Beads • Adornments • Travel - Whole Bead Show

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In 1931, chemists at DuPont discovered Lucite
while “exploring the high-pressure technology
developed for ammonia production.” 2 Its strength
and clarity was far superior to any other plastic
of its kind, and therefore was perfect for all sorts
of industrial uses, but more importantly, it was
perfect for JEWELRY. Although the era of costume
jewelry started in the nineteenth century,
the invention of plastics from the next century
certainly expanded its horizons. As the years
went on, plastic beads were no longer acting as
replacements for more expensive components:
plastic was “a triumph for the twentieth century;
it didn’t pretend to be anything else but what it
was.” 3 Even famous jewelry designers and companies
like Coco Chanel, Miriam Haskell, Coro,
and Trifari began to use plastic in their lines. As
the decades progressed, contemporary jewelry
became more popular and easily obtainable
than fine jewelry, so innovative and inexpensive
plastic lent itself to the world of design. It had
become desirable to everyone.
Even today, plastic is still desirable—particularly
since the mod fashions of the 1960s and 1970s,
and the bold, bright styles of the 1980s are back
in style. There is still Bakelite jewelry out there,
and there are plenty of Lucite and other types of
plastic beads available—both vintage and contemporary.
Thanks to some industrious business
owners who have discovered sources of authentic
mid-century plastic, there is a plethora of
unused vintage beads to be had.
As I mentioned earlier, the vintage pieces have
an interesting quality that contemporary plastic
lacks; they come in colors and shapes that aren’t
being manufactured any more, and they were
created during the very eras that modern designers
are inspired by.
Some of my favorite moments at shows are
when customers see one of our beautiful necklaces
that feature our own line of vintage German
plastic. It feels great to hear someone marvel
at how fantastic plastic can look, particularly
when it is mixed with other materials. It enhances
the clarity of glass, its creamy appearance
looks amazing with metal, and it adds dimension
without adding much weight. Our line is from the
mid 1960s through the late 1970s, and comes
directly from Germany. Ava Motherwell added
it to her collection in 2003 after discovering the
beads on one of her many trips to Europe. It’s
thrilling to see a customer loading up trays with
the stuff—I covet it all as I pack it into bags.
Other Whole Bead Show merchants, such as
The Beadin’ Path and Talisman Associates,
carry lines of lovely vintage Lucite which can
get me into big trouble. Lucite lovers are often
impressed by The Whole Bead Shop vintage
plastic line because of the similar effect the
beads invoke. Unfortunately, we cannot offer
our vintage plastic in our online catalog because
there are simply too many varieties and styles
to keep track of, and they become limited very
quickly. However, it is much better to shop for it
in person so you can touch it and be swept away
by its unique qualities.
1 The historical content in this (and the previous)
paragraph comes from “An Introduction to Plastics”
at vectorsite.net and “The History of Plastic” at
americanplasticscouncil.org
2 From the overview of Lucite on DuPont’s website:
heritage.dupont.com/touchpoints/tp-1931/overview.shtml
3 Fenster, Julie M. 2001. Bakelite Jewelry.
American Heritage, 52(3), 12.