Bakelite Bangles


 

 
Leo Beakeland (1863 -1944), a Belgian who had moved to America, was the inventor of Bakelite.  Made by the condensation of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst and used for everything from tools and telephones to jewelry, "Bakelite" is frequently used as a generic name for all phenol formaldehyde, including Catalin and Marblette, which came later and in a wider range of colors. Bakelite is a thermoset plastic, meaning that once cast or molded and hardened, it will not melt, burn or dissolve. It can only be worked by carving, sawing, tumbling, painting and gluing.  

Bakelite jewelry was at it's zenith from the late 1920s till the start of WWII in 1942. The lack of money and need for inexpensive fun during the Depression era of the 1930s gave the whimsy, colorful and cheerful look of bakelite jewelry the perfect market. The sophisticated Deco and machine age look of some of the pieces made them fashion-forward.
See our bakelite feature in Jewel Chat.
 

BAKELITE red and apple juice reverse carved stretchy bracelet, 7-1/3"by 1-1/4" at front and 1" at the back.   View   View   View    #B34033

BAKELITE apple juice and orange reverse carved stretchy bracelet circa 1940, 7" by 1-3/16". This is beautifully carved and in excellent condition, a real treat to wear.  View   View    #B33497

BAKELITE apple juice and red reverse carved stretchy bracelet, 7" by 1" front and 7/8" band.   View   View   View   #B34565 

BAKELITE apricot-lilac translucent extra deeply carved floral hinged bangle with safety catch added on the side for security, circa 1940, measures 6-1/8" by 1" wide by 1/2" thick.   View   View   #B18090

BAKELITE lilac-apricot translucent hinged bangles, from top:
#B13691 back hinge, 6-1/2" by 1".
#B14004 side hinge, 6-1/3" by 1".
#B18090 side hinged with added safety, 6-1/8" by 1".
#B13692 back hinged, 6-1/4" by 7/8".

  BAKELITE lilac-apricot translucent swirl and slash carved hinged bangle, 6-1/4" by 7/8" by 1/3".   View   #B13692

BAKELITE red and butterscotch links bracelet with cross hatch carving on the red links, wonderful mellow bakelite colors, 7-1/3" by 1-1/8".   View   View   #B61645

BAKELITE article in July 1985 issue of Connoisseur Magazine.

BAKELITE pumpkin orange leaf deeply carved hinged clamper bracelet, 6-1/3" oval inside and 7/8" wide.   View   View   #B31999

BAKELITE red pineapple and leaves deeply carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/3". See page 66 of Davidov & Dawes "The Bakelite Jewelry Book".   #B17711  

  BOTH caramel and red bakelite bangles.

BAKELITE butterscotch heavily carved leaves and slashes bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" wide by 1/3" thick.   View   #B32805 

    BAKELITE chunky butterscotch segments with celluloid cameo elastic strung bracelet, extra thick and chunky, 1-3/4" by 1-1/4" cameo panel, band 1" wide.    View   #B28896

BAKELITE butterscotch cameo set.   #B28896

  BAKELITE butterscotch extra thick and chunky cameo brooch with beveled and carved edges, 2-1/3" by 1-7/8" .   View   View   #B28899

BAKELITE peachy butterscotch rope carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 5/8" by 1/3".    #B63352   Both

    BAKELITE end of day bangles in unusual colors. Larger is 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/2", two smaller are 2-1/2" by 3/8".  View   View   View  View  #B22478

  BAKELITE stack of narrow but well carved bangles.

   BAKELITE bangles with matching carving in pumpkin and avocado, 2-1/2" by 7/16" by 1/4" each.   #B14016

   BAKELITE corn carved roses bangle, 2-1/2" by 1-1/3" by 1/4".  #B28289 

   BAKELITE gouge carved bangle 3/4 inch wide, 2-1/2 inch in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. #B18837

BAKELITE butterscotch swirl worm carved bangle, circa 1930, 2-1/2" by 7/8" wide by 1/4" thick.   #B32807 

   BAKELITE  bangle, Mississippi mud with deep cross-hatch carving on three sides, 2-1/2" by 1/3" by 1/3".   View   View   #B31987

BAKELITE caramel marbled bangle with carved lines and flowers, 2-1/2" by by 7/8" by 1/4" thick.    #B61433     

BAKELITE bangle, Mississippi mud with slash carving on three sides, 2-1/2" by 1/3" by 1/3".   View   #B31986   

    BAKELITE lipstick red bakelite stretch bracelet, a wonderful 2" wide. The matching necklace for this can be seen on page 50 of Davidov & Dawes "The Bakelite Jewelry Book".   #B13102 

       BAKELITE red pierced back hinged 6-1/4" by 1" bangle with double rose carved front. See page 68 of Davidov & Dawes "The Bakelite Jewelry Book" and in Burkholz' "The Bakelite Jewelry Collection" on page 56. This carved double flower motif was also used in brooches and clips.   View   #B13975 

  BAKELITE  red carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 1" by 3/16".   #B18905

    BAKELITE apple juice faceted bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4".   #B29021  

BAKELITE cherry red faceted transparent bangle, 2-1/2" by 5/8" by 1/4". #B24334  

BAKELITE butterscotch translucent honeycomb faceted wide bangle, 2-1/2" by 1-1/4" by 1/4".   #B34678

BAKELITE black wide faceted bangle, 2-1/2" by 1-1/8" by 1/8".   #B29024

BAKELITE red and black faceted bangles group, wonderful worn together.   #B29024-6

