What does Bakelite look like?

If it is Bakelite, the cloth should turn yellow with ease (although the color may vary from light to dark). If a piece is lacquered, it may test negative. Black Bakelite pieces often fail this test as well. Following up with the hot water test when you get home is an option to consider.

Is Bakelite worth anything?

No matter what type of piece you have, genuine Bakelite jewelry is worth money. Many simple necklaces and bracelets sell for $100 or less, but more elaborate designs with multiple colors or intricate carving can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

How can you tell Celluloid from Bakelite?

Bakelite will emit a smell like formaldehyde when placed under hot water. Bakelite is a sturdy material and is heavier than Celluloid. Bakelite is denser and heavier than Celluloid. Hold two pieces of jewelry in your hands and compare the weight.

What Colour is Bakelite?

Bakelite in solid colors is the most recognizable type even without employing testing measures. The most readily found colors are yellow, ranging from butter yellow to dark butterscotch, followed by various shades of green.

What is antique Bakelite?

Bakelite was an early plastic resin, developed by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Originally used for industrial purposes thanks to its ability to withstand heat, molded Bakelite and its cast cousin, Catalin, made the jump to costume jewelry in the 1920s and had their heyday in the 1930s and '40s.

How to Test Bakelite Celluloid - How to Tell the Difference - Testing Bakelite Celluloid Lucite,

How can you tell real Bakelite?

Using Formula 409 Cleaner

To use, dampen a cotton swab with 409 and rub it gently on the inside of the item being tested. If it is Bakelite, the swab will turn yellow. If a piece is lacquered, it may test negative with 409. Black Bakelite pieces often fail this test as well.

Does Bakelite glow under black light?

It doesn't fluoresce. You get a surface reflection but no reaction. The Fluorescence is generally a muddy green color.

Why is Bakelite no longer used?

By the late 1940s, newer materials were superseding Bakelite in many areas. Phenolics are less frequently used in general consumer products today due to their cost and complexity of production and their brittle nature.

Do they still make Bakelite?

Today, thermoplastics dominate the industry. Thermosets are just a tiny slice. But Bakelite is still being made, for wide-ranging applications.

Does Bakelite smell like vinegar?

A good casual/simple test is to rub a finger rapidly across the surface of the jewelry generating a little friction/heat. Bakelite will smell like formaldehyde; celluloid will smell like mothballs/pinesap/vinegar (it's made with camphor); and Lucite has no smell.

How can you tell the difference between Bakelite and catalin?

Bakelite only comes in dark colors, usually black or dark brown. Catalin can come in a wide variety of color colors, including bright colors and marbling. Bakelite is opaque, while catalin is often translucent (can often see this at the edges of an item).

Why do people collect Bakelite?

Bakelite jewelry is highly sought after. It's bright colors and beautiful sheen have attracted several generations to its unique qualities. Values remain high and continue to rise, especially for highly carved pieces, figural shapes, pieces in red and/or green, and those that are laminated (as I mentioned above).

When did Bakelite stop being made?

Bakelite applications in conservation were discontinued in the 1940s because of certain disadvantages that soon became apparent. The lack of records and relevant information precludes any assumption on the extent of its use and in which institutions.

Can Bakelite be blue?

Colors and Marbling- the colors of Bakelite are usually obvious but on occasion, there are odd shades that pop up. Bakelite comes in various shades of red, green, black, butterscotch, cream, orange, brown, root beer (brown translucent swirl), apple juice (translucent pale yellow) and my favorite-blue or turquoise.

Is asbestos still used in Bakelite?

Because the naturally occurring mineral was cheap and easy to work with, manufacturers often used asbestos plastics by default for many other types of products as well. While Bakelite contained asbestos from at least 1909 to 1974, most American manufacturers phased out asbestos around the mid-1980s.

Can you drill into Bakelite?

You should drill plastic/Bakelite the same way that you would drill fiberglass. Drill a much smaller hole than the finish hole. Use a very sharp or better yet a new countersink and starting as square to the surface as possible, slowly and at fairly high speed open the hole to about the final size.

Is Bakelite plastic toxic?

However, vintage Bakelite telephones contain up to 5% amosite asbestos, which can become very dangerous if it is disturbed. Regardless of the type, asbestos is always dangerous if the fibers become airborne, as they can subsequently be inhaled and ingested.

What glass glows orange under black light?

Reddish orange manganese glass is sometimes called “persimmon glass.” Manganese Dioxide (MnO2) was also used to decolorize glass containing iron impurities, or to stabilize the color of glass so it wouldn't shift over time. Glass that contains manganese glows green, red, orange, or peach under black light.

What glass glows purple under black light?

Hard-paste porcelain should fluoresce a deep blue or purple color, while soft paste will glow white. But before buying or selling a nice piece of porcelain, always take it into a darkened room with either a handheld or keychain black light to test for repairs.

How can you tell if something is Lucite?

If you put it under hot water, rub it vigorously or poke a hot pin into it it will have no smell. Catalin, bakelite and celluloid have chemical smells and casein smells like burnt milk. If it's transparent or transparent with objects embedded in it (plastic pieces, flowers, coins, etc) it's lucite.

Does real ivory turn yellow?

Over time, ivory darkens and/or turns yellow in color and develops surface coloring called a patina. This change is color is an indicator if its age and thus affects the value of the piece and should not be removed. If a cleaner is applied and the coloring is altered, you risk losing the value.

What does real ivory look like?

Under normal circumstances, genuine ivory (with no or little patina) should appear white under long wave black light and genuine ivory always has grain. Elephant ivory always has Schreger Lines, a cross hatch pattern, when seen in cross section.