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01-05-2012

Vintage Costume Jewelry is:

Fun - you can play dress up or incorporate into a modern wardrobe. It's always fun.

Quality - Many of the designers of Vintage Costume Jewelry started out as Fine Jewelers. Panetta was a master in Platinum and Alfred Philippe of Trifari had worked as Jeweler for Cartier.

Variety - There is a style for every mood and occasion, and many styles can be changed, parts can be added or taken away,. Coro Duettes are a perfect example of that. A pair of dress clips that becomes a brooch. How creative is that?

Green - If you like jewelry and live a green lifestyle, you can't go wrong with vintage jewels.

Price - although some rare pieces can go into thousands, there is no way you could by the quality, style, variety and design for the same price today.

Investment - if you know the trends you can make some pretty good investments, on occasion.



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Home :: Estate & Vintage Jewelry :: Bakelite, Lucite, Bangles
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Bakelite, Lucite, Bangles

Vintage Bakelite, Early Plastics and Lucite Jewelry and Bangles

Bakelite is an early type of plastic invented in 1907 by the Belgium Leo Beakeland in his laboratory in Yonkers, New York. Beakeland arrived in the US at the end of the 19th Century. Soon it was used for the manufacturing of all types of household items, from radios to handles.  Bakelite is as versatile as it is durable, and t was everywhere in the home in the 1920's. Combined with Chrome it is the quintessential Art Deco Machine Age look.

Around the Depression of the 1930's, Bakelite was a colorful, versatile and cheap jewelry making material. It could be carved, layered, combined, swirled and formed.

During WWII when metal restrictions were put in place,  Bakelite, Celluloid and Lucite continued to be a colorful part of the Costume Jewelry design. After the war, it's luster faded until Andy Warhol arrived on the scene. He loved shopping at fleamarkets and was an avid collector. After his passing in 1988, his extensive Bakelite Jewelry Collection was auctioned off at Sotheby's New York bringing Bakelite to the forefront once again.

Bakelite is still used to this day as Contemporary Designers search for old raw materials and incorporate them to their current collections.

To learn how we test Bakelite, Celluloid and similar materials, please read our article "How to Test Bakelite, Celluloid and Amber".

 

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Set of 3 Bangle Bracelets Bone Brass See details
Set of 3 Bangle Bracelets Bone Brass

Very nice set of 3 vintage bangle bracelets from India. Made in the 1970s from Bone and Brass. Each measures 1" tall by 1/2" thick at the center with inside diameter of 2 1/2". They are in excellent vintage condition and a really great Summer look with a gold tone chain necklace like the Monet ones we have in stock.

Price : $42.00 (€30.53)
Crown Trifari Changeable Lucite Hoop Huggy Clip Earrings See details
Crown Trifari Changeable Lucite Hoop Huggy Clip Earrings

These huggy clip earrings are a lot of fun. Just change the Lucite portion and they will match your outfit. Well made by Trifari, they come with the original box so all the parts will stay together easily. Metal portion is gold plated. Each earring is almost 3/4" in diameter and3/16" wide. In excellent vintage condition.

