Authentic Vintage Bakelite Bangle Bracelet, Set of 2 is a beautiful highly collectible signature jewelry piece. Beautiful marbled golden brown Faux Tortoise Design makes this an even more desireable pair.Comes ready to gift in lovely blue velvet jewlery pouch!
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DIMENSIONS: Bracelet Length: 7.5 (in) Bead width: .25 (in)
FACTS & HISTORY: Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, better known as Bakelite was the first plastic made from synthetic components. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. It was developed by the Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, in 1907.
Bakelite jewelry was most popular during the Art Deco period, which began in 1909 and lasted until the 1940s. These pieces were created as costume jewelry, as a way to dress up clothing or an outfit without spending a lot of money. The pieces were popular during the heyday of the Art Deco period and many of the pieces remain popular today. The height of Bakelite jewelry was the late 1930s, up until the end of the Art Deco period.
Bakeland discovered that the material would cool quickly and wouldn’t melt, regardless of the temperatures. He took out a patent on the idea in 1907. The material was heated to a melting point and then poured into molds and sheets to create the different pieces. It was used for a number of things including toys and for electronics parts. The material was never meant to be expensive, but to give those without a lot of money access to quality pieces. Many companies stopped using Bakelite in the early 1940s as the need for World War II related products took hold. By the end of the War, new technologies in the world of plastics had made Bakelite obsolete.
There are also different ways in which individuals can check Bakelite jewelry to ensure it’s authentic. One of the best ways is to touch a red hot pin against the back of the piece. Real Bakelite can’t melt or be burned so the match shouldn’t harm the piece. If it burns or melts, that’s a sign that the piece is actually plastic or another type of fake Bakelite.
