How to verify Bakelite jewelry

Bakelite jewelry has been a popular vintage collectible for many years now. Invented in 1909 by Leo Baekeland, Bakelite was a plastic resin that was originally produced for industrial purposes because it could hold up to heat.  Colors were added in the 1920’s.  Another early plastic was Catalin and both plastics were fairly cheap and ended up being used to make jewelry in the early days of the Depression and remained popular through the Art Deco period through 1940’s.  Catalin was used in radios as well and that is a popular genre of collecting as well.  Bakelite’s light weight made it perfect for  beads, pins, earrings and bracelets. 

Designers like Coco Chanel wore Bakelite jewelry and that really made it popular with the masses.  Plastics were a “new and modern” thing and everyone wanted some.  People started collecting costume jewelry from this era in the late 1980’s and it has remained a popular collectible ever since.  The bangle bracelets are perhaps the most popular kind of jewelry and are often brightly colored.  Vintage Bakelite can bring prime prices and shouldn’t be confused with Celluloid or Catalin.

There are several ways to determine whether a piece of jewelry is authentic Bakelite.  You can run the piece under super hot water or rub a piece with a piece of cloth with simichrome polish in an inconspicuous spot.  The heat releases a chemical formaldehyde smell.  Some use 409 cleaner on a cotton swab and rub on the piece and it turns the cotton swab yellow.  

Of course these tricks will not work on black Bakelite or pieces that have been lacquered. Some rare Bakelite pieces are very valuable.  The trained eye of a collector can also notice patina on old pieces.  Bakelite will also not have any mold marks because all pieces were hand polished.  Some collectors say that when “clunked” together, Bakelite bangles have a distinctive sound and I would have to agree with that.  Happy Collecting!