Hi Stephen,

They look more like casein—a material made from chemically-hardened milk proteins.

If you hot-needle a bead, it will smell like burnt milk (or burning flesh—which sounds terrible, and in fact is sort of unpleasant). In contrast, Celluloid usually has an aroma of camphor when it's hot-needled. This is a rather pleasant or resinous medicinal smell. So, very different.

Be forewarned—actual Celluloid is highly inflammable, so you have to be careful when you hot-needle it, lest it burst into flame (!). It melts quite easily (compared to many other plastics), and this can form an ugly scar quite easily too.

Also, old-time Celluloid had a higher specific gravity than many early plastics (until phenolics came along), and they tend to sink in a brine (3 tablespoons of salt in 8 ounces of water).

So, tell us what you discover.

Jamey

Hmmm... not sure what to think now. That info was a good start... I did the hot pin test and it did smell biological... kind of like burnt necrotic flesh - yum yum... but after Google, Yahoo & eBay searches I see nothing like them noted as casein beads. I did see some of buttons listed as casein but few of them resembled these types of beads. Also, the red hot pin barely wanted to melt into the plastic... so that might tend to lean toward non-celluloid. Anyone have anything else? My best, Stephen Parfitt @ Ancient Circles in Springfield, Illinois.

Hi Stephen,

It seems to me you got the result that I predicted, and that the indication is your beads are casein. Yet you seem either disappointed or confused by the result (?).

Perhaps this will help.

Casein is not so much a "plastic," as it is an artificial decorative material. Being composed from milk protein (reacted with formaldehyde), casein is actually something like cheese in consistency—though it is much less biodegradable. As such, casein does not have the "plastic" characteristics that we might expect from materials like Celluloid, acrylic, acetate, or other thermoplastics. It does not melt to a liquid, and is not essentially resinous. Casein is usually formed into sheets, and mechanically pressed to form bases for objects. It can be dyed many colors, and is often tooled (rather than being molded) into final shapes. This means we will see some hand-work, that makes beads individualistic and hand-made-looking—including being drilled and textured as surface treatments.

Calling casein a "plastic" is more of a convenience than a fact.

As with MANY other beads, the correct identification of the material often escapes bead sellers, who will tend to call ANY "old plastic" either "Celluloid," or "Bakelite"—the two most-common names collectors recognize, that therefore have name-appeal (even if the identification is mistaken). Many "Celluloid" beads are actually other thermoplastics, and very few (almost no) thermosetting plastics are actually Bakelite. (Because Bakelite is not an attractive material, and is much more a utility or industrial material.)

Are you "not sure what to think now" because you had expectations that differ from what I predicted—based on my visual determination that these LOOK LIKE casein beads—because you hoped they are something else (and therefore you are disappointed)?

Jamey

Not disappointed or confused at all... I just thought it was very peculiar that in the millions of pics and search results combined from Yahoo, Google and eBay I saw very little of 'casein beads' like these... but saw MANY listed as celluloid, and what I was seeing listed as casein looked more like the flat sheets, shiney surface, swirled colors, etc that are not what I've seen in these types of beads... which are almost always solid colors and have the matte surface. I was just asking if anyone else has further insight. Glad the answer is clear now. My best, Stephen Parfitt @ Ancient Circles in Springfield, Illinois.

Hi Stephen

As Jamey has pointed out, and I can confirm, your beads are definitely casein and highly collectable. I have a very large collection of all kinds of casein beads, have studied them for many years, and will post some images for comparison. As the word plastic comes from the greek word meaning to shape or to mould, casein is a plastic material.

Casein is readily moulded to shape under moderate heat and pressure, and was (for technical reasons) almost always produced by machining stock material such as sheet, rod, tube or button blanks (small discs). After machining, casein can be polished and it readily takes a surface dye, so coloured items can be quickly made from pale coloured stock items. This was especially important for beads and buttons.

