Alpacca / Alpaca has no silver content and is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. It is also known as nickel silver.
In 1770 German metalworks were able to produce a copper-nickel-zinc alloy for the first time, in imitation of imported "Chinese silver". In 1823 the process was perfected independently in both Germany and England, and the trademarked name Alpacca became widely used. Widely available after the 1860s.
Look and Feel: Weight =. Color = Silver. Fine detail, little wear over years, scratches and bends easily, not shiny. Alpacca does not corrode or rust. It will darken over time but does not develop a ‘warm’ silver patina.
Testing: / 1823
Aluminum / Aluminum was introduced in 1827, and was originally a rare and expensive material. Popular with religious artists from the1880s though the 1920s, because of its light weight and the way fine detail could be cast. Many antique crucifix and medals are aluminum.
Look and Feel: Weight = very light. Color = pale silver. Fine detail, little wear over years, scratches and bends easily, not shiny. Aluminum does not corrode or rust.
Testing: / 1830 / 1920
Aurora Borealis / In costume jewelry, a term for lead crystal stones that have a highly iridescent surface. The effect is achieved by vapor blasting the facets of the lower part of the crystals with a micro thin metal sheet. The Aurora Borealis crystal finish was created in collaboration with Christian Dior in 1950. Widely available after 1955, this was the first of many metal-based finishes created by Swarovski for their crystal beads.
AB is a finish on about half of the crystal. AB-2X covers the entire crystal. / 1950
Goldstone (Aventurine) / The distinguishing feature of aventurine is the metallic fleck inclusion. Aventurine is also the name of a semi-precious form of translucent microcrystalline quartz. Ironically, the natural stone aventurine is named for the glass that mimics the stone's appearance.
Bakelite, Catalin (Phenolics) / Bakelite is a phenolic resin, patented in 1909, and was the first truly synthetic plastic material. Bakelite was used in the manufacture of brooches, bracelets and beads and can be molded when heated, is durable and can be highly polished.
Catalin is a cast Bakelite product, with a different manufacturing process than other types of Phenolic resins. It did not have fillers such as sawdust or carbon black). In the 1930-50's it quickly replaced most plastic consumer goods. Catalin was not a durable product. It tended to shrink and crack as it aged. Also, due to oxidation, it can change color as it ages.
Look and Feel: Bakelite is opaque and usually reddish brown. Catalin is transparent and near colorless, so it can be dyed bright colors or even marbled. This has made Catalin more popular than other types of Bakelite.
Weight =. Color =. Fine detail, little wear over years, scratches and bends easily, not shiny. Aluminum does not corrode or rust.
Testing:
Tap test –
Smell test – Hold the item under hot water for about 30 seconds and then smell it. Bakelite has a very distinctive smell – a sweet chemical odor somewhat like shellac. If there is no odor, it's likely the piece is Lucite.
Swab test - As bakelite and catalin age, UV light causes a layer of phenyl alcohol to form on its surface. Formula 409 Cleaner is widely used to test bakelit;. Spray a small amount on a swab and rub it on the test area for a few seconds. If the swab develops a yellow color regardless of the color of the plastic, the piece is probably Bakelite. To protect the finish, wash the tested area immediately with warm water, and don’t rub hard - you can strip the finish or gloss from Bakelite if you rub too hard, making it dull and hard to restore. It is possible for Bakelite to fail one of these tests if the piece is dirty, has an applied finish or sealant not original to the piece, or which has a damaged finish.
Do not use Simichrome polish to test vintage plastics because it can give false positive results. Simichrome polish is a superior product for polishing bakelite and other vintage plastic, but not a good choice as a testing agent.
Dow Bathroom Cleaner USED TO BE widely used to test vintage plastics. However, it is very caustic and can destroy the shiny finish on the area of the piece being tested. Do not use. / 1909
Blown glass / Using this method, a glob of molten glass was removed from the furnace and the desired shape obtained by blowing through a glass tube - much the same way glass vases are made.
