Vintage Pipe Tamper, Gold Plated, Galalith (material) marked "Goldin".  Measures 2 1/2" H x 3/4" D (at top).  Dark opaque yellow with brown.  The gold does not stick to a magnet and tests below 10K acid.  There is crazing in the material.

Casein or Galalith was a plastic made from milk protein and formaldehyde.  Invented in Germany it was launched by The International Galalith Gesseschaft Hoff & Co. at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900.  

Casein plastic could not be moulded like Bakelite but had to be cut or carved from rods or sheets.  It was beautifully glossy and could be polished to a long-lasting silky lustre, but due to its tendency to warp or splinter could only be used for small pieces. ****decolish.com/Casein.html

While galalith was ultimately unsuitable for its original purpose, it was capable of being drilled, embossed, and cut, and became a go-to material for various odds and ends of everyday life, from glasses frames, buttons, and piano keys to combs, barrettes, and compact mirrors. It also became an excellent substitute for expensive materials like horn, pearl, and ivory—and was able to take on all the colors of the rainbow.

One of the first designers to see the potential of galalith for jewelry was the French merchant Auguste Bonaz, who began creating brooches made of the new material inspired by the Bauhaus style in the early 1920s. This trend eventually caught fire when, in 1926, Coco Chanel published a picture of the now-iconic little black dress in Vogue magazine and accessorized it with costume jewelry made of galalith. The German designer Jakob Bengel elevated costume jewelry and other plastics from fake to chic with his creative, sensitive products and a high level of workmanship. High fashion was made available to the growing middle class, who might not be able to afford real gemstones, but could afford galalith.***

***getty.edu/iris/galalith-alchemy-in-the-age-of-plastic/


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I  DESCRIBE ALL ITEMS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE ENOUGH PICTURES FOR AN INFORMED BUYING DECISION. THE PROVIDED PICTURES FORM AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LISTING DESCRIPTION, AND SHOULD BE USED TO HELP DETERMINE CONDITION AND VALUE.  MANY OF MY ITEMS ARE SOLD ‘AS IS’ OR VINTAGE, MEANING USED CONDITION, AND WILL SHOW SOME SIGNS OF AGE, USE, AND WEAR EXPECTED WITH PREOWNED.  I WILL LIST ONLY THE MARKS THAT ARE FOUND ON AN ITEM SO THERE IS NO QUESTION OR MISINTERPRETATION.  I  WILL ADD MEASUREMENTS ON ITEMS WHEN NEEDED. 

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