Jakob Bengel 1930s Chrome and Green Bakelite Tulip Necklace

Detail: Authentic vintage Jakob Bengel 1930s chrome and green bakelite *galalith necklace with tulip pendant. A beautiful example of Bengel’s work; German design and crafted in France.

Period: 1930s

Condition: Excelllent with signs of use, commensurate with age

Size: Length 42cm. Pendant 3 x 2cm

Colour: Chrome, Green

Material: Chrome, Galalith (French Bakelite)

Origin: France / Germany

* Galalith is a synthetic plastic material manufactured from casein and formaldehyde

Founded in 1873 by locksmith Jakob Bengel, the company first produced pocket watch chains in brass and silver. During the early 1930s the company began to experiment with more versatile new materials and designs, to produce an entirely new form of costume jewellery. Rejecting material snobbism, Jakob Bengel’s geometric designs in chrome and bakelite (galalith) were clearly inspired by the severe lines of the Bauhaus and Art Deco aesthetic. In fact, Coco Chanel was hugely influential in making costume jewellery socially acceptable and an absolute ‘must’ for every well-dressed woman.

For almost a decade, Jakob Bengel’s distinctive avant-garde costume jewellery designs echoed ‘modern’ Parisian taste; enormously successful markets opened up  in other parts of Europe and United States, enabling the Bengel company to construct its own specialized tools and machines, allowing an extensive repertory of designs to be developed. 

The use of galalith for jewellery was prohibited in 1939 at the outset of WWII to save raw materials, and Jakob Bengel’s signature jewellery production thus came to an end. However, production was prolific during the 30s, with thousands of pieces stored away in the Bengel factory until the late 1970s. Many have surfaced to the vintage market in recent years, and have become some of the most sought after bakelite jewellery to wear and collect. None of Jakob Bengel’s jewellery were signed, and the authenticity is often questioned; especially now, as new pieces are being produced with Bengel’s original tools and machinery. These however, are produced with certification. 

All pieces of Jakob Bengel acquired by Palette are authentic. Most have been worn and do show signs of use, commensurate with age. Jakob Bengel 1930s Chrome and Green Bakelite Tulip Necklace