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Is it Bakelite or Fake-a-Lite?
How can you tell whether a great looking bracelet is authentic
Bakelite? I was at a flea market recently and picked up a cute
bracelet. I asked the person selling it if it was Bakelite. He
said yes and sold it to me for $3. I figured that even if it wasn't
Bakelite it was cute and I wasn't out much money. My friend, Tiffany
G., whom I frequently run into at estate sales, was there and
she gave me some tips for testing plastic bracelets to find out
whether the piece is Bakelite.
Bakelite (pronounced bay-ka-lite) is a synthetic resin chemical
formulated by Belgian chemist L.H. Baekeland in 1909. One of its
original uses was for pool balls.
Bakelite is collectible in all forms, including jewelry, buttons,
radio cases, lamps, dresser sets, and more. With the introduction
of other plastics, it is difficult to identify real Bakelite.
Here are some ways to test for Bakelite:
- Rub your thumb over the piece until warm, then smell your
thumb. The smell is unmistakable -- formaldehyde or carbolic
acid. Familiarize yourself with this odor.
- Bakelite makes a clunky sound. Hit two pieces of plastic together,
then two pieces of Bakelite. Hear the difference? Feel the difference?
- Dip a Q-Tip in 409 (the cleaning product). Touch the piece
with the Q-Tip. If it is Bakelite, the Q-Tip will turn yellow.
This will not harm the piece, but test on a spot that will not
be noticeable to be sure.
These are only a few ways to test for Bakelite. Do a search for
Bakelite and you'll come up with more information.
Oh, and by the way, the $3 bracelet was not Bakelite. Tiffany
told me to rub my thumb on a real piece of Bakelite and then on
my $3 bracelet. I could instantly tell the difference!
Resources:
Web site: How
do I know if it's Bakelite
Book: How to be a Jewelry Detective by C. Jeanenne Bell, G.G.
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