More Bakelite finds

I have been very lucky on eBay recently and snagged not one but four Bakelite bangles at amazing prices!

The first set of 3 bangles were not listed as Bakelite but as 3 green stone bangle set from 1980s. From the picture they looked like marbled 'Green Spinach' bakelite and so I made a seller and offer which they accepted. When the bangles arrived I knew my hunch was correct and when I tested them they showed as positive. 3 bangles for under £7, that is a bargain!

My next purchase on eBay was a carved bangle featuring concentric circles in 'Apple Juice' that had been Simichrome tested but did not state that it was bakelite. The bidding started under a tender and I decided to bid and I won!

When I got the bangle I did my own test by placing the bangle under hot water and giving it a sniff and was satisfied by the smell of formyldehyde coming from the bangle.

Some Internet searching has found a similar bangle but in 'Butterscotch' for sale at $85!

My four new bangles to add to my collection!

Bakelite, Lucite or fakelite. I don't care I loveite!

Oh dear, what is this? A pagan, loving plastic? Ah but this is not any plastic my friends, this is vintage plastic!

Bakelite was an accidental creation in the 1900s by Dr. Baekeland and was one of the earliest plastics widely used, from telephones, radios and light switches. Another use for the plastic was jewellery and it could come in a variety of playful colours and different designs including bangles, necklaces and brooches.

Some of the more rarer colours and highly detailed carved bracelets sell for a lot of money but if you know where to look bargains can still be found.

I have a few bangles, some that I have tested and are Bakelite and others I think might be Lucite, another early plastic or maybe 'Fakelite', the term used for knock-offs, I hope they are not but it doesn't really matter to me as I only paid a couple of quid for them and not hundreds like some pieces fetch!

Some Bakelite jewellery have nature as a theme like this beautiful acorn and leaf necklace.

Or this cherry one.

The colour of Bakelite make it look good enough to eat! Yum!

Fellow blogger, Tempermental broad posted a great blog post all about Bakelite including how to test it what type of plastic you have.

http://temperamentalbroad.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/bakelite-bakelite-bakelite.html?m=0

The best places to buy Bakelite from are etsy and eBay and although some of the prices are extortionate if you know what you are looking for then you can find pieces that have been listed incorrectly and as such won't attract a lot of bidders.

So far my collection consists of at least 3 true Bakelite bangles, however I have seem to mislaid my mah-jong tile bracelet at time of writing and I hope it turns up soon and I have not lost it!

The bottom two bangles in this photo have tested as Bakelite but I am still unsure about the top two but I love them all.