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What is Bakelite

Bakelite

Bakelite is a thermoset plastic made from phenol formaldehyde which has fillers to make it durable, strong and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. It is a US manufactured product, patented in 1907 by a Belgian chemist, Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekeland, working in New York. Bakelite was first manufactured between 1907 and 1927. Early uses of Bakelite were radios, handles for pots and pans, castings for televisions, toys, etc.

In the early to mid 1950s, the Swarovski Company began experimenting to give a lustrous aurora borealis coating on crystals to make them more radiant. The process was meant to simulate the effect of the Northern Lights, or the celestial Aurora Borealis. By 1955, the process was perfected by Swarovski, who also worked closely with Christian Dior in the design of jewelry with these stones.

Bakelite jewelry has become a hot collecting area in the last several decades. Genuine bakelite jewelry commands very high prices. It should not be confused with French Bakelite or "fakelite," which is a modern mass produced material made to look like bakelite. For more information about Bakelite and how to test jewelry for its content, please go to the bakelite testing information page in our resource library.

Examples of Bakelite Jewelry: (click the pictures for more detail)

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