How to Know If Lucite Beads Are Vintage

Lucite is a kind of plastic that was used to create jewelry during World War II and it quickly became a popular material in the making of beads and charms. Lucite has a distinctive, heavy weight to it. It is clear like glass and cheaper to produce than Bakelite, according to Heather DeSimone for The Beadin' Path. Vintage Lucite jewelry costs more than a piece made with new Lucite beads, so you will need to be sure they are actually vintage. There are a few ways to determine the approximate age of Lucite beads.

Instructions

1

Read the seller's description of the beads or ask how she acquired the beads, if they are claimed as vintage. Companies that made the Lucite beads, such as Trifari, Coro and Avon, stopped producing them in the 1970s and 1980s, so warehouses that stored those companies' Lucite beads had to sell them to different stores.

2

Check the beads for seams. Vintage Lucite beads were made by creating a long rod of the plastic and then cutting it into small, individual pieces. Reproductions of Lucite beads are often made using a two-part mold, which leaves a fine seam down both sides of the bead or pendant. A newer Lucite bead will have seams, a vintage piece will not.

3

Compare the weight of the beads against a similar piece of Lucite that you know to be new. Vintage Lucite will be heavier, almost like a glass or ceramic piece. Newer Lucite will be much lighter, like regular plastic.