Price : $48.00 (€34.90)
Confetti Lucite Bracelet by PAM See details
Confetti Lucite Bracelet by PAM
Scarce confetti Lucite panel bracelet made in the 60s by Pam Jewelry. It reminds me of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, all the confetti and serpentine that is thrown across the ballroom. It includes bright silver strings and colorful spots encased in clear Lucite. The result is great - sparkly and festive.
Price : $75.00 (€54.53)
Rose-y Gold Filled Bohemian Garnet Clamper Bangle Bracelet See details
Rose-y Gold Filled Bohemian Garnet Clamper Bangle Bracelet
Beautiful vintage rose-y yellow gold filled Bohemian Garnet bangle clamper bracelet measures 4mm wide with inside measurements of 2 5/16" by 2 1/8" . It in excellent vintage condition with very small areas of loss on the inside due to age and regular wear. Clasp works very well. The color of the gold filled is beautiful, rose-y but not coppery. Dates from around 1930s or so. Stones are more red than it appears in the photos and very sparkly.
Price : $165.00 (€119.96)
Massive Pre Ban Ivory Bangle Bracelet See details
Massive Pre Ban Ivory Bangle Bracelet
Exceptional large and heavy Pre Ban Ivory bangle bracelet dates from the Art Deco Period. Measurements are 5/8" wide, over 1/2 thick at the highest point of the curved profile and inside diameter of almost 3" . It has beautiful grain and slightly aged look with an occasional black line inherent to the material when it ages. It is in excellent condition.
Price : $180.00 (€130.86)
Old Chinese Silver 12 Signs Zodiac Bangle Bracelet Pair See details
Old Chinese Silver 12 Signs Zodiac Bangle Bracelet Pair
Pair of old Chinese Silver bangle bracelets with intricate filigree and applied figures. The figures represent each of the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac in great detail. They are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake,Horse,Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Pig. Each of these is represented. The filigree is very well made too, there is a lot of detail on these hand wrought bracelets.
Price : $285.00 (€207.20)
Old China Deco Canetille Bangle Bracelet Coro See details
Old China Deco Canetille Bangle Bracelet Coro
This gorgeous bangle has some very unusual; marks. It is marked "Made in China, Coro" and it was made in China for Coro in the USA.
Price : $98.00 (€71.25)
Vintage Bakelite Cameo Brooch Pin See details
Vintage Bakelite Cameo Brooch Pin
Large brooch in carved clear Lucite with a black Bakelite cameo center, measures a stunning 2 1/2" in diameter. It is not overpowering as the large size is balanced by the clear material. The black cameo center is meant to imitate carved Jet.
Price : $70.00 (€50.89)
Tortoise Lucite Modernist Bib Necklace See details
Tortoise Lucite Modernist Bib Necklace
Fabulous Modernist bib necklace in imitation tortoise shell Lucite with matte gold tone accents. It is an impressive necklace.Overall length is 15" plus the 2 1/2" chain extender for a maximum wearable length of 17 1/2". The center piece is about 2" tall. Unsigned, in excellent vintage condition, dates from the late 1970s to early 1980s.
SOLD!
Thank You!
Marbled Lucite Gold Tone Graduated Long Necklace See details
Marbled Lucite Gold Tone Graduated Long Necklace
Elegant and playful, this vintage Lucite beads and gold tone stations necklace is approximately 28" long. The Lucite or French Bakelite beads resemble American Bakelite in Spinach (marbled green with yellow swirls). It has been tested and is not American Bakelite. Beads are roundel shaped and measure from 1/2" by 3/8" in the back to almost 3/4" by 1/2"Thick at the center. Each bead is finished by a fluted bead cap and connected to a gold plated textured twirl station by a jump ring. When you move, the stations seem to move, a very cool effect.
Price : $72.00 (€52.34)
Vintage Modernist Celluloid Brooch See details
Vintage Modernist Celluloid Brooch
Very cool looking Modernist Vintage Brooch made of Celluloid cylinders fused together in free form. It measures 3 1/4" by 2 3/16" overall. The pin back is fused to the brooch. Color is root beer, warm reddish brown.
Price : $42.00 (€30.53)
Vintage Bakelite Bypass Bangle Lipstick Red See details
Vintage Bakelite Bypass Bangle Lipstick Red
Great lipstick red color Bakelite vintage bypass bangle bracelet is tubular and 1/2" in diameter. It is in wonderful vintage condition, dating from the 40s with only very light crazing of the surface as you would expect on an older Bakelite piece. One needs magnification to see this. Inside diameter of the bangle is 2 5/8" . Fab!
Price : $125.00 (€90.88)
Tortoise Look Lucite Bangle Modernist See details
Tortoise Look Lucite Bangle Modernist
Great Modernist or Mod style wide Lucite bangle in Faux Tortoise. Also from my last trip to Rio de Janeiro this beautiful bangle dates from the early 1970s and was made in Brazil. Bangle is almost 1 1/2" wide and has a slight bypass which makes it easy to put on and take off. It is 5mm thick, almost 3/16".
Price : $45.00 (€32.72)
Modernist Pink Goldstone Lucite Bangle Bracelet See details
Modernist Pink Goldstone Lucite Bangle Bracelet
Another find from sunny Rio de Janeiro, this bangle bracelet is a sure stunner. Lucite is a form of acrylic resin and in this case it is given a molten look. To me, it looks as if the bangle has been melted around the wrist. Very unusual and creative design interpretation.
Price : $165.00 (€119.96)
Clear Lucite Bangle Deep Turquoise Inset Bits See details
Clear Lucite Bangle Deep Turquoise Inset Bits
Another find from my last trip to Rio de Janeiro! A Fabulous Vintage Brazilian Lucite Clear Bangle with Deep Turquoise Color Bits. It is wide and bold made in clear Lucite. It is populated with suspended deep Turquoise color bits of resin that appear to float inside, although they do not actually move.
Price : $135.00 (€98.15)
Reverse Carved Lucite Rose Brooch Earrings Set See details
Reverse Carved Lucite Rose Brooch Earrings Set

Fun and pretty set of brooch and earrings in clear Lucite with a reverse carved rose flower which seems to be enclosed in the material. It is very nicely done and dimensional. The overall shape is rectangular with large facets at the edge.

Price : $48.00 (€34.90)
Fruit Salad Brooch & Earrings Set See details
Fruit Salad Brooch & Earrings Set
Carmen Miranda would have adored this cute set of brooch and earrings! A menagerie of tiny tropical fruits laid out on a bed of green leaves. Made of plastic, each one is attached separately to a gold tone metal base. Earrings are clip backs.
SOLD!
Thank You!
South Pacific WWII Lucite Sterling Sweetheart Charm Pin See details
South Pacific WWII Lucite Sterling Sweetheart Charm Pin
Lovely clear Lucite and Sterling Silver sweetheart memento inscribed "S.W.P.A." on the top bar and "New Guinea, Doris & Al Forever, 1944". Isn't that sweet? Mostly considering WWII was raging and this couple was in the midst of the South Pacific Allied stage.
Price : $68.00 (€49.44)
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