There are many trade names for casein plastics including Galalith which was the first name used in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century where Krisch & Spitteler patented casein as a "plastic composition" in Germany in 1899. The patent was taken up by firms in Germany, and also in France where it was called Galalithe. The product was introduced under the trade name Galalith and was first shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. It was made using a process starting with dried casein granules. Erinoid was made In Britain from 1914 at Stroud in Gloucestershire and Lactoid introduced in 1922 in London. All these materials were used to make both buttons (from sheet) and beads (from rods).

Many of the carved beads like yours were made in France in the 1920's and 1930's and even major Paris designers like Louis Rousselet used them in their fashions, sometimes combining them with art glass and metal beads, and sometimes stringing them on chain instead of thread. Look at the screw clasps on some of my images which I will post. These are french catches, and one of yoiurs is very similar.

I hope this helps a little to put your beads in context!

Carole

One string are blond (manufacturer's term) casein beads with a red surface finish cut through to reveal the cream colour, the other is a string of graduated green cast phenolic ('Bakelite') beads separated by plain red casein beads

Carole

This one is a string very much like yours using mixed colours of beads which has a pleasing effect rather than all the same colour. Some are plain colour casein, others are blond casein with a surface colourant
Carole

Hi Brian

Yes indeed. The makers of casein beads deliberately selected colours from the stock rods of manufacturers to imitate natural materials such as ivory, coral, jade, horn, amber, jet etc

These casein buttons and buckle are very jet-like.

Carole

A french Galalithe string with its original hang tag!
Carole

Hi Stephen

I have a sample folder from Erinoid Ltd which is a wooden framed tryptych that opens out into three flat trays. The samples are securely fastened to the boards and are flat rectangular blocks, or rods with circular cross-sections. Although these rods are small in diameter, the company produced 22 different sized rods of between 4mm to 25mm diameter ( and it is the rods toward the larger end of this range which would have been those sold as suitable for making beads). I have some sample sheets (many more colours) from Lactoid too.

Carole

You can see many of these were button colours, but the brightly coloured ones for beads as well.

Carole

Very impressive and very informative! I have always like these beads but thought they were celluloid! Now, I will start adding them to my collection!

Had you noticed that the beads Stephen was originally asking about are for sale on auction at the moment?

Perhaps you can fulfill your wish!

Carole

These types have been said to have been made by Vautier (french). I've certainly seen similar used by Rousselet in the 1930's, and his grandson Jean-Claude who still has a shop in Paris has some of his grandfather's remaining stock
Carole

Here's a designer 1930's (possibly Rousselet) necklace with casein (Galalithe) beads and french glass beads, all on fox chain.

Carole

These are two Rousselet designs from the 1930's with combinations of Galalithe and french glass beads, both on fox chain. The blue and white 'stepped' Galalithe beads are composites and are very characteristic of beads especially made for Louis Rousselet.
Carole

Hi Carole,

Thanks for the great expo - nothing like pictures to save a thousand words. Very nice.

Carl

About a year ago I bought a bag of mixed imitation coral bits and pieces. I never really knew what they were.When I saw this discussion, the beads looked instantly familiar.
A necklace of the beads below passes the hot needle test. I also added a picture with some of the other bits that were in the bag, molded beads and intricate molded flowers with a flat back. They respond with a fierce resinous smell to the hot needle test. So definately something else.

Thanks for all the information!

Hi
The three detailed flat back pieces are japanese 'celluloid' (cellulose nitrate) - very characteristic with the flowers, especially chrysanthemums.

The others are classic casein patterns - very attractive.

Carole

Thanks Carole,
It's nice to learn more about these beads. Also looking at the flower 'cabuchons', and finding others that are similar. Cool how you suddenly look differently at stuff that was just sitting in a box.

I am interested in buying products galalithe / casein. someone is interested in selling? thank you

I am interested in buying products galalithe / casein. someone is interested in selling? thank you

I am interested to know everyone that collects derivated products from casein. Best regards