There are a lot of trends that come and go quite quickly in the fashion world and it can be hard to keep up with all of them. One trend making a comeback recently is costume jewelry. This type of jewelry has been around for hundreds of years but its popularity wavers with each decade. Costume jewelry is meant to be short lived, inexpensive and often tailored to match a specific outfit. It is very affordable so purchasing and disposing of pieces doesn't hurt the wallet too badly.
To make these fun jewelry pieces more affordable, they are typically crafted out of more inexpensive materials such as base metals, glass and synthetic gemstones. Costume jewelry really took off in the early twentieth century and made popular by Coco Chanel in the late 1920's. During this time, often known as the Art Deco period, costume jewelry was made of rhinestones and Lucite, set in inexpensive metals like brass and nickel. Coco Chanel completed many of her designs with accessories like cocktail rings, bangles and long pendants. Typical of the Art Deco period, this type of jewelry was very geometrical with harsh lines. Unfortunately, when the Great Depression set in, jewelry faded into the past as a luxury of the 20's flapper era.
The next time costume jewelry made an appearance was in the late 1930's, after the Depression had subsided. This era is often referred to as the Retro period and lasted until about 1950. During this time, America was in economic recovery and jewelry designers were beginning to produce pieces with a true American feel. Plastic was becoming a very popular material and designers began using it in conjunction with metals. The costume jewelry of these decades were very "old Hollywood" brimming with elegance and sophistication. This was the time of the Audry Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie O who often endorsed designers of these elegant costume pieces.
Once the designs of the Retro period faded, a new era of costume jewelry emerged. Until around 1960, costume jewelry took on a big, bold look. During this Art Modern period, big chunky bracelets, pins and charm bracelets were all the rage. This was the time when many well known designers were adorning starlets with their costume pieces. While most of this type of jewelry isn't seen as collectible, certain pieces from this time period are very highly sought after.
Today, vintage pieces of costume jewelry are quickly becoming the accessory to own. There are still many companies producing new pieces but vintage is the name of the game. There has been some controversy over newly produced costume jewelry after certain pieces were found to have high levels of cadmium. As a result, costume jewelry enthusiasts look for vintage pieces or original pieces created by small-time artists. Online sites like Etsy have become quite popular to seek out one-of-a-kind accessories for fashionistas. Shopping sites and artists like these also help enable the local economy and lines right up with the "green" trend that is so popular right now.
If you are out shopping for costume jewelry today, look for anything big, bold and brightly colored. Large beads, gemstones and metals like copper and brass are very trendy right now. Large cocktail rings and piles of bangles are the perfect way to make a statement with your outfits. Find inexpensