Lucite beads are plastic beads made from polymethyl methacrylate, popular among jewelry designers. They were created in the 1930s and became popular in the 1940s due to their beautiful colors and clarity. Vintage Lucite beads are collectible and come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, including Moonglow and Mosaic styles. They can be carved, engraved, and inlaid with colors, and are preferred for creating chunky jewelry due to their lightweight.
Lucite beads are a type of plastic bead made from a material called polymethyl methacrylate, which is also known as plexiglass. They are very popular among jewelery designers and manufacturers and are used to make costume jewellery. Available in many different forms, some vintage Lucite beads are even considered collectible items.
During the 1920s, designers worked with a type of plastic called Bakelite to create costume jewelry. This was a type of opaque plastic that resembled yellow amber. More colorful types of plastics were developed around this time, and although they mimicked the appearance of gemstones, they were considered too flashy for good taste. Scientists of that time began to work on creating new types of plastics that had better properties than their predecessors.
The DuPont Chemical Company is credited with creating Lucite in the 1930s, and objects made from Lucite, such as nose cones and windshields, were used in World War II. After the war, a number of designers began using Lucite as an alternative to Bakelite because it came in more beautiful colors and was much clearer. DuPoint marketed Lucite postwar as the right material for the fashion of hairbrushes, lamps, and stylistic beads, as well as a wide variety of accessories.
In the early 1940’s, many different types of Lucite beads containing bright colors were produced in various styles. Marked types and beads containing stripes and jewel tones became very popular. These beads are now prized by jewelry designers for their superior craftsmanship. Many jewelry makers and crafters use Lucite beads to add a touch of pizzazz to their creations.
The popular jewelry companies that produced these beads stopped producing them in the 1970s and 1980s. Therefore, vintage Lucite beads can be quite difficult to locate because the warehouses in which they were stored sold them to stores. These beads come in fantastic shapes and have very rich colors. The highest quality beads show no seams as they were turned. This means that finishing touches were given to it on a lathe.
In general, jewelry made from vintage Lucite beads is much more expensive than jewelry made from newer versions. There are many different types of new Lucite and vintage Lucite beads. The latter varies greatly in size, shape, color, and weight. Lucite flower beads are a classic favorite among many designers and are found in many beaded jewelry creations.
Moonglow Lucite beads are prized for their pearlescent style and seem to glow from within. Mosaic Lucite beads are types of pressure-cast beads that are still considered vintage. They have a slight sheen and a mottled appearance.
Lucite beads can also be carved or engraved, and can be inlaid with exquisite colors. Jewelry designers prefer to use these beads to create chunky jewelry as they are quite lightweight. While vintage Lucite is a slightly heavier material than today’s line of plastic beads, it is still light enough to be widely used.
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