~Moonlight Martini Monthly ~
Yay! Happy May!
Don’t Forget Mom May 10th! And Treat Yourself!
Spring is in full swing, and it's time to think about your Summer wardrobe.
We have gobs of fun and flirty mod necklaces, earrings and more to accessorize.
Mod not your thing? No prob! We have thousands of other listings from every era. From Victorian to the '90's and beyond!
Spring Picks Below. Pluck Them Up Before They're Gone!
Our May Picks!
Jewelry Lore And A Tip For Buying Bakelite
Jewelry Lore
Teardrop style earrings are the saddest of all earrings!
Teardrop earrings are believed to have originated in ancient Greece, symbolizing the tears of Demeter, the goddess who mourned the loss of her daughter, Persephone. SO sad!
Buying Bakelite Jewelry
Bakelite was discovered by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907. Thanks Leo!
When buying bakelite, you really have to watch out for fakes or what many call "fake-a-lite."
Some sellers on different platforms are selling lucite, celluloid and even plastic as genuine bakelite.
Always ask sellers if they test their bakelite and how they test it.
Simichrome polish is the standard go-to test. If sellers say they use "Scrubbing Bubbles" cleaner, stay clear! This is not a reputable test. The ingredients of that cleaner changed many years ago and it is not capable of yielding a correct result.
Looks matter!
Bakelite necklaces will NEVER have stationary string running through the centers of the beads. Those necklaces are plastic and they were manufactured by machine. This manufacturing method is called “shot strung”. View first photo below. The necklace in the first photo was actually listed by a seller as bakelite! Oh the horror!
Also beads on necklaces will not have manufacturer’s seams. View 2nd photo that shows seams on the beads.
And if you see a necklace claiming to be bakelite with a lobster claw style clasp, this is a dead giveaway that it is not bakelite. Unless it has been restrung and states so.
There is so much more I can tell you about bakelite; I will save it for a future newsletter. But for now, a good rule of thumb is always look closely and ask lots of questions!
May's Fun Fact
Dorothy… Blonde or Brunette?
L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz books, preferred blondes!
In his books, Dorothy’s hair was actually blonde and not brown.
Does this prove that blondes do NOT have more fun? Well, I guess that depends on what your idea of fun is!
And as always...
Moonlight Martini says, Come Back Soon and Stay Hip!