posted on March 27, 2004 12:03:33 PM
Hi, all you smart people! From my husband's aunt's jewelry collection (she died in her 80s in 1995) is this bracelet and brooch set (and what do you call a set like this, technically?). It appears to be wooden; when I tap it it "sounds" like wood, but how would the ivory-like carving be done? I can't tell if it's applied or carved out of the bracelet material.
The bracelet is a 6 1/4" bangle, 1" wide, and the brooch is 2 3/4" wide with a pinback.
How would you describe it? I have no idea if it's common or rare and, not knowing what words to use to describe it, I can't research it.
Any thoughts for me?
IT'S LATER, AND I'M ADDING THIS:
I did two things with the bracelet. I dipped it in very warm water for a Bakelite test, and it is not Bakelit. Then I heated a pin and applied it to a part of the carved flowers. The odor it gave off, as it smoked (!!!) was very chemical (not the Bakelite smell, something much stronger). Does anyone know if that would mean it's celluloid?
Second question: Is celluloid a plastic? (I'm pretty ignorant about technical things like that.)
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
[ edited by Roadsmith on Mar 27, 2004 12:06 PM ]
[ edited by Roadsmith on Mar 27, 2004 10:59 PM ]
posted on March 27, 2004 12:54:20 PM
Ditto on the pics! I have an older mavica fd83 and cannot get anything close to this quality - give up the secret!!
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on March 27, 2004 04:32:18 PM
Hi, guys. I've been out on errands and have come back to your nice comments about my photograph. Thanks! I have a Sony Mavica 73. Sometimes my pictures don't come out so well. My son-in-law, who's a professional photographer, did tell me that the important thing, if I don't use an tripod or such (and I don't) is to balance my arm or arms on the table or something before snapping the shot--he always holds a camera by balancing it on his nose. That usually works pretty well for me. Then when I photo edit I make sure to bring up the contrast just a little bit. That's all.
NOW--about the jewelry. I agree the sample you gave, Kiara, is almost identical, but I just can't believe it's made of celluloid--unless there's something I don't know about celluloid. Is it a hard plastic that can be carved? The base of the bracelet feels like wood - or perhaps a heavier plastic of some sort.
If I decide to describe it as celluloid, what category of jewelry would you list it in? vintage? ethnic? art deco (it has a sort of art deco or art nouveau look to it)?
And what do you call a bracelet and brooch set? Parure? Demi-parure??? I'm lost on that.
Thanks for your compliments, and for your advice. I need to list this for tomorrow evening so I welcome any and all comments. ~Adele
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
posted on March 27, 2004 08:44:39 PM
I'm bumping this up in hopes of more good advice!
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
I think that you can carve Celluloid. Here's a bit of an explanation:
Celluloid is a plastic made from cellulose (derived from plants). This very flammable material was invented in 1869 by the American inventor John Wesley Hyatt (it was invented to be a substitute for the elephant ivory used for billiard balls). Celluloid was one the first plastics invented; it can be damaged by moisture.
The plastic did live on as a substitute for other expensive materials like amber and tortoiseshell; like Parkesine, celluloid could also be transparent. Later, it was used for film in photography and movies.
posted on March 28, 2004 07:47:44 AM
Yes, celluloid can be carved but this piece looks more like it's molded. Without seeing it, I can't tell if the backing is wood or plastic but the molded flowers were probably applied to it.
There are similar pieces shown in some of my jewelry books but they don't have the backing and are referred to as "ivory-colored molded celluloid".
It's not considered a parure as that would have earrings and a bracelet also and a demi-parure would have earrings. You could list it in the vintage jewelry category under bakelite and plastic jewelry.
posted on March 28, 2004 10:03:08 AM
Once again, thanks so much!
Tom, I did two things with the bracelet last night: I dipped it in very warm water for a Bakelite test, and it is not Bakelite. Then I heated a pin and applied it to a part of the carved flowers. The odor it gave off, as it smoked (!!!) was very chemical (not the Bakelite smell, something much stronger).
Cheryl and Kiara: I'm pretty certain this is molded rather than carved celluloid.
I've concluded it is indeed celluloid. My husband just now got out his very old organic chemistry book and reported that adding more "ingredients" to celluloid produces explosives like cordite; add less nitration and you get pyroxoline and if you add plasticizers to this, you get celluloid--the first important industrial plastic, with camphor, alcohol, and pigments.
Learn something new every day!
I'm going to list it in the plastics and Bakelite category.
I love how selling collectibles forces us to learn new things.
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
posted on March 28, 2004 05:39:55 PM
Cellulite--now that's funny! I caught myself almost saying that instead of celluloid here, a couple of times. LOL
Just proves, though, that if you collect, say, celluloid jewelry, you'd better search for all the misspellings!
___________________________________
Have you noticed since everyone has a Camcorder these days no one talks
about seeing UFOs like they used to?
