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1940's Carved Butterscotch Bakelite Bangle

About the Item

Dr. Leo Bakeland invented Bakelite in the early 1900s. Bakeland discovered that the material would cool quickly and wouldn’t melt, regardless of the temperatures. He took out a patent on the idea in 1907. The material was heated to a melting point and then poured into molds and sheets to create the different pieces. It was used for a number of things including toys and for electronics parts. The material was never meant to be expensive, but to give those without a lot of money access to quality pieces. Many companies stopped using Bakelite in the early 1940s as the need for World War II related products took hold. By the end of the War, new technologies in the world of plastics had made Bakelite obsolete. The height of Bakelite jewelry was the late 1930s, up until the end of the Art Deco period. The designs were quite popular in mass merchandise stores such as Sears and Roebuck. However there were also some famous names working with the material and creating Bakelite jewelry including Chanel and Van Cleef and Arpel. Oddly enough Bakeland allowed the patent to expire and the Catalin Corporation bought it. They began creating their own Bakelite jewelry marketed as Bakelite-Catalin. The pieces were sold in both expensive stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and smaller stores such as Woolworth’s. Bakelite jewelry was available in a variety of colors, but brown, green, red, and white were the most popular color choices. Over time though, exposure to the light and particles in the air have caused many of these colors to change. A good example is a bracelet that was once white, but now looks pale brown in color.
  • Metal:
  • Style:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1940s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Maywood, NJ
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU3984222220062

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