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LIFEMIX, THE MAGAZINE
Summer, 2008 Issue
A magazine blog? A blog magazine?
Whatever, just chill here to get some inside track on
fashion, trend, life, and anything else mixed in between.
Check back for updates on store specials and promos too!
last modified Jan 21, 2008 at 19:47
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During the early stages of plastic development, Bakelite (or phenolic resin) was popular in the 1930s and 1940s as a low cost alternative to expensive raw materials such as jade and pearl.
Developed by a Belgian chemist named Leo Baekeland (hence the name, Bakelite), initially the material was developed for the purpose of providing a durable coating for the bowling alley lanes. The chemical process was patented by Dr. Baekeland, and he soon utlized the material for automibile manufacturing, used most commonly as an insulating coating for automotive wiring.
It wasn't until a decade of exploration that Bakelite was finally made available to the consumer market. Thomas Edison used Bakelite as the base for his early commercial phonograph records, it was used to make billiard balls, or handles for flatware and hand-held mirrors.
The manufacturing process of Bakelite accessories was simple, yet labor intensive and time consuming. Craftsman would order the material in cylinder or block forms, use powered hand tools and grinders to carve out individual pieces for resale. During its peak, Bakelite jewelry became the rage among fashionable consumers, and during the depression, its inexpensive value eventually attracted the masses to its unique qualities.
Ultimately, Bakelite-Catalin's labor-intensive and toxic process proved to be its undoing. After World War II, mass production became the plastic industry's buzzword and Bakelite became a pleasant memory. Collectors today prize it for its patina and its versatility, it is not unusual for a typical Bakelite bangle to be priced anywhere from $200 to $600. Unscrupulous dealers, however, have tried to sell other plastic items as authentic Bakelite. One test for authenticity is called the hot pin test. Interested buyers should find an inconspicuous area of the object in question and apply a heated pin. True Bakelite gives off a distinctive odor as it melts, very similar to the scent of burnt human hair. If the pin melts the object but no formaldehyde/burnt hair odor is detected, it is most likely an imitation.
The closest modern day manufacturing process that resembles Bakelite is called polyresin. Adia Kibur Accessories is probably one of the few companies around that produces all of its plastics in respect to this process.
Polyresin combines the dense and crisp quality of Bakelite, with the ease of casted molding process. The polyresin material arrives in sealed buckets of liquid form, it is then opened, and poured into well-oiled molds that were negatives of hand carved originals. The molds are then air dried for a day or so, with the finished products released from the mold, and then polished with fine pebbles in a rotating machine.
When one thinks of crystals, one thinks of Swarovski. Valued as one of the most prestigious brands in fashion accessories materials, Swatovski made its mark by producing the world's most refine line of crystals, in an assortment of colors and cuts that are second to none.
Swarovski is the brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by companies owned by Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, near Zurich, Switzerland. Swarovski was founded in 1895 by a Bohemian, Daniel Swarovski, who established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens (near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria) where he could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes he had patented.
How would one tell if a crystal bead is from Swarovski? What separates Swarovski from the rest of the pack?
One word sums up the edge Swarovski has over its competitors - consistency. Consistency in crystals comes from its cut and color. If you were to visually compare a batch of Swarovski crystals versus regular Czech or Chinese crystals, Swarovski will give off more spark. The reason for this is not because the properties of the raw materials Swarovki are made of is that much better, but just as diamonds, when crystals are cut consistently, light will reflect and deflect off its edges far better.
With the consistencies in cuts, Swarovski crystals sets on jewelry better as well, ensuring that every drop of crystal on an accessory stays securely in place, and appears extremely uniform in presentation.
In terms of colors, crystals colors are dependent on the chemical coating it receives after it is cut, much like how glazing is brushed on pottery, but it won't give off its resultant color until it has been heated. With Swarovski's decades of research, they have developed and created various color techniques that are uniquely their's. For designers who work with crystals, knowing the latest colors available fron Swarovski will not only help out tremendously on their designs, but it will also allow them to stay with current color trends, and ultimately design products that can be produced effortlessly with existing cystal stock.
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