I have been testing some of our jewellery to see if it is bakelite or not. After searching on how to do it, I thought I would do a easy step-by-step post on how to test jewellery yourself.
1 - Purchase Simichrome Polish. I found it difficult to find in Australia. It is a polish used commonly on chrome so I tried Bunnings, Repco, Supercheap Auto ect. but no one stocked it. So, I have now imported several tubes to make it easier for you to buy.
2 - Collect everything you need. Once you have your Simichrome, all you need is a cotton bud and the piece you wish to test.
3 - Squeeze out a small amount of Simichrome onto a cotton bud. For the photo I put on more than needed, you need only a very small amount for the test.
4 - Rub it on the piece you wish to test. Rubbing on the back of a piece is recommended, however, Simichrome is also used by many people to polish Bakelite.
5 - Watch for a change in colour. If, after 10 - 15 seconds the cotton bud turns from pink to yellow then it has tested positive as Bakelite. It's that simple.
I repeated the test on another piece (below), and a you can see, it was not Bakelite.
It is that easy to test. Once you have your tube of Simichrome Polish it should last you a life time as you only use a small amount for each test.
Happy Testing!!!