1920s Bakelite Butterfly Earrings
Delightful antique earrings modelled as bright orange butterflies with pique-style precious metal and mother-of-pearl inlays. The material is bakelite which, at the time they were made in the 1920s, was a new and exciting material that jewellers quickly adopted to produce beads and the like. I've never seen bakelite butterflies, and rather suspect that whomever made these was used to working with naturally occurring thermoplastics like tortoiseshell or horn.
Era: Art Deco, circa 1925
Size: 2.6cm (from top of ear wire) by 1.7cm
Materials: Bakelite
Marks: None, tested as 9ct gold (antennae & inlay), silver (inlay), and base metal (ear wires)
Condition: Good antique condition, all appears original. Three eyes are missing, some of the gold plating to the inlaid sections has rubbed and one top is cracked - see images
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
Shipping
UPS Express shipping is free of charge on international orders over £300 and it's carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
US Shipments
US Customs charges a 10% "Reciprocal Tariff" on all parcels coming in from the UK.
We will pay this charge on your behalf (via UPS or Royal Mail) and you will see it collected as a line item at checkout.
[Last updated: August 29th, 2025]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
25% deposit taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff or scrape is quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
Buying a Gift?
Leave a note at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note to the recipient. Just tell us what you'd like to say :)
More Questions?
Get in touch... There's a live chat at the bottom right of the page.
info@lostowl.com