What Is Celluloid Jewelry. Celluloid is the trade name for a plastic that was widely used in the 1800s and early/mid 1900s to make pins, buttons, fountain pens, buttons, toys, dolls and many other collectible products. Vintage jewelry using celluloid dates to about 1900 and is commonly known as the first thermoplastic material used in jewelry.
Celluloid Fringe Necklace Vintage Jewelry Art Deco Earthy Blue from www.etsy.com
If you follow antique auctions you will often hear the name mentioned. The history of plastic jewelry celluloid. Bakelite, also known as catalin, is one that had wide applications, including jewelry.
Celluloid Was Useful For Creating Cheaper Jewelry, Jewelry Boxes, Hair Accessories, And Many Items That Would Earlier Have Been Manufactured From Ivory, Horn, Or Other Expensive Animal Products.
Today it is still used to make guitar picks. It is a highly flammable compound made from camphor and guncotton. The colours are much softer too, and more pastel shades.
It is a composition mainly of soluble guncotton and camphor, resembling ivory in texture and color. Bakelite, also known as catalin, is one that had wide applications, including jewelry. These are unusual in that the most common type of celluloid jewelry i see are celluloid bangle bracelets and pins in a pale cream or white color, with molded flowers painted in a pastel color.
Unlike The Ivory Chips, The Grain Here Is Manufactured Through The Chips Or Dice As Wavy Parallel Lines.
Concern for the possible extinction of this species, and also relative difficulty in harvesting the shells, led in the early 20th century to celluloid (an early version of plastic) exhibiting the desirable design. Bakelite makes a distinct sound when clicked together, and w
omen wore the bangles stacked one on the other. You will find colours that don't exist in bakelite, such as white, pale pink, peach and very pale yellows.
It Was Often Referred To As Ivorine Or French Ivory.
First being used for general photography, it was later the prime method for shooting and distributing motion pictures. Many other types of plastics were developed moving into the 20th century. At first celluloid was an eternal substitute—an inexpensive imitation of ivory, tortoiseshell, and even linen.
The Jewelry Was Made Popular By Entertainers Such As Carmen Miranda.
Celluloid film is a strip of transparent film base with plastic coating. Celluloid is a lot softer than bakelite, and much easier to break. The style of the jewelry is quite different usually too.
