I found this photo online. At first I thought it was Art Deco era but now I’m thinking it was probably made as a piece of American Patriotic jewelry during WWII.
I want this. I love the blocky look of the piece.
WWII Era Sterling Airplane Pin
Tag: art deco
How To Identify Celluloid Jewelry
Celluloid was manufactured as an early plastic. Jewelry made of celluloid dates to about 1900 and was quite popular during the Art Deco period.
It is a lightweight plastic, many times a cream color. Sometimes the cream celluloid is painted to add color, though.
In the 1950s, a lot of celluloid jewelry was manufactured in Japan. Celluloid can be quite distinctive looking, many times with rhinestones embedded into the jewelry or molded/carved into floral designs.
Smell test: Hold your celluloid jewelry under hot water for 30 seconds. Now, put it up to your nose and smell it. You should smell a camphor or vinegar-like scent.
Weight: Celluloid feels very lightweight in the hand.
Needle Test: There is a test where you can apply a hot needle to celluloid to bring the camphor-vinegar smell out. Celluloid is FLAMMABLE so I would NEVER recommend this test!