Let the fourth planet from the sun dangle from your lobes. A perfectly round disc of swirly brick red, these early plastic earrings may be made of Galalith aka "milkstone," a German material made by treating dairy protein with formaldehyde. Galalith resulted from a failed attempt to make whiteboards for classrooms in the late 1800's. The attractive stone-like product created in the process ended up in costume jewelry 20+ years later.
Vintage plastic (possibly Galalith), brass and gold tone metal. Unmarked. Estimated 1920-30's. We like to think these earrings were inspired by the incident described below. Very good condition. The tiny orbs at the top have a somewhat imperfect natural shape that contrasts to the perfect circle below.
Thank you NASA.com for this fun story! “In the late 1800s when people first observed the canal-like features on Mars' surface, many speculated that an intelligent alien species resided there. This led to numerous stories about Martians, some of whom invade Earth, like in the 1938 radio drama, The War of the Worlds. According to an enduring urban legend, many listeners believed the story to be real news coverage of an invasion, causing widespread panic.”
