How to Clean Bakelite Jewelry

Bakelite was often used for kitchen items in the early 1930s.

Bakelite jewelry is made of cast resin and was manufactured from 1929 to 1941. The jewelry is quite valuable, but it can be damaged during cleaning if you are not careful. Damage may include discoloration and even destruction of the Bakelite's finish, which generally cannot be restored. Carefully cleaning your Bakelite jewelry is integral to preserving its value and beauty.

Things You'll Need

• Baby toothbrush
• Liquid metal polish
• Cleaning cloths

Instructions

1. Rinse the Bakelite jewelry with hot water. Polish it with a cleaning cloth while running it under hot water. Scrub any cracks and crevices with a baby toothbrush.

2. Dry the Bakelite jewelry completely with a clean, dry cloth.

3. Place a small amount of liquid metal polish on a clean, dry cloth. Rub the cloth all over the Bakelite item to polish it, using firm pressure and circular motions. If brown or yellow residue appears on the cloth, move on to a clean section of the cloth. Allow the polish to "cloud over" before you continue.

4. Buff off the polish with a clean, dry cloth using firm pressure and circular motions. When the polish has been buffed away, you should see a bright, shiny finish. Repeat the process multiple times to get the best finish possible.

Tips & Warnings

• While you are running hot water over the Bakelite jewelry, smell the item. If it smells like formaldehyde, then it is authentic Bakelite. If it smells like camphor, burnt milk or nothing at all, then it is likely not Bakelite.

References

• Gale's Bakelite Guide: The Bakelite Tests
• Bakelite Delight: What is Bakelite?
• Bakelite World: Conservation of Plastics Collection