Here at BONEHAM | PETERS we only source products that are the highest quality.  This is why our plastic, or to be more accurate, our bio plastic frames are made from acetate materials.  Acetates are natural products made from wood pulp and cotton, This material has a number of characteristics that make them particularly suitable for frames. Acetate is a natural, soft material making them easy to adjust, and comfortable to wear. They use organic, plant based dyes, mixed with acetone to create many unique and vibrant colours.

Acetates are produced in huge sheets that can be meters long, these are then cut into special size blocks to mix with other sheets and create different colour combinations. When the desired colours are achieved they are formed into smaller sheets for the frames to be made out of.   Most of our acetate frames are handmade.  Ateliers work on these frames by cutting them out of the sheet and trimming the frames off. They are then placed in a tumbler with wood chips to be polished, the wood chips create a shiny patina on the acetate. They can spend up to two weeks in a tumbler. Through this process the colours become more vibrant, especially when compared to injection molded plastics used in lower quality frames.

Who makes the best acetates?

Historically acetates are sourced from Italy, Japan and China. Italy has the longest history, their acetates are in general softer than the Japanese. The Italian and Japanese are considered the highest quality on the market. Mazzuchelli is a longstanding and dominant comany in the Italian market supplying high quality acetate. Their video below shows the main steps in manufacture

The Japanese acetates are manufactured differently to their European counterparts. Japanese acetates are harder, containing less mositure. This also gives the acetate a glossier look and is probably one of the reasons that a lot of high fashion frames tend to use this acetate.

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