ooh... ah... fakelite!

My lot is here. As I like to say -- this one was worth the price of admission, but not because of the striped bangle. It's the red jello colored bangle that I'm in love with. Transparent Bakelite is often referred to as Prystal, it cracks easier than opaque Bakelite and therefore more rare. This example is lovely with no crazing (internal cracks) at all. Also in this lot were two blue moon spacers. I know these are hand cut because they're not entirely flat. This dates them, as newer pieces are always machine cut and have no variation in width. They're also an unusual and hghly collectible color. Now that we've discussed the actual vintage Bakelite in this lot we need to talk about the striped bangle.

It does test but it's newer. Fakelite, as it is refered to. How do I know? For one, it's spotless and shiny. There are no nicks or surfaces scratches on this bracelet at all. Most Bakelite was produced in the thirties. You can't come over 70 years without any wear and tear unless you were stored in padded box the entire time. Two, the walls are too thin. Stacked against vintage bangles this piece doesn't have the proper width. Three, the color it produces is slightly off. It's more brown than yellow. It's a lovely imitation, but it's just not the real thing. Also, with striped bangles the older ones are laminated so that you can't feel the seams. This one is not and the seams are evident simply by running your fingers over them.

Keeping these points in mind should steer you clear of Fakelite. Even if you can't test the piece chemically, thin walls and no wear should be an instant red flag.