Vintage Jakob Bengel Art Deco machine age chrome with green and black galalith bead necklace

Fabulous Jakob Bengel necklace from the 1930s. This design uses many of Bengel's characteristic component parts including chrome machine age bar links, geometric beads and a statement centrepiece. This central section has a black galalith hemisherical cabochon bead and a shaped green bead made of the casein-based early plastic called galalith.

This piece is really intricately designed - absolutely stunning and a valuable collector's piece. It is in very good vintage condition - you can see in the close-up pictures that there is minor crazing to the surface of the black and green galalith beads which is often seen.

Jakob Bengel was a chain and costume jewellery factory, founded by Jakob Bengel in 1873 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany.

Until 1920, the company specialised in the production of watch chains and chatelaines (pendants for pocket watches). In the 1920s and 1930s, it became one of the leading manufacturers of fashion jewellery in the Art Deco style.

It was during the Bauhaus and Art Deco period that designers were looking to obtain new materials and inspiration to produce costume jewellery. Inspired by French Avant-Garde and other fashion trendsetters such as Coco Chanel, Bengel started to produce experimental jewellery. The pieces, catalogued 1924-1939, combined brass and chrome with geometric shapes of coloured galalith.