Bog Oak / This material is a hard black semi-fossilized wood originating from the peat bogs of Ireland. A very popular material with the Victorians it has been used to make items both large and small. When George IV visited Ireland in 1821 he was presented with a walking stick made from the material. Small jewelry items usually have typically Irish designs and decoration. Some later pieces had the designs stamped onto them rather than carved.
Bog Oak is dark brown in color and does not polish very well. Often it will have a distinctive peaty smell.
Looks duller and browner than jet. Also has a definite ‘bog’ smell
Bois Durci / Made from a paste of fine sawdust and an organic binder such as egg white or blood, molded under high pressure and steam heat. Patented in Paris in 1855 by the Parisian writer Francois Lepage. Hard and highly polished, it was used as a wood substitute or to mimic jet, bone, or metal. Sometimes used to create religious medals that look very similar to bronze. (1)
The material was not very durable and few items survive. / 1855 / 1926
Brass / Identify: weight = medium heavy. Color = golden when new, brownish with patina. Wears quickly. Little scratching, shiny. Corrodes easily with greenish blue or white tint. Can rust.
Camphor Glass / A cloudy white glass created by treating the object with hydrofluoric acid vapors, made in numerous Midwestern US facilities during the mid-19th century. Camphor glass is not completely opaque and is usually a cloudy grayish white. Blue camphor glass, attributed to the Sandwich Glass Company, also exists but is extremely rare. / 1850
Carnival Glass / Inexpensive pressed glass with vivid gold, orange, and purple iridescence, made in the United States between about 1895 and 1924. It was frequently offered as fairground prizes.
Casein / Casein was first exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1900 under the trade name Galalith. Under the name Erinoid, casein was exhibited at the first British Industries Fair in 1915, and an improved version was patented in 1950. Casein manufacturing continued until about 1980.
Casein plastic is made from chemically-hardened milk proteins, and does not melt into a liquid. Casein was usually manufactured in sheets and then mechanically stamped out in basic shapes, which were hand tooled into the finished objects. It can be dyed almost any color, or combination of colors, and often was used to imitate ivory, horn, or tortoise shell.
Look and feel: Casein can lose moisture over time, and sometimes you can see this as a subtle "crinkle" on the surface.
Smell: Casein is made with animal protein, and smells, unfortunately, like wet dog. / 1900 / 1980
Celluloid & Acetate / Celluloid was introduced in 1862 as Parkesine, an artificial ivory. Popular into the first half of the 20th century. Beads were made of celluloid starting in about 1900 and were very popular during the Art Deco period. Celluloid is unstable and prone to significant changes with age; it may yellow with time, turn pinkish-brown, warp, or crumble. It's flammable and softens when exposed to mild heat.
Unusually, both Celluloid and Acetate are referred to as “Celluloid”.
Look and Feel
Celluloid has characteristics which are different from other plastics. Celluloid items tend to be thinner and lighter than Bakelite, and it is definitely more brittle and can crack when heated to higher temperatures.
Can be damaged by moisture, temperature extremes, or chemicals. Celluloid that has been stored in a closed environment for long periods can become "sick" and begin to discolor, crack, or even disintegrate.
Smell
In hot water, Celluloid will give off the odor of camphor, which smells like mothballs or pine sap.
Acetate has a different formula and will smell like vinegar.
Testing
One decisive way to identify celluloid is to use acetone; it will dissolve celluloid completely. Not recommended as a routine method of identification! / 1869 / 1940
Cloisonné / Cloisonné beads are meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans. First, tracts of wire are soldered on to a base bead in different designs. Then, the hollow areas are filled with enamel and fired. This process is repeated until all of the space is filled in. The bead is then polished and the exposed metal edges gold or silver plated. These beads can come in a variety of colors and are all unique.
Tagua / See Vegetable Ivory / 1860
Coca, Coco / See Vegetable Ivory / 1860
Vegetable Ivory / Vegetable ivory was a popular material for vintage rosary beads, and is still available, although less common. Often called Coca, Coco, or Tagua, it is not related to the coconut palm. An ivory substitute since at least the mid 19th century, vegetable ivory is beautiful in it's own right. It has a texture and hardness similar to elephant ivory, with a rating of 2.5 on the scale of mineral hardness.
