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We add articles, reference pages and recent acquisitions continually and would like to keep you abreast of whats new on a monthly basis with this newsletter.
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MORNING GLORY also owns a bricks and mortar store called the ANTIQUE CONNECTION MALL on Historic Route 66 at 12815 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is just off of Interstate-40 East at the foot of the Sandia Mountains. We have about 60 friendly and knowledgeable dealers in a 10,000 square foot clean, well lit and modern building. It is a really interesting and pleasant place to shop with a wide variety of antiques and collectibles. We offer maps to the other local shops, clean bathrooms and places to sit and relax a bit while shopping.

Please click HERE to follow Morning Glory on Facebook,
and see us on Instagram as "janemorningglory".

BAKELITE JEWELRY You may already know that Leo Beakeland (1863 -1944), a Belgian who had moved to America, was the inventor of the Bakelite material. Made by the condensation of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst, it was used for everything from tools and telephones to jewelry. "Bakelite" is frequently used as a generic name for all phenol formaldehyde, including Catalin and Marblette which came later and in a wider range of colors. Bakelite is a thermoset plastic, meaning that once cast or molded and hardened, it will not melt or dissolve again. It can only be worked by carving, sawing, tumbling, painting and gluing. One type of bakelite is called "Prystal", often described as a dichroic (color changing) bakelite, and it is a fully transparent bakelite.

Bakelite jewelry was at it's zenith from the late 1920s till the start of WWII in 1942, and even after. Hattie Carnegie and Diane Von Furstenberg, among others, placed their names on this wonderful jewelry later in the century. The lack of money and need for inexpensive fun during the Depression era of the 1930s gave this whimsical, colorful and cheerful look of bakelite jewelry the perfect market. The sophisticated Deco and machine age look of some of the pieces made them fashion-forward then as well.

One wonderful current trend is the joy of wearing both jewelry and clothing in your own unique way, making your own unexpected combinations and interesting looks. (Another is men wearing vintage jewelry! Have you seen Isaac Mizrahi and Zak Posen on "Project Runway"?) Bakelite fits right into this trend. For example, stacks of thinner bangles can be combined so that 3-5 at a time can be worn, enabling different carving and color combinations. And it's also great to mix bakelite pieces in unusual ways, worn with Victorian black jewelry, or large rhinestone pieces. I have one customer who uses her cell phone to document her combinations for future reference. What a fun way to have a gallery of your own!

Mixing the carving styles is fun too, and the light playing against the different layers can be so interesting. Bakelite comes in many colors and the ones that have mellowed over all the years are especially interesting.

To see this versatile jewelry that's for sale, please CLICK HERE. It's wonderful how bakelite allows you to select your own special combinations.

And to see a gallery of lots of Bakelite jewelry, please click HERE. It's so fun to see all the many styles and colors and we have hundreds of examples here!

To see what's new on Morning Glory on any day, please click HERE.

We also have the wonderful work of contemporary Bakelite Artisans who are fashioning jewelry using old bakelite stock, bakelite pieces and parts. It is such fun to wear, and mixing and matching stacks of bangles is just part of the personalization of your own collection. The creativity of some of these artisans is just a joy to see! Most sign their work, and that's wonderful to help us all know what we are buying. It's great fun to know who made these exciting things. Sadly, and like so many things these days, it is also being faked, so buy from a reputable dealer who know about what they are selling.

To buy the amazing Artisan bakelite jewelry for your own collection, please CLICK HERE. We have pieces from Shultz, Butterfly Workshop, Brandon's Workshop, Elvenkraft Workshop, and others.

And to see some of today's bakelite jewelry makers and learn a bit about them, CLICK HERE on our reference page.

To see what's new on Morning Glory on any day, please click HERE.

And to see a gallery of lots of Artisan Bakelite jewelry, please click HERE. It's so fun to see all the many styles and colors!

The ANTIQUE CONNECTION MALL in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has a wide variety of items all the time. We have genuine antiques, furniture, Asian and smalls as well. We have collectibles, like Arts & Crafts leather purses and vintage silhouettes. You'll also see a marvelous selection of antique and vintage jewelry, including some of the most rare pieces as well as everyday fun things to wear.

We have man-tiques like metal signs, Coco-Cola, Marilyn Monroe, hunting and fishing gear and duck calls. There are also kitchen collectibles like Jadite, Fiesta, Bauer, LuRay, 40s-50s painted glasses, cooking and baking gear. Also enjoy the sterling and silver plate for your dining room along with beautiful vintage linens. Art work and puzzles, toys and dolls... so many things to see and enjoy. What a fun way to brighten your kitchen and your home! And don't miss the furniture of all kinds and eras.

About 60 dealers sell here, and they are often at the mall to chat about what they enjoy. There's over 10,000 square feet of clean, well-lit mall, and always friendly welcoming and knowledgeable staff and dealers to help you. There is SO much more at the Antique Connection Mall, and new things come and go every day.

NEW ADDITIONS

Morning Glory adds recent acquisitions weekly and you can always see them here:

http://www.morninggloryjewelry.com/