BAKELITE red faceted bangle, 2-1/2" by 5/8" by 1/4".   #B29025

BAKELITE black carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/2".   #V28006

BAKELITE black leafy design well carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/3".  #V29013

    BAKELITE black carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/4".   #B17707 

BAKELITE black carved 4-segmented elastic bracelet, 6-3/4" by 3/4".   View   #B32739

BAKELITE black carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4".   #B29014

BAKELITE black chunky heavily carved floral and cross hatch bangle, 2-1/2" by 7/8" by 1/2".   #B29012

    BAKELITE red, cream and black laminated bangle.  #B20230

  BAKELITE laminated bangles, circa 1940. These were originally patriotic red, white and blue, and have oxidized over the years to these colors. Laminated with special glue and then polished as one piece, bakelite could be combined colors, or laminated with wood or metal.

    BAKELITE red, cream and black laminated bangle. Although it has aged over time, originally this bangle would have been a patriotic red, white and blue.   #B12968

BAKELITE cream open cuff with red dot , 6-1/2" all the way around the inside with a 1-1/8" back opening, 1-1/8" wide and 1/2" thick at front tapering to 1-1/4" by 1/3" at back. See this in black on page 51 of "The Bakelite Jewelry Book" by Davidov & Dawes.   #B32125

BAKELITE bracelets.   #B32125 and #B32124

 BAKELITE zig-zag bangles in creamed corn and apricot with light marbling, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4" each, priced as a pair. These bangles fit together perfectly and are shown in Wassertrom & Pina "Bakelite Jewelry", page 92.  #B3730

  BAKELITE  sienna and caramel stardust bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/3".  #B24312

BAKELITE  butterscotch with soft orange marbling spacers, set of two, 2-1/2" by 1/8" by 1/4". #B20127

     BAKELITE heavily carved root beer bangle,  2-1/4" by 7/8" by 1/3".    #B16034

   BAKELITE apple juice and cream juice bangles.   View

    BAKELITE apple cider chunky thick faceted bangle, 2-1/2" by 5/8" by 3/8".  #B24331

   BAKELITE apple juice faceted chunky bangle, 2-1/2" by 1" by 7/16". See Grasso's "Bakelite Jewelry" page 33 and Burkholz' "The Bakelite Jewelry Collection" on page 119.    #B17850

   BAKELITE apple juice faceted bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 3/8".   #B17849

  BAKELITE apple juice faceted wide bangle2-1/2" by 1-1/4" by 3/8".   #B16378

   BAKELITE PRYSTAL transparent ruby red bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/3".  #B24335

  BAKELITE PRYSTAL transparent apple juice bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/3".  ALL #B24337

  BAKELITE PRYSTAL  transparent pomegranate bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/3".  #B24336

     BAKELITE deep wine red faceted bangle, fabulous color, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/4".   #B16658 

    BAKELITE red transparent bangle, 2-5/8" by 7/8" by 3/8".  #B16606

  BAKELITE wide red transparent bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/1'3" by 1/8".  #B17825

    BAKELITE  green transparent bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4".  #B24321

   BAKELITE transparent red carved bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/4" by 1/3".   #B16033

   BAKELITE transparent green spacer, 2-1/2" by 1/4" by 1/4".  #B13011

    BAKELITE green transparent bangle, 2-5/8" by 7/8" by 3/16".   #B13010

    BAKELITE transparent bangles in fruit colors.    View

   BAKELITE green Prystal bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4" transparent bangle.   #B16393

    BAKELITE  green transparent bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4".  #B24321

    BAKELITE red transparent bangle, 2-5/8" by 7/8" by 3/8".  #B16606

   BAKELITE transparent green spacer, 2-1/2" by 1/4" by 1/4".  #B13011

    BAKELITE green transparent bangle, 2-5/8" by 7/8" by 3/16".   #B13010

  BAKELITE lemony apple juice transparent bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4".  View   #B24320

   BAKELITE green Prystal bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4" transparent bangle.   #B16393

    BAKELITE transparent orange bangle,2-1/2" by 7/8" by 1/4".   #B14847

   BAKELITE  lime green Prystal bangle, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/4" transparent bangle.  #B21033

   BAKELITE transparent orange bangle, 2-1/2" by 3/8" by 1/4", set of two.  View   #B14848

  BAKELITE green Prystal transparent bangle with clear rhinestones, 2-1/2" by 1" by 3/4".   #B11518    

 BAKELITE red transparent bangle with blue rhinestones, 2-1/2 diameter by 3/4" wide by 3-16" thick.   #B12918 

  BLUE plastic bangle with blue rhinestones, 2-5/8" by 5/8" by 3-16".  View   #B23422

BAKELITE butterscotch Endura hinged bangle watch, 6-1/3" by 1-1/4" front and 1" back. Watch keeps time.   View   #B60931

BAKELITE black (deep transparent green) and wood carved links elastic bracelet, 7" by 1-1/2".   View   View   #B60600

BAKELITE butterscotch and orange injected dot links bracelet and earrings, 7" bracelet and 1-1/4" earrings.   View   #B61397

     MAH JONG bakelite tiles made into two expansion bracelets. 

MAH JONG bakelite tiles made into a stretch bracelet with green transparent beads.   #B25073

 LYDELL contemporary pink transparent "carved" plastic bangle, 2-1/2" by 1".   View   #Y21687