According to legend, a ship sailing from South America to Germany in 1865 carried a load of tagua nuts as ballast. Upon arriving at dockside in Hamburg, curious stevedores began playing with the taguas, and, noticing their ivory-like characteristics, began using it for scrimshaw.[2]
Ivory nuts were a popular material for buttons, beads and small sculptures until the 1950s, when plastics greatly reduced the demand for tagua nuts.
Several tropical palms produce vegetable ivory. Phytelephas aequatorialis, also known as the ivory-nut palm, grows along the banks of tropical American rivers from Panama and Colombia to Peru. Metroxylon amicorum, the Caroline ivory-nut palm, is native to the Caroline Islands of Micronesia. Hyphaene ventricosa is an African palm native to islands and banks of the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. / 1860
Copper / Identify: weight = medium heavy. Color = reddish when new, brownish with patina. Wears quickly. Little scratching, shiny. Corrodes easily with greenish tint. Does not rust.
Crystal - Leaded Glass / Leaded Glass, also call Lead Crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead crystal was invented by the English glassmaker George Ravenscroft, who patented his new glass in 1674. He had been commissioned to find a substitute for the Venetian crystal produced in Murano, which used pure quartz sand and potash. By using higher proportions of lead oxide instead of potash, he succeeded in producing a brilliant glass with a high refractive index, well suited for deep cutting and engraving.
When tapped, lead crystal rings, unlike ordinary glasses. Consumers still rely on this property to distinguish it from cheaper glasses.
Crystal – Rock Crystal / Rock crystal is the name given to all clear colorless quartz.
Enamel / Vitreous enamel, or just enamel (or porcelain enamel in U.S. English), is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius (1380 and 1560 degrees Fahrenheit). The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic.
Filigree / Filigree is a delicate ornamental metal-work, usually made of gold or silver in curving motifs. It often suggests lace. Modern filigree is usually made by stamping the lacy open-work pattern out of sheets of silver or gold, rather than the traditional, more delicate method of twisting and soldering metal threads.
Fire-polished / Fire-polished beads are faceted glass beads that have been reheated in a kiln to melt them just enough to give a smooth, polished appearance.
French Jet (Glass) / Black glass, or 'French Jet', was created as a cheaper alternative to Jet. The glass was generally molded to simulate hand carved and polished Jet.
Black glass is easy to tell apart from Jet as it is heavier and colder to the touch; jet has a lower thermal conductivity rate than glass and will thusly be warm.
Not all black glass is French Jet! True French jet has a hard, bright shine with ‘silvery’ highlights, and is completely opaque.
Glow-in-the-Dark / Phosphorescent plastic dates from about 1960. / 1960
Gold
Gold Filled / Made by combining a layer or layers of gold alloy to a base metal (usually brass or copper), then rolling or drawing the metal to the desired thickness and shape. It has a long life and can be worn by most people without reactions or difficulties.
Goldstone, Aventurine glass / Goldstone was invented in 17th century Venice by the Miotti family, who were granted an exclusive license by the Doge. Persistent folklore describes goldstone as an accidental discovery by an unnamed Italian monastic order or medieval alchemists, but this appears to be only a legend.
Antique Goldstone is usually a reddish-brown, containing tiny crystals of metallic copper that require special conditions to form properly. The final appearance of each batch is highly variable; the outer layers tend to have duller colors and a lower degree of glitter. The best material is near the center of the mass, ideally with large, bright metal crystals suspended in a semitransparent glass matrix. Beads are usually carved from this mass, not molded or blown.
By using minerals other than copper, Goldstone can be made in purple, blue, and green – these colors are rare in antiques but common in modern manufacturing. / 1626
Gutta percha / A hard rubber-based material that looks like wood, introduced in 1843. While still in production for use in dentistry, Gutta Percha hasn't been used for beads since the mid 20th century.