Part of: Is my costume jewellery real?
Yes: vintage Bakelite jewellery is collected, and the best pieces are sought after. Bakelite is an early plastic, a phenol-formaldehyde resin invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907, and it was carved into bangles, brooches, dress clips and beads in the 1920s to 1940s. What a piece is worth depends on whether it is genuine Bakelite, its colour, the carving or design, its size and its condition.
Have a Bakelite necklace, bangle or brooch?
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- Read our Google reviews (opens Google)
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- A reply within one working day
- Paid the same day after inspection
What is Bakelite?
Bakelite is the first fully synthetic plastic. The Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland made it in 1907 by reacting phenol with formaldehyde under heat and pressure, and it went into production from 1910. It is a thermoset: once it has set, heat will not melt it again. That made it ideal for radios, telephones, kitchen handles and electrical fittings, and for jewellery.
Much of the jewellery sold as Bakelite is strictly cast phenolic resin, a close relative sold under names such as Catalin, which could be cast in bright and see-through colours. Collectors call all of it Bakelite.
Bakelite jewellery: what to look for
- Carved bangles and bracelets, deep-carved with flowers, leaves or geometric patterns.
- Bead necklaces, from small spacers to large polished beads like the cherry red necklace in our photographs.
- Brooches and dress clips, including figural brooches and the colourful "fruit salad" designs.
- Colours. Butterscotch, cherry red, green, black and the translucent yellow collectors call "apple juice". Most colours darken and yellow with age, so the inside of a piece is often brighter than the surface.
- Household pieces too, such as the teapot handle, cigarette holder and desk notepad shown here.
How to tell if jewellery is Bakelite
- Hot water
- How to do it
- Hold the piece under hot tap water for 20 seconds, then smell it
- What genuine Bakelite does
- A sharp chemical smell, like carbolic or formaldehyde
- Friction
- How to do it
- Rub hard with your thumb until warm, then smell
- What genuine Bakelite does
- The same chemical smell
- Simichrome polish
- How to do it
- Rub a little on a hidden spot with a white cloth
- What genuine Bakelite does
- The cloth turns yellow
- Feel and sound
- How to do it
- Hold it, and tap two beads together gently
- What genuine Bakelite does
- Heavy and dense; a deep clunk rather than a light click
- Seams
- How to do it
- Look along the edges
- What genuine Bakelite does
- No mould seams on carved pieces
No single test is final: some genuine pieces, especially black ones or pieces that have been lacquered, give a weak result, and modern resins can be made to look old. If the tests disagree, ask an expert.
Celluloid is lighter and smells of camphor when warmed; Lucite (acrylic) is lighter, often clear and has no smell; modern polyester and epoxy resins sold as "fakelite" can look very convincing but fail the smell tests.
Is Bakelite safe to wear?
0 of 4 checked
1Finished Bakelite
Finished Bakelite is stable and safe to handle and wear in normal use.
2Keep it away from strong heat
Keep it away from strong heat, which can release the chemical smell, and from long sunlight, which darkens it.
3Some old industrial Bakelite mouldings used fillers
Some old industrial Bakelite mouldings used fillers such as wood flour or asbestos, so never sand, drill, cut or burn old Bakelite.
4Clean jewellery with a soft dry cloth
Clean jewellery with a soft dry cloth.
Have a piece you think is Bakelite? Send clear photographs of the front, the back and any clasp for a free, honest check.
Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.
What makes Bakelite jewellery valuable?
Genuine material first, then colour, the depth and quality of the carving, size, figural or unusual designs, condition (no cracks, chips or repairs) and original clasps. We never publish figures; every piece is different.
Free, no obligation, and returned at our cost if you decline.
Read our Google reviews (opens Google)
- Genuine material
- Colour
- Carving
- Size
- Design
- Condition
How selling works
- 1
Send photographs
of the whole piece, any carving close up, and the clasp or fittings.
- 2
Free value inspection
We reply within one working day with an estimate, subject to inspection. If our offer differs, you can decline and we return it at our cost.
- 3
Paid the same day after inspection
by bank transfer or in cash, in Mayfair, at our Braintree office, by post or by free collection.
Questions people ask
What is Bakelite?
The first fully synthetic plastic, a phenol-formaldehyde resin invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. It sets hard with heat and cannot be melted again.
How can I tell if my jewellery is Bakelite?
Warm it under hot water or by rubbing and smell it: genuine Bakelite gives a sharp chemical smell. Simichrome polish on a hidden spot turns a white cloth yellow. Bakelite is also heavy and has no mould seams on carved pieces.
Is Bakelite safe to wear?
Yes, finished Bakelite is stable in normal wear. Keep it from strong heat and long sunlight, and never sand, drill or burn old pieces.
What colours of Bakelite are there?
Butterscotch, cherry red, green, black, marbled mixes and translucent yellow called "apple juice". Most colours darken and yellow with age.
When was Bakelite jewellery made?
Mainly from the late 1920s to the 1940s. Newer, cheaper plastics replaced it after the Second World War.
What is the difference between Bakelite and Catalin?
Both are phenolic resins. Catalin is a cast phenolic that could be made in bright and clear colours, and much jewellery sold as Bakelite is cast phenolic of this kind.
Related guides
Have Bakelite jewellery to sell?
Send a few photographs and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth, free.
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