As with all jewelry, we recommend collecting what you like first and foremost. The most popular color? >>, August 07, 2020 “The best, safest way to keep your jewelry clean and looking its best is to wash it using a mild dish soap,” Doyle said. Answered December 14, 2019. You guessed it: green. Sniff it after taking it out – Bakelite smells like camphor. Casein plastic was first patented in 1897 in Germany, and later introduced to the United States in 1919. However, old Bakelite jewelry is still quite sought-after, and a lot of collectors are willing to pay large sums for the old, retro designs before the middle of the 20th century. So, as far as we’re talking about well-made and well-maintained Bakelite – it’s perfectly safe. Bakelite jewelry is stable and considered as safe to wear as any other plastic jewelry; the danger in terms of chemical exposure was in the manufacturing process. In extreme cases, if Bakelite piece gets broken and dust flies around you – cover your face and clean the area thoroughly. This form of plastic is made by extracting natural casein proteins from milk, mixing them with plasticizers and dyes, and hardened in a formaldehyde solution. After all, it was an inexpensive material so nothing stopped people from experimenting with it and crafting whatever their imagination led to. Everyone seemed to be wearing Bakelite at some point in the last century. I'm a process technician at a chemical plant. Most gemstones, minerals, and metals are hard enough to cut or scratch it, so be careful when storing it. All these factors combined resulted in the Bakelite jewelry’s boom in popularity in both the U.S. and Europe and allowed designers to get creative, mixing styles, colors and textures in a way that hadn’t been done before. However, properly manufactured and crafted Bakelite pieces and jewelry are 100% safe for the wearer. Copper is safe to wear in that it does not harm the skin. There's a whole world of vintage plastic beyond Bakelite, so get exploring! Today, casein is mostly used in paints and glues. And we have for more than 100 years. As Jewelry Shopping Guide editors, we write about things that we love and we think you'll like too. Bakelite items, particularly jewelry and radios, have become a popular collectible. Brass is an alloy made from zinc and copper. Alternatively, you can touch a small and hidden part of the piece (preferably on its back where it’s rarely viewed) with a cotton swab that’s been dipped in a household cleaner. There are certain aspects you can look for in Bakelite jewelry that increase its value, such as rare colors, quality of carvings, and simply the artistic value of the design itself. Though it is possible to test Bakelite jewelry with the application of a hot needle (Bakelite will not melt), we strongly discourage this as you will damage any other plastics, and some plastics may be flammable. But it wasn’t just the inexpensiveness of Bakelite that made it so desirable to jewelry designers – it was the qualities it possessed. Celluloid and other natural plastics can be heated and softened over and over again to return them to a moldable state. It was first developed in 1907 by the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland in New York. Plainly speaking, it’s plastic. Visit Our New Location in Manchester, NH! It’s the manufacturing process that can be dangerous and hazardous as the plastic dust that’s produced can be very damaging if inhaled. Translucent Red Bakelite Egyptian Style Collar If your bakelite jewelry breaks however, it is recommended that you no longer handle it to avoid breathing in dust particles. Bakelite is safe to handle, but may deteriorate over time releasing the toxins in small quantities. And it wasn’t until the 1930s and the 1940s that it truly rose to popularity. Authentic bakelite jewelry can sell for thousands of dollars, so it's important you learn how to tell the difference between genuine and imposter plastic jewelry. Since there are variable amounts of copper in brass, it is essential to properly clean and care for your brass body jewelry to keep the hulk green contained. Our McLean jewelry store has everything you need, from engagement rings, wedding bands, men’s and women’s jewelry, gift ideas, and more!Look no further than your nearest Helzberg Diamonds jewelry store for the latest in jewelry … However, speaking of jewelry made entirely of Bakelite, its value will rest in whether or not the designer’s brand carries any weight and on how beautiful exactly the design itself is. Here are a few tips on how to tell real Bakelite jewelry from fake: You can find many varieties of plastic jewelry on the market today, but if you’re looking for vintage and authentic Bakelite pieces, you’ll have a host of options on sites like Amazon and Etsy. Our Windsor Store in Tysons, VA is a retail experience like no other for shopping women’s clothing and fashion trends. As a plastic, Bakelite is soft and easy to harm. So, what is Bakelite? Making these pieces isn't a problem, it's … We’re a family owned and operated business with nearly 100 years of experience in the jewelry industry. Or at least, they are as safe as any other piece of plastic in your home. That’s so both because of the novelty factor of it and the idea of collecting something with so much history in it, as well as the fact that Bakelite jewelry was indeed different then than what it is now. Located just outside of Washington, DC – Tysons Corner Center is Virginia’s premier shopping destination with stores like Apple, Nordstrom, Restoration Hardware, Lenkersdorfer, and Sephora and restaurants including Barrel & Bushel, Eddie V's, The Capital Grille, Earl's, and Coastal Flats. You may need to use a magnifying glass to look for the tiny scratches and chips that are usually present on authentic pieces of Bakelite jewelry. The commercial name of the polymer obtained from phenol and formaldehyde is known as Bakelite. Bakelite was an early plastic resin, developed by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about bakelite jewelry? Bryan, I would have to disagree. Let’s take a look at this classic material. These colors vary, like with the solid color pieces shown above, but are most often found in yellow, green, and red. “If you notice any change in your jewelry from hand sanitizer, wash the piece immediately with warm, mild dish-soapy water. Clever collectors have named yellow transparent Bakelite "apple juice." We often have affiliate partnerships, and may generate some revenue from these links at no cost to you. Simply, you do not have to worry about Bakelite melting if exposed to high heat! You can also try to weigh the piece against another that you know is Bakelite – true Bakelite is usually heavier than most modern fakes. See these here. Originally intended as a replacement for ivory in billiard balls, it quickly found many uses thanks to its ability to be colored, etched, and made opaque. To improve its quality, a minute amount of other metals, such as nickel and lead, is added to the mixture. Jordan Mason. It was used to make a variety of objects that are now collectibles until about 1940. Is it safe to wear brass jewelry? This category is called thermoplastic. If you are concerned about wearing plastic against your skin, you can still enjoy collecting this colorful jewelry as an investment. Costume jewelry is sometimes disregarded by jewelry lovers as lacking in quality, but even aficionados can appreciate the colorful forms of Bakelite jewelry. Genuine Bakelite jewelry is likely to have some signs of wear and tear that indicate that it is not a new piece of jewelry. But it’s possible that we’re not being quite as careful when it comes to our jewelry. Bakelite jewelry is explained easily enough – it is jewelry made out of Bakelite. That’s an understandable question, given the materials that go into Bakelite. Other ways to identify Bakelite include looking for a seam (Bakelite jewelry will not have this mold mark), feeling the weight (Bakelite is relatively heavy for a plastic), and rubbing the jewelry briskly in your palm to heat it up with friction (Bakelite will give off a formaldehyde smell). 7 min read, March 19, 2020 It’s named after him and is sometimes called “Baekelite” too. Consider the weight of a piece of plastic jewelry. 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