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
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