Early Plastic Costume Jewelry
08.08.06 By Lorraine NewberryBefore the 1920s most costume jewelry was made to resemble “the real thing” for those who couldn’t afford jewelry made from costly gems and precious metals. The flappers changed all that. After years of deprivation and sacrifice experience during World War I these young women wanted to have fun. They rebelled against the hardships of wartime by cutting off their waist length tresses, raising their hemlines from the ankle to the knee and partying into the wee hours. When it came to jewelry, they eschewed tasteful gold jewelry for costume pieces in trendy shapes and wild colors.
Couturier and style icon Coco Chanel embraced the costume jewelry trend and encouraged women to use fun costume jewels to accessorize their outfits and express their personalities. Jewelry designers experimented more with the relatively inexpensive materials, and the resulting styles were fun and whimsical.
It was in this environment that plastic jewelry first reached widespread popularity. The plastics most commonly used were Lucite, celluloid and Bakelite. The chemical company Dupont introduced acrylic resin under the trade name Lucite in 1937. Lucite was a colorless plastic that could be carved and molded into different shapes and dyed various shades to create attractive jewelry choices. Lucite was popular throughout the 1940s and is still seen in costume jewelry today.
Celluloid was used in jewelry as early as the 1870s as an alternative to expensive materials like ivory and tortoiseshell. Unfortunately, celluloid had its disadvantages, a major one being that it contained nitric acid, which was very flammable. Jewelry made from celluloid was produced until after World War II, but the development of cheaper plastics (that didn’t catch fire!) caused jewelry makers to abandon the substance. Celluloid jewelry should be kept in a dry, airy place and kept from extreme heat or cold to keep the pieces from damage. Pieces that have already begun to crack and disintegrate can damage other celluloid pieces and should be kept away from them.
Bakelite was created in 1908 and was quickly adopted for use in everything from tabletops to bracelets. Like cellulose, Bakelite was abandoned for cheaper materials after the war, and today Bakelite items are highly sought by collectors.
Read more about Bakelite: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/36293/bakelite_collectible_plastic.html
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Article Tags: accessories, alternative, Bakelite, Celluloid, costume jewelry, Dupont, imitation, Lucite, Plastic================
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