Rose’s Buttons

Rhinestone Embedded Celluloid Button

Antique celluloid buttons  can be quite fragile precisely because celluloid does contain organic materials, which degrade over time.  The celluloid can “crystallize”, which causes the antique celluloid buttons to harden and finally crumble. The most common type of celluloid degradation is caused by camphor gradually working its way out of the product.Extreme heat will contribute to this process. (Remember this, in the summer if you keep your buttons in a sunlit room).

Hints for caring for celluloid buttons:

•  It is best to store your antique celluloid buttons in a cool, dry place, away from all metals, heat and humidity.  However, do not store them in airtight containers, as the celluloid needs to “breathe.”
• When removing a button from a storage card, never pull the button, and be care removing old pipe cleaners when removing buttons from cards.
• Unfortunately, once a button begins to disintegrate, it is a process that is impossible to reverse. Discard the button.  Some believe that one disintegrating button can cause others to begin the process.