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Galalith or Galalithe (also called French Bakelite) sounds very appealing and collectible. And, in fact, it is.

But be careful so you do not buy a piece of modern junk jewelry with a very appealing but false label.

Galalith is a very old and hard to find type of plastic that was used to make jewelry and other items. It's made of casein or milk protein, thus its name gala (meaning milk) and lithos (meaning stone). It was stabilized chemically by being dipped into formaldehyde.

Please use caution when purchasing items that are called French Bakelite, Galalith or Galalithe. Consult reputable books about collectible plastics and vintage/antique jewelry to learn more about what authentic early plastics look like.

It is said that Galalith has a "wet wool" smell when it is run under hot water. But you can only test it after you purchased it. So prior to buying, look at the style, workmanship, color and wear on the piece of jewelry being described as Galalith.

Galalith cannot be molded. Therefore it was producted in sheets or tubes and worked by hand into jewelry designs. It was invented in 1898 and used widely in Europe, especially in France, through the early part of the 20th century. It was used to imitate wood, tortoise shell, horn, ivory and other more expensive organic materials. It could be colored because of its porosity.

I doubt you would find a transparent plastic item made of Galalith. Stay away from anything that is very bright in color or anything that has mold marks.

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Happy Collecting,

AlloyAntiques