Plastic Jewelry Information

Gutta Percha, Celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite and Hard Plastics

Man-made plastics that have been used in vintage plastic jewelry can be divided into five basic categories, in chronological order from the time that they were introduced: early plastics, Celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite, and hard plastics.

Early Plastics:  Gutta Percha, a dark brownish opaque material.  Pieces of jewelry made from this were often molded with classical motifs in relief, resembling cameo-type pieces.  Vulcanite was produced from rubber the color is a deep brownish black.  Galalith, a milk protein hardened with formaldehyde, is a bright creamy white.

Celluloid:  This was developed in the late 1860’s.  It is one of the earliest man-made plastics and was widely used in making jewelry from 1890 to1930.  Celluloid tends to be thin, light for its size, somewhat brittle and sensitive to heat.  Early celluloid can be extremely flammable.  Many pieces of Celluloid jewelry were produced in Occupied Japan and are signed, “Japan.”

Bakelite:  This was developed by Dr. Leo H. Bakeland who patented his invention in 1909.  Bakelite was unlike any other plastic because once Bakelite is manufactured, heated, formed and cured it can not be melted and re-formed.  Bakelite as a jewelry  material can into its own in the early 1930’s.  One of the reasons it became so popular was the Great Depression.  People were often as depressed as the economy, and the public hungered for anything that was bright, cheerful, and  inexpensive.  As we entered into the War the call went out that metal was to be used for the war effort.  Wearing plastic jewelry became not only stylish but also patriotic.

Lucite:  This was an acrylic resin, first marketed by DuPont in 1937.  Lucite is a thermoplastic like Bakelite but it is much cheaper and environmentally safer to produce than Bakelite.  Lucite could be molded, cast, laminated, inlaid, and carved.  In its original state it is clear and colorless however, it can be tinted any color of the rainbow.  It was popular in jewelry from the 1940’s until the early 1960’s.

Hard Plastics:  Utilized mainly through the 1950’s to the present, cast or molded hard plastics were and are the least expensive way of producing plastic jewelry.  Pieces made of this material almost always have telltale mold lines, and are light for their size.

Thank you for visiting our Vintage Bakelite & Plastic. Linda & I (Perry) have been collecting jewelry for years. We focus on condition and quality as our underlying rule for making our purchases as an investment for us and our customers. We have many wonderful pieces of vintage plastic. Some pieces are reverse carved to bring a piece to life. Some are fashioned into bracelets, dress clips, earring, hat pins, necklaces, pins and sets. Bakelite, Celluloid and Lucite are some of the plastics used in fashioning vintage jewelry

 Good Luck to you in your search for finding that special piece for you or a loved one.

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