Jewelry, whether fine or costume,
has been a part of human culture
since the earliest times. People
wear jewelry to satisfy their
vanity, to indulge their love
for beautiful things, and to
look good to others. Vintage
costume jewelry fulfills all
these criteria, but at a fraction
of the cost of real or fine
jewelry. It is an inexpensive
alternative that does not sacrifice
taste as well as style.
Vintage costume jewelry
may be less expensive, but good
quality ones are never seen
as cheap. They are less costly
because they are not made from
precious gems. Designers of
vintage costume jewelry use
a variety of materials from
cut glass, beads, semi-precious
gems, faux gems -- even plastic!
These pieces were created and
released since the start of
the Victorian era up to the
1960s. Vintage costume jewelry
from the 1940s and 1950s are
especially creative and eye-catching,
since the designers of the era
had to produce relatively inexpensive
yet fashionable items that men
and women could afford and appreciate
during the war and post-war
era.
Some of the most popular designers
of vintage costume jewelry were
fashion guru Coco Chanel, Elsa
Schiaparelli and Miriam Haskell.
Many of Schiaparelli’s
bright and attractive creations
were made from multi-colored
rhinestones. Haskell, in her
finely detailed work, almost
always paid tribute to nature’s
beauty and bounty. Chanel, the
favorite of many celebrities,
transformed the way costume
jewelry was worn in the 1920s.
Other pieces of vintage costume
jewelry were made from materials
that included beads, corals,
faux pearls, and Bakelite --
a kind of polymeric plastic.
Vintage costume jewelry continues
to be very much in vogue today,
and it has inspired many designers
to create ‘real’
pieces made from precious gems
and metals. At the 2005 Academy
Awards, the jewelry that many
women celebrities wore were
oversized and sparkly, a tribute
to the jewelry designs of the
1940s. Stars such as Madonna,
Britney Spears, and Julia Roberts
are not only collectors of vintage
costume jewelry and dress accessories;
they actually wear them in public,
too.
A person does not have to be
a celebrity to appreciate vintage
costume jewelry. Their uniqueness,
aesthetic value and superb craftsmanship
make them popular collectible
items, and with proper care,
they can be a good investment,
too, since serious collectors
will pay top dollar for vintage
costume jewelry that is in mint
condition. But more than that,
the experience of owning and
wearing a thing of beauty that
comes from a bygone era is simply
priceless.
Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer,
musician and a writer on the
subject of jewelry and gemstones.
For more information on jewelry
and gemstones, we cordially
invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com
to pick up your FREE copy of
“How To Buy Jewelry And
Gemstones Without Being Ripped
Off.” This concise, informative
special report reveals almost
everything you ever wanted to
know about jewelry and gemstones,
but were afraid to ask. Get
your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com
