Bochic Bakelite - Why?

From National Jeweler
True to her style-icon status, Michelle Obama stepped out in a red, off-the-shoulder gown by Prabal Gurang paired with an assemblage of eye-catching jewelry, including stacked cuff bracelets and long drop earrings. Together the pieces featured an artful mix of textures and materials, including yellow gold, white bakelite, diamonds and gemstones.Sitting atop the first lady's wrist was a hand-hammered cuff in 18-karat yellow gold from Sutra Jewels highlighted at the center by a 10-carat raspberry tourmaline and flanked by rose-cut diamonds in a star-burst motif. Stacked right above--in the way fashion designers have been styling cuffs on the runway--was Bochic's white bakelite cuff featuring gold filigree and diamond inlay.Also from Bochic, the first lady donned a tourmaline and rose-cut diamond ring, plus carved tourmaline earrings inset with white bakelite and rose-cut diamonds.

Am I the only one to go out on a limb her and say that I would have expected the First Lady to have worn real jewelry and not bakelite nonsense to the the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner. It's not as though the jewelry isn't on loan to her through her stylists.

I would love to know whether Bochic or Sutra jewelry are even manufactured in the US?