Talisman Studios - Hair Accessories from Vintage Buttons and Beads

Buttons made from Mother of Pearl were produced in hundreds of factories in the United States along the Mississippi River watershed, as well as in Europe. By 1905 over 10,000 people were employed in this trade in the Midwestern United States.

Manufacturers began making rhinestone buttons around the mid 1920's and continue to this day. Before this period, 'paste' buttons were made of a lead glass that could be hand cut and faceted to create an exact diamond look-alike. These stones would then be foiled (with a type of aluminum) and set in silver to bring out the brilliance of each stone.

Settings may be pave(stone placed onto a molded metal shape, giving the button a look as if it were "paved" or carpeted, with stones; hence the term. Other stones were set within prongs.

Vintage rhinestones as hair ornaments have been coveted by our customers, and it's easy to see why. They add a sparkle of beauty to the most simple of hair styles, and work perfectly in the office, special event or a night on the town.

In 1861, Queen Victoria went into mourning over the death of her husband, Prince Albert. Her mourning jewelry and buttons were made of "Jet," a light weight, highly fragile, expensive mineral mined in Whitby, England.

Being a fashion trendsetter of the times, the black glass industry immediately took note and began actively producing buttons to follow the Queen's fashion dictate.

Often one finds black glass buttons with a luster finish; a metallic sheen applied to black glass buttons, which adds to their beauty.

Though most people have never heard of the Tagua, it was the most widely used material for button making between the years of 1885-1920, when Bakelite and Celluloid began to supersede its use.

The material was extremely versatile, and could be carved, buffed, pierced, molded, engraved, dyed, embossed and trimmed with other materials. It was so dense that dye would only penetrate the surface layer; the interior remains uncolored. The Tagua, as a button, was a "hard nut to crack!"

Buttons made from the Tagua Nut, or Vegetable Ivory as it was referred to commercially for it's creamy white natural color, come in an extremely wide variety of styles.

Bakelite, the first all-synthetic plastic, was invented in 1909 but not used for buttons until the late twenties. It was popular during the thirties and forties. By 1950, cheaper plastics became available and Bakelite(and Celluloid) were displaced as the reigning champions of button-making materials.

Bakelite buttons are highly desirable by vintage accessories mavens, and have been scooped up by collectors, making them a rare and expensive find.

During the time around WWII, scientists worked diligently at expanding the possibilities with plastics. With an ability to simulate more expensive materials - pearl, tortoise, leather, glass and even metal, various plastic compounds quickly eclipsed their use.

If asked to envision a "plastic button," many of us will conjure the most widely used icon - a simple, round, 4-holed, flat pearly white(or colored, if we're more imaginative!) disc. That would be a disservice to many wonderful vintage buttons, of course. Funky shapes, intriguing colors, and even the illusion of luxury(for who could afford a 'real' tortoise button as shown above?) are the hallmarks of modern plastics.

Celluloid, invented in 1870, is considered by some to be the first plastic, though actually, Bakelite, celluloid's successor, holds that title. Celluloid is not a true plastic because it is formed of a mixture of both synthetic and organic materials, whereas Bakelite is completely synthetic.

Celluloid buttons began being manufactured around 1890, and displaced Vegetable Ivory as the predominant material in use in the 1920's. Celluloid was an extremely versatile material, by the standards of the day. It's ability to take dye well and be shaped by molding, stamping, pulling, hollow-blowing, and machine-tooling techniques allowed for a wide array of button styles, which made it popular among manufacturers.

The fatal flaw for the material was that it was highly flammable, and as soon as safer plastics were invented, Celluloid was discontinued. After WWII, it was not used commercially, except in Japan, where it's use disappeared soon after as well.

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