A lot of people ask, “Is that glass?” when they see my jewelry.

It's kind of a trick question... It's not glass in the traditional sense, but some classify acrylic as a type of glass.

Acrylic is the non-branded term for products like: Plexiglas, Perspex and Lucite. 

Advantages

I love acrylic's glass-like qualities — clarity, brilliance and transparency— but perhaps the biggest advantage is it's weight. At half the weight of regular glass, I can design big fashion statements that are surprisingly lightweight. No earlobe pulling allowed. ;)

Recycled Acrylic

At Bold Standard, we use recycled acrylic whenever possible.

We source scraps from local businesses—like sign shops and furniture makers—to create a more sustainable lifecycle.

We also purchase recycled sheets directly from vendors (an option that continues to expand thankfully!).

Plus, the vast majority of our acrylic is made in the USA.

As a fabricator, I also have control over what happens to my waste. My scraps don't see the garbage can, I keep my remnants for future use. One day those laser cut sheets will turn into an art project (like the image at the top!).

Fascinating History

Salvador Dali painted on it. Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, drummed on it. And it's been used in jewelry since the 1950's.

During World War II, an English eye doctor noticed something peculiar.

While treating fighter pilots who were injured from shattered windshields, he noticed that Spitfire pilots recovered better than other types of pilots.

Why? Because Spitfire planes used acrylic instead of glass. Turns out, acrylic isn’t rejected by eye tissue, which later led to its use in contact lenses, implants, and dentures.