Friday, January 22, 2010

Bangles, Cuffs, Baubles...BRACELETS!

Find these bracelets on Etsy, here

Going along with this weeks Art Deco theme, I thought I would talk about my favorite kinds of bracelets: vintage bakelite and lucite bangles. Bakelite was introduced in the early 1900's and used extensively for jewelry through World War II because of its low price point and popularity. It sets under high heat, is not recyclable, and is a little heavier than lucite, making it perfect for bracelets but not earrings. Bakelite remains very popular with collectors today and can be found pretty much anywhere that sells vintage jewelry.

Lucite was invented by DuPont in 1937 and was the next best thing to Bakelite in jewelry. Its popularity ran from 1940 to 1953, although it is still widely used today. It is lighter than Bakelite and is recyclable! It can be dyed any color, transparent or opaque, and can be carved or inlaid just like Bakelite.

So why am I telling you all of this? I have decided to try my hand at making resin bangles. I ordered the supplies I need and they should be here sometime early next week. Epoxy resin is twice as strong as concrete, seamless, waterproof, and can be dyed any color just like the vintage versions. Now, obviously, vintage bakelite and lucite are second to none...you all know what a huge fan I am of vintage jewelry...but this is something I want to experiment with and am really excited about. You wanted more bracelets, and they are coming soon! In the meantime check out this awesome shop I found on Etsy: Bangin Bangles- they have some amazing stuff!

Also from Bangin Bangles


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1 comments:

Renée T. Habashy said...

I love bangles and bracelets, but it's so hard for me to find ones that look good on me. It's not the easiest accessory for me to wear. Weird, right? lol

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http://reneetbouchard.com

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