Vintage Bakelite Jewelry
In the 1920s, the then-new plastics industry joined a popular fashion trend and began creating bangle bracelets meant to look like ivory, jade, and jet. After the Depression, novelty and low cost made Bakelite jewelry popular. It didn't hurt that Coco Chanel included Bakelite in her collections, and it wasn't long before couturiers and high-end fashion retailers were selling Bakelite jewelry and fashion accessories. Soon, Bakelite, Catalin and other colorful plastic jewelry was everywhere, and it seemed that it was made to look like anything and everything.
Bakelite rings, earrings, necklaces, and beads were a big part of the action: colorful, fun-loving, often carved, but sometimes simple in clear or translucent designs.
Bakelite pins and brooches were produced in an extraordinary number of designs: cowboy boots, fruit and vegetables, silly animals and silly people, Egyptian pharoahs, Uncle Sam, musical instruments, airplanes, women's hats...the list goes on.
The Bakelite charms found on bracelets and necklaces included fruit, animals, school books and school supplies, symbols of luck, bowling pins and other sports items, anchors, tropical motifs, Mexican mariachis, and much much more.
Charms were not the only way Bakelite appeared in bracelets. The plastic was used to make bracelets of every sort: bangles, hinged bracelets, link bracelets, cuffs, and stretch bracelets. Intricately carved Bakelite bangle bracelets, bracelets that mixed Bakelite with chrome, silver or other metals, bracelets set with imitation pearls and precious stones (made of Bakelite) or rhinestones, clear reverse-carved bracelets with amazing scenes within - - it seems there was no limit to the creativity of Bakelite jewelry designers and artisans.
The listings here include all types of vintage Bakelite jewelry. If you are looking for specific types of jewelry, such as bracelets or earrings, you'll find the links to the right side of this page under the "Store Pages" heading.
