles and gets the same results as 409 but should be avoided because it can caustic and can destroy the finish (409 will not strip the finish). When warmed with hot water it usually, but not always has a particular smell.(smell varies with the amount of formaldehyde used) but you can burn bakelite if the water is too hot. Other characteristics is Bakelite (including French Bakelite) is always seamless and it is usually a little heavier than most plastics. American Bakelite was made with formaldehyde, so tests with semichrome and 409 while French bakelite on the other hand, was made without formaldehyde, so will not pass semichrome or 409 tests. NEVER test any plastic with a hot pin or needle. Some pieces which are Bakelite will not pass some or all of these tests. They include pieces which are very dirty or may have previously had their finish stripped with chemical test agents such as Scrubbing Bubbles Some reds, many blacks, pieces which have resin washed coating and pieces which have been covered with plastics sealant compounds may also not test. One thing I have seen is the people listing things as "Bakelite????" is not usually Bakelite. Also, Catalin is another name for Bakelite and will pass all the same tests while Celluloid will not. If you are unsure, there are experienced sellers online with a lot of feedback that will be happy to help.
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