Bakelite Beads
Bakelite beads are probably my favourite form of early plastic jewelry. They can be worn anytime, anywhere, with anything, by all ages. There are colours to match every outfit and mood and they come in all sizes, shapes and lengths. They became very popular in the 1930s for beach or town wear as they were such fun and easy to wear. I love the way the colours catch the light, especially the tortoiseshell, and marbled beads. Along with pendants, beads were one of the earliest type of
Bakelite necklaces
and are still readily available. They were usually strung on cotton, which in many cases has worn away, so most necklaces these days will have been restrung. Some European bead necklaces were strung on fine chain or connected with metal findings while the Americans often used Celluloid chains.
Cherry Amber is one of the most expensive and desirable colours! Beads were cut from cast cylinders of bakelite. They were then carved or shaped according to the design. There are many faceted examples as well as carved flowers, and finally they were tumbled to a highly polished finish. The holes were drilled by a machine with drills on each side which met in the middle of the bead. Necklaces came in all different lengths and often had matching bracelets, rings and
earrings.
I think the easiest and probably the best and cheapest place to buy bakelite jewelry is on Ebay. I've made selections for you from Ebay USA, UK and Australia below. Make sure the seller has tested that the piece is genuine bakelite, and has a returns policy. My Safe Buying Guidelines will help you avoid any pitfalls of buying on the internet. If you haven't joined Ebay yet just click on the box below and you can register for free in your nearest country. Bakelite Bracelets and Bangles How to test for Bakelite Return from Bakelite Beads to Bakelite Jewelry Return from Bakelite to Art Deco |
