Bakelite Pet Jewelry

I enjoy collecting buttons, which you often see as the toggle closure in my Beasty Bling designs.  I am particularly attracted to “plastic” buttons which were prevalent in the 20^th century. During this time, it was discovered that plastic was a wonderfully malleable substance and could be formed in a variety of shapes under pressure or with heat. 

In this century, three major categories of plastic are used in creating buttons – celluloid, casein and Bakelite.  It is Bakelite that most of us vie for because of its rarity and uniqueness. Bakelite, which is rarely if ever produced, is a manmade resin that can be opaque, marbleized, translucent or transparent. It was made available in a myriad of colors and the materials, it was sawed, sliced, and carved presenting endless design possibilities. 

In the 1930s, button manufacturers loved the material because it added novelty to their products.  Buttons were shaped and colored like actual objects and were referred to as “goofies” or “realistics” as they resembled actual fruits, flowers, toys, vegetables, animals, and daily objects like pliers or clothespins, irons or hatchets.  But it was not just whimsy; Bakelite followed the artistic mood of Europe and Art Deco buttons that were sculptural in shape and geometric in design.   

When I come across these singular Bakelite pieces, I use them as the toggle closure in my Beasty Bling jewelry designs. In some cases they are the main focus. Bakelite and earlier plastic material are light weight, colorful, whimsical or subtle but always intriguing in design.  It’s the subtleties that make Beasty Bling pet jewelry unique, personal and special for you and your pet.