This necklace is a combination of vintage Lucite beads, white aurora borealis crystals, and beads taken from an old antique lampshade. My favorite thing about this necklace is that I get to talk about the history of Lucite. The clear ball beads in the necklace are actually a resin, which was created by Dupont in 1937. They became very popular around the 1940’s and 50’s in costume jewelry because Lucite was inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use. It came in almost any color and by 1950, it had al most completely replaced Bakelite, a more expensive form of plastic. It’s biggest claim to fame is perhaps the popular 1950’s Jelly Belly Jewelry line.
Lucite beads are no longer being produced they way they were back in the 50’s, though they are still widely collected and used by modern jewelry designers such as myself. The prices of Lucite do vary a considerable amount because it is becoming harder to find.
This necklace sells for $195
