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Vintage Jewelry  

Man-Made Materials

Plastics & Glass

Some of the most colorful and fun vintage jewelry and accessories were created with Man-Made materials - plastics and glass. Below is some basic information about these materals and their uses in the vintage costume jewelry featured in the Vintage Anelia collection. 

PLASTICS

“Better living through chemistry” was the motto of the 1950s, and what better example is the development of an assortment of plastic used in costume jewelry. Starting decades earlier, synthetic materials were being developed under the general heading of plastic. Some are more flexible or resilient than others; some easily dyed, painted or able to absorb colors in the creation process.
Thermosplastics are technically plastic that once molded, cannot be re-melted; more heat will instead burn and destroy the object. Popular vintage thermoplastics include Bakelite, Lucite and Catalin.

CELLULOID

One of the first plastic created, developed in England in the mid-19th century. It started being used for jewelry in the early 1900s, with many pieces from the 1920-30s having a distinctive Art Deco look. Celluloid jewelry is more brittle than other plastic jewelry; lighter and thinner than Bakelite. It is also flammable and can be easily damaged by moisture, extreme temperatures, and chemicals. Aged celluloid tends to 'craze' - looking like tiny cracks all over.

 

Tips to identify Celluloid:

  • It is lighter than most other plastics

  • Held under HOT water it will small like vinegar or camphor (think Vicks Vapor Rub)

LUCITE

Lucite is a trademark name for a transparent thermoplastic acrylic resin. It was developed by Dupont in the 1930s and became most popular for use in costume jewelry in the 1950s to 1960s. It was used to create all types of jewelry, as well as purses, and embedded with everything from glitter to rhinestones to shells. Confetti Lucite has tiny bits of assorted colors seemingly floating inside, and was a favorite.

PLASTICS - Bakelite, Celluloid, Lucite, etc.

GLASS & CRYSTAL - Rhinestones, Milk Glass, etc.

ENAMEL, CHINA, etc.

BAKELITE

Bakelite is a wondrous, sturdy and versatile thermoplastic first manufactured in the early 1900s. Very popular in the 1930s-50s, it was used to make everything from radios to kitchen utensils to jewelry!  Bakelite can be molded, carved, inlaid, and laminated.  It can be transparent, translucent or opaque and made in any color.

Bakelite was cast into various shapes, not molded – giving it a sleek, uniform appearance with any seam or mold lines.

 

Ways to identify Bakelite:

  • It is heavier than most other plastics

  • No seams or mold lines

  • Hardware is riveted or screwed in place, not glued

  • Rub a small dab of semi-chrome polish onto the piece; Bakelite will change the color from pink to a golden yellow. (You can also use ‘409’ cleaner, but the results may not be as accurate.)

  • Held under HOT water it will emit a distinct acid or shellac order

CATALIN

A thermoset plastic made from phenol, melamine or formaldehyde. It is often mistaken for Bakelite, but it can be more colorful, and can be re-melted and recycled.  Basic Catalin is translucent, and sunlight will cause it to fade or even shrink over time.

GLASS & CRYSTALS

Glass is the raw form of crystal, and though clear usually has a green, gray or yellow cast. Add lead to glass, and it turns into crystal. The more lead, the heavier the crystal, and usually the better quality and more expensive. Crystal is clear (thus the expression “crystal clear"); without a color cast, and due to its lead content has added shine or sparkle, and can be cut and polished.

Types of GLASS jewelry:

 

RHINESTONES are shiny glass gems, faceted to create sparkle

DIAMANTE are multi-faceted glass beads, formed to resemble diamonds. They made popular “prom queen” necklaces in the 1950s. Dome pieces may be marked DQ

 

FIRE-POLISHED beads are faceted glass beads, but are not true crystals because they do not contain lead. Instead they have been treated with a finish to add shine.

AURORA BOREALIS  (AB) are Fire-Polished stones that have a thin, vacuum-sputtered metallic coating applied to produce a rainbow or an iridescent effect. They were named after the Aurora Borealis, the "Northern Lights".

 

MILK GLASS is a  type of opaque or translucent colored glass that has a soft creamy look, often in pastel colors including blue, pick yellow and white. It is used in jewelry as well as household collectibles such as vases. Though invented in the 16th century, its popularity in costume jewelry soared in the 1950s and 60s.

See our Glossary page for descriptions of other glass beads.

 

SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS (also called Austrian crystals)

are named for Daniel Swarovski, who invented a revolutionary glass cutting process in the 1800s. Swarovski crystals have well defined faceted edges and a high sparkle. Swarovski crystal has a very high lead content (minimum 32%), and is the heaviest glass crystal. They also are the majority of crystal beads used in jewelry.

Crystals, especially Swarovski crystals are available in a wide variety of colors. A good color chart can be found at Rhinestones Unimited. 

 

SYNTHETIC GEMS are created by man through a combination of plastics, glass and other chemical compounds, to closely resemble a real gemstone. They are called “synthetic” or “simulated” such as a simulated diamond or ruby, or even simulated pearls.

CUBIC ZIRCONA is in a class by itself; flawless and colorless it closely resembles a diamond. Sometimes they are marked with a CZ.

How to tell the difference between Glass and Crystal

Telling the difference is a bit hard for the layman, but here are some hints:

  • GLASS beads are usually lighter, and can be molded or pressed into a wide variety of shape.

  • Clear GLASS will have a green, gray or yellow cast

  • CRYSTAL beads or gems are heavier – requiring sturdier cords and clasps

  • CRYSTAL diffracts light – if you can see a color sparkle reflected when you hold it up to light, it is probably crystal

 

Many people use the terms glass and crystal interchangeably as the difference can be minor. My advice is just buy what you think is pretty and worth the price you want to pay.

 

See the Gems & Stones page for tips on the difference between real gems and man-made glass crystals.

CARE & CLEANING

Many rhinestones and other glass stones are glued in place – so keep away from heat that will dry out the glue. To clean, moisten a paper towel with a glass cleaner (or 1:6 part ammonia to water) and buff to a shine. Often glass crystals show a discoloration when they have been re-glued in place using the wrong glue (like a super glue). When making repairs use Gem Tac or a ‘mirror glue.’

ENAMEL

Enamel is actually more of a technique than a substance. It is the made by heat fusing glass onto/into a metal form. It can be made in a variety of rich colors, and designs often look like a mosaic called Cloisonne .

BONE CHINA

Using the same ingredients as bone china plates, English china factories made bone china jewelry from the end of WWII to through the 1960s. Beautiful, but very delicate and fragile. The pieces are rare. They may have chips, but they have retained their gorgeous bright colors.

Browse our Information Pages:

Vintage Costume Jewelry hallmarks

 

 

 

Vintage jewelry types & terms

Materials used in Vintage Jewelry

Check out the full Vintage Anelia costume jewelry collection at ArtFire.com

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