and a jewelry question

[maltby]

this one is something my mom found cleaning out a super old jewelry box and thats everything I know about it. Any ideas on date or anything fun about it would be appreciated

and thanks!

 

[Linn]

Great find! It appears that your mom found a Bakelite necklace, C, 1930's with a barrel clasp. It should feel heavy for its size and if you rub the back of the main drop until it's warm and then sniff your finger you should get a distinctive chemical smell. You can also try to test it by putting a small amount of 409 or Simichrome polish (if you have some) on a Q-tip and then testing the back of the beads or main drop. The Q-tip should appear mustard yellow where you rubbed it against the Bakelite.

You can do a search for Bakelite and testing Bakelite.

Linn

 

[Pinkcoke]

Linn do you recognise the pendant design? I was thinking it might be several things but couldn't decide....a hula girl, a banana tree...?

 

[cmpollack]

I was thinking it might be several things but couldn't decide....a hula girl, a banana tree...?

Melanie--the pendant looks almost like a fusion of the two...

Great necklace! A definite inspiration to clean out all the super old jewelry boxes you can lay your hands on!

 

[Linn]

The pendant looks like it has leaves and then some type of hanging something but I don't think it looks like bananas - and I don't see a hula girl from the front side.

This is what a bunch of bananas looks like before they ripen - the red thing falls off:

 

[cmpollack]

Maybe a tassel-like hanging flower, with foliage?

 

[maltby]

how cool! I'm def going to give it some sniffing tonight and will report back

 

[BonniesVintageClothesLine]

What a great 1930s Bakelite find!

 

[Pinkcoke]

Maybe a tassel-like hanging flower, with foliage?

It does make more sense upside down as a flower! strangely...