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I started collecting Shultz bakelite
jewelry in the mid-1990s when they lived in Pennsylvania. A short
time later, I had the opportunity to meet Ester and Ron Shultz.
It was an instant fascination with their wonderful art. I fell in
love with all the bright and happy pieces of jewelry along with Ron's
occasional "compulsive art" works.
All of their jewelry is made from old bakelite bangles, blanks,
broken radios, jukeboxes, etc. They are cut, sanded and polished
into all sorts of whimsical wonders. They continue to amaze me with
all the new color combinations and with their new designs.
As quickly as I think I have all I can ever wear or admire, they come up
with another piece of art that I have to own.
I started collecting old bakelite jewelry but just don't find it as much fun or
exciting as the Shultz bakelite pieces. Consequently, my collection
just keeps growing and gets more exciting with every new piece.
I hope you will enjoy their bakelite jewelry as much as I do.
Q&A interview with
Barbara:
Question:
What was your very first Shultz piece?
Barbara: I couldn't just buy one piece -- I was
so excited when I saw it that I bought about 20 pins and 5 bangles.
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SHULTZ bakelite hand carved cat
face brooch with dangling reverse carved apple juice fish bowl, 3-1/2"
by 2". This is an earlier Shultz piece with amazing carving and
detail. View
#B64127 |
SHULTZ bakelite orange spacer
bangle with blue moon dots, 2-1/2" by 1/2" by 1/3", set of 2.
#B64064 |
SHULTZ bakelite orange swirl
cat brooch with inset eyes and painted detail, 2-1/2" by 1-3/4".
View
#B64066 |
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Question: And now that you have such a fabulous
collection, can you pick a favorite? Or one that you seem to wear most
often?
Barbara: I have several favorites. They
made me a fabulous apple juice and black
parrot pin; an apple juice, carved and very laminated palm tree; a carved
alligator bangle plus several really special one-of-a-kinds that I could
never
part with. |
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SHULTZ bakelite red transparent
parrot head brooch with black face and beak, glass eye, rare color, 3-1/3".
View #B64553 |
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SHULTZ
bakelite rare palm tree brooch in laminated in red, blue, green, yellow and
blue on a red base, 3" by 2-1/4".
View #B64239 |
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SHULTZ bakelite red and black
hand wearing a dot bangle brooch, 3-7/8". This piece is in the book
Bakelite Pins" by Karima Parry, page 155.
View #B64247 |
SHULTZ bakelite red carved bow
brooch with dangling bakelite butterscotch buttons, 4" by 2-1/2". #B64185 |
SHULTZ bakelite very rare red
monkey carved brooch with laminated yellow bananas, swinging arm, 3-1/4"
by 2-1/2". This was carved by Ester and polished by Ron, as is true of
many of their brooches. This piece is in the book Bakelite Pins"
by Karima Parry, page 173. View
#B64238 |
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Barb:
I wear a clear and black checked bangle with pair of clear bakelite
bangles
with black dots at least 3 times a week. I wear several bangles
almost every
day. I wear more pins in the winter because I wear more jackets. |
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SHULTZ bakelite bowtie
bangle, cream with black dots, 2-1/2" by 1" by 1/4" and coordinating
bakelite bowtie bangle, black with cream dots, 2-1/2" by 1" by 1/3".
#B31842 and #B31843 |
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SHULTZ bakelite clear bangle set with black fingernails dots. |
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SHULTZ bakelite green swirl
bangle with cherry motif in red, black and green, 2-1/2" by 1-1/4" by 1/2"
thick. #B63771 |
SHULTZ bakelite wide green bangle
with dots in a rainbow of colors, 2-1/2" by 2-1/2" by 1-5/8" by 1/3".
View #B63779 |
SHULTZ bakelite two row bangle
in transparent green with multiple opaque colors, 2-1/2" by 1" by 1/3".
View
#B63761 |
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Question: When did you first meet the Shultz'?
Barbara: I met them years
ago in the mid-1990s. We met for lunch and I shopped from their van.
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Question: Is it the colors or the designs
that make it more appealing than the old bakelite?
Barbara: Both--Checked
bangles are my favorite and I love the bright colors. I
find the old colors dull and boring compared to the Shultz. However,
I do
love some of my old zig-zags with dots and I have a rainbow bow tie that I
love but other than those few, I much prefer Shultz. |
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Question: Do you think they are doing this as
"art"... in other words, is this a "product" to them
or do they still see each one as a work of love? I know they do not make
very many of each piece.
Barbara: Tough question--it is an
"art" and Ron gets really tickled with some of his new designs
but they also make their living selling their bakelite. The main
thing in their lives is their church and their mission to feed the poor. |
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SHULTZ bakelite slightly saucer
shaped 3-row bangle with red and yellow checked middle row and black and
cream checkerboard dots, 2-1/2" by 7/8" by 1/3".
View #B64110
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SHULTZ bakelite laminated red
and yellow bangle with rainbow half dots and black round dots, 2-1/2" by
1-3/4" by 1/3". View
#B64104 |
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