Help! Bakelite Bangles or ?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by DivasFinds, Dec 7, 2021.

  1. DivasFinds

    DivasFinds Well-Known Member

    Bought these at auction as the listing claimed some were bakelite. I've been researching how to tell bakelite and one suggestion was Formula 409 (will turn yellow if it's true bakelite)

    Is this safe for the item? Any other ways to determine value? No marks on any of them. TIA 20211207_194138_copy_756x1008.jpg
     
    singing and Any Jewelry like this.
  2. Aznathalie

    Aznathalie Well-Known Member

    cotton swab + baking soda
    slightly moisten cotton wool with water, apply soda, rub. yellow, bakelite.
    P.S.
    If the Bakelite item is coated with varnish, the test will not show the correct result.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2021
    judy and DivasFinds like this.
  3. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    First look them over, if you see any seams that means moulded plastic, not Bakelite.
     
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  4. lizjewel

    lizjewel Well-Known Member

    The center bangle on left, some carvings, could be bakelite, from the way it looks in the image. The others, hard to tell, and doubtful. Possibly also the beigy-light yellow bangle in the bottom row, middle. If it's bakelite it was probably white when newly made. The dusky discoloration is typical of old bakelite.

    Without any invasive tests for bakelite (don't, for heavens' sakes, drill holes or stick hot pins in them, it will ruin them), one of the safest tests, and most accurate for bakelite depends on your nose. More specifically, on how good your sense of smell is.

    To test, you rub a (clean, odorfree) finger on the piece to test. Rub fairly hard until the warmth from your finger releases the scent of the piece.

    Smell your finger, not the piece! If you smell formaldehyde, it's bakelite. If it smells of anything else or nothing, it isn't.

    If you never really smelled formaldehyde or bakelite before and are not sure how it smells, find a piece of known bakelite, maybe owned by a friend or in antique store, and do the finger test on it. This way you'll know what bakelite smell is and can try it at home next.
     
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  5. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Oh, and something else, before testing with 409, baking soda or any other similar test give them a bath in warm, soapy water. If they are dirty they will give a false result.
     
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  6. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    The ones which might be Bakelite are the pale green geometric one and the deep yellow one. Not the stripes: I've a few of those and they're sixties plastic as is the pale yellow, I reckon.
     
    DivasFinds and Simona Buhus like this.
  7. DivasFinds

    DivasFinds Well-Known Member

    Thank you all for the advice, SO helpful! I am going to get to work testing them, I'll do an update with what I find!
     
    Any Jewelry likes this.
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