Costume jewelry, also known as fashion jewelry, is a class of jewelry that is made to be easily accessible by wearers with all sorts of budgets and lifestyles. Instead of being made with expensive metals like gold and platinum, or being adorned with large gems, costume jewelry is all about the look and sparkle without the cost. It is used as an everyday alternative to jewels that are worn for special occasions or that are owned for investment purposes.
The term costume jewelry came into being in the early 20th century, and it was given that name to designate that it was everyday jewelry. At that period in time, the term “costume” referred to a person's everyday clothing, and costume jewelry was used to refer to a woman's everyday jewelry. Typically, this jewelry would consist of gold or silvertone metals (but not actual gold or silver) as well as cut glass, rhinestones or other gem simulations. Pieces were often larger than “real” or precious jewelry, and they could more easily be admired and used to accent a woman's dress.
While costume jewelry began as a way for women to wear jewelry without the fear of losing their precious jewels (or without the cost of precious jewels), designers began to work in these costume jewelry materials as well. Coco Chanel, the famous clothing designer and perfumer, started designing costume jewelry pieces to accent her clothing – often creating these pieces with gold tones and faux pearls to give warmth and flair. Kenneth Jay Lane was another famous designer of costume jewelry, he even designed pieces for several First Ladies of the United States.
Today, there is a growing market in the collection of vintage costume jewelry. Some higher quality pieces, and those designed by famous designers, can actually be worth quite a bit of money today. The older the piece and the better the condition it is in, the more likely that you can find a buyer for this type of jewelry. Pieces done in the Art Deco style of the 1920's are especially popular with today's collectors, as are pieces done in a kitschy 1950's style.
Costume jewelry may have started out as a low cost alternative to expensive precious jewels, but now it has a following all its own. People enjoy the bright look and whimsical feel of these once inexpensive pieces, and many have started wearing them again as accents to their everyday “costume”.
