CELLULOID JEWELRY
In the middle of the 19th century the supply of ivory became insuficient to meet the demand. In 1868, Hyatt Bros. of Newark, New Jersey produced a composition resembling ivory in texture and color, and called it celluloid, a colorless synthetic plastic made by treating cellulose nitrate with camphor and alcohol. It was the first synthetic plastic material, and was made of a colloid of cellulose nitrate (nitrocellulose) plasticized with camphor; It was tough, cheap to produce, and resistant to water, oils, and dilute acids. Celluloid became the generic name for cellulose nitrate plastics and its use for knife handles, jewelry, washable collars and cuffs, toys, table tennis balls, etc became widespread. In jewelry, celluloid was dyed to imitate coral, tortoise shell, amber, malachite and other semi-precious materials.
Celluloid is one of the earliest man made plastics that was widely used in making plastic jewelry. Jewelry made of celluloid dates roughly from 1900-1930. Celluloid has certain characteristics which differentiate it from other plastics. In general, pieces made from celluloid tend to be thin, light, somewhat brittle, sensitive to heat (they crack and craze), and early celluloid can be extremely flammable (do not ever test with a hot pin). Celluloid is flexible. It can be bent, twisted, and molded. When placed briefly in hot water, early celluloid smells like camphor, while later cellulose acetate smells like vinegar. Celluloid jewelry should be stored carefully. Extremes of temperature, moisture, exposure to cosmetics or perfume, or lack of adequate ventilation can cause a celluloid piece to become “sick” and begin to discolor, crack, or even disintegrate. A “sick” piece is contagious, and should be placed in quarantine away from other pieces.
 | US $13.50 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Jul-29-2010 8:32:17 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
 | US $40.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Jul-29-2010 20:14:24 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
 | US $7.50 End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 15:46:45 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $7.50 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
 | US $28.00 End Date: Thursday Aug-05-2010 14:47:17 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $28.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
The highly inflammable nature of celluloid was always a hazard to its manufacture and use, and as newer plastics materials became available its use gradually declined. In the USA, celluloid companies became merged into and engulfed by firms making newer plastics and in the late 1940s the manufacture of celluloid ceased for the most part. Though it has been replaced in many uses by nonflammable synthetic polymers (originally cellulose acetate and Bakelite, then a host of others), it is still manufactured and used, mostly to make table tennis balls and guitar picks, the properties of which have not yet been successfully imitated by any other material. Celluloid has long lost its economic importance but the word itself has not died because of the influence its ideas has had on 20th century technology.
Leave a Reply