Vintage 1940s Modeled Green Marble Bakelite Earrings, Round Dome Green Bakelite Clip Ons, Dark Green Retro Style Disc Earrings, Green Spinach Bakelite Puffy Disc Earrings, Classic Mid Century Womens Fashion Jewelry
 
Diameter 1.25" inches / Weight 16 grams / All above measurements are approximate

Very beautiful and classic Mid Century earrings made with marbled spinach green and a transparent yellow swirl Bakelite. They are most probably a piece of jewelry from around the end of 1940s or very early 1950s. The design is quite interesting because it is a true modernist retro piece but with a touch of minimalist avant garde lines. They are in very good vintage condition with normal wear from age. This tests positive for Phenolic Bakelite with a Simichrome polish test.

Bakelite, sometimes spelled Baekelite, or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. It was developed by the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, in 1907. One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms. The "retro" appeal of old Bakelite products has made them collectible. Bakelite was designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark on November 9, 1993, by the American Chemical Society in recognition of its significance as the world's first synthetic plastic.