Researching costume jewelry history is fascinating! Fashion Jewelry styles and designs reflected the societies and eras in which they were worn, and often depicted events that were newsworthy during that time period.
Vintage costume jewelry has a long and fascinating history. There was a period that Coco Chanel introduced fake or paste jewelry to complete a costume or outfit. There is virtually no distinctness between costume jewelry and antique jewelry.
The rich had their fine jewelry duplicated for a various reasons, mainly to protect them from theft, using paste or glass stones. Fine jewelry of gold, diamonds, Gemstones of the finer quality such as emeralds and sapphires continued to be made. Jewelry from rolled gold, which is a thin layer of gold attached to a base metal, entered the market for the middle class. And then there was jewelry that most anyone could afford, consisting of glass stones and base metals made to look like gold.
Some of the most remembered names in costume jewelry include both the high and low priced brands from Crown Trifari, Dior, Chanel, Monet, Napier, Corocraft to Coventry. Some jewelry had a very different and modern yet retro feel at the same time. You can still buy many of these names today, but truly interesting authentic period examples can be found among the vintage market place.
Men and women have worn necklaces around their necks and rings around their wrists since the beginning of history. Costume or Fashion jewelry designed throughout the last hundred years is just as majestic and enticing as jewelry made of precious metals like platinum, gold, and silver, and precious stones like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. There are periods in history that costume jewelry was characterized by its pendant necklaces, bangle bracelets, jeweled accessories like cigarette holders and pillboxes, and long, dangling earrings. Bling and sparkle have always been popular on costume jewelry, using rhinestones and their siblings, cubic zirconium or crystal, are often found embedded and adorning rings and earrings.
Today vintage and antique costume jewelry is displaying a revival of desirability and some signed pieces can demand up to thousands of dollars in the marketplace. Many of today's celebrities who favor costume jewelry are Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Diane Keaton, Tina Turner, Madonna, Prince, Demi Moore, Courtney Love, and Nicolette Sheridan to name a few. It is prized not only for its style, but also for the reflection of the historical period it represents.
The Roaring Twenties was an age of prohibition, cocktail parties, flappers, and the Charleston. The Art Deco movement was an attempt to combine the harshness of mass production with the sensitivity of art and design. The Art Deco movement died with the onset of the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II. Color played a major role - black and white were preferred, but bold colors were prominent.
Costume Jewelry was intended to be fashionable for a short period of time, out date itself, and then be repurchased to fit with a new outfit, or with a new fashion style. There is something to be said about a real vintage piece that captures the spirit of an era or generation. Brooches add a perfect textural contrast to the collar of the fall season's tweed or Velvet jacket. Smart enamel pieces were also very popular in contrast to the glitz of dynamic rhinestone glamour.
In the ancient world gold was the preferred metal for making jewelry. It was rare, did not tarnish and best of all it was easily influenced, so it could be shaped and worked easily. Magnificent bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings, armlets, earrings, head ornaments, pectoral ornaments and collars of gold were all made and worn in ancient Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs. Tutankhamen’s tomb contained many gold funerary artifacts, all showing the art work of ancient Egypt. In ancient Greece, beads shaped as natural forms like shells, flowers and beetles were designed and manufactured on a large scale. Beautiful and delicate necklaces and earrings were found in burial sites in Northern Greece. They also used colored stones, glass and enamel.
Beautifully carved cameos of Indian Sardonyx a striped brown pink and cream agate stone along with filigree gold work were widely made. In Eighth century BC the Italian Etruscans in the Tuscany region produced granulated textured gold work. They also made pendants that were hollow and could be filled with perfume. Medieval Europe came into force and capped luxury in dress and jewelry. The Italians are still renowned for high quality stylish trend making and their gold work today.
Gemstones and Pearls, Real and Fake Jewels have always been known for and used as love tokens. While many pieces were of fine gems and precious metals, good fake jewelry intended to deceive existed. True gemstones and pearls originated from the east and were bought and used mainly by the Italians. Flawless, round, natural, large white pearls were prized more than precious gemstones.
Good glass imitations were often used and sometimes with intent as in royal funerary robes and children's jewelry. By day fake pearl earrings and paste earrings to coordinate with clothing were acceptable. Just about any kind of fake gem could be made, including fake opals. Many pieces of fake jewelry have survived in their original setting, while fine estate pieces of real gems were often broken up for resetting into more fashionable styles of an era.
Steel which was produced easily during the industrial revolution was used for settings for marcasite. As well as fake jewelry gaining popularity, semi precious jewels such as uncut garnets became usual as part of less formal day dress. Greek and Roman architecture were the main influence for designs as famous discoveries of ancient treasure had not yet happened. Sometimes cameos were carved from hard stone, but more often from substitutes like conch shells and set pieces of Wedgwood porcelain. It gave attention to the pressure of European folk-art, which later influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement.
There was a large demand in fashion for mourning jewelry which highlights how sentimental the Victorian age was. Today is certainly not much different from past times. Themed pieces became popular, like animal of dogs and cats, or insects and butterflies. Today, these oddly unique pieces are highly sought after by collectors. A little piece of trivia; did you know earrings originated in the Middle East? The oldest earrings were unearthed at the royal graves in Iraq! Of all places can you imagine that?
This is just a small tidbit of information available on the history of costume jewelry. It is exciting and very interesting to learn about. The best and most fun part of all is the hunt for that unique piece. This is why we here at www.mod2vint.com cannot stress enough, how today fashion piece is will be tomorrow’s vintage and antique piece. Protect them with care put them away for your grandchildren, they will enjoy the history as much as you or I.
Nice post on Costume Jewelry.
Posted by: wheeler | October 06, 2008 at 09:21 PM
You make mention of the Art Deco movement dieing with the outbreak of the Great Depression and World War II, but let me bounce this thought off you, The Art Deco movement as we know it was destinded for a limited shelf life from the start. Our experience (our records since 1904 indicate) with it has been tremendous eye appeal among those with an artistic or sophisticated bent but when it came to parting with the $$ it was not "romantic enough".
Posted by: Sguyot | October 07, 2008 at 07:28 AM
Oh I agree, parting with the $$ is a factor in most anything. You can use today's economy as a perfect example of that. Most of the people I know are just not spending unless absolutely necessary.
Posted by: Robin | October 07, 2008 at 07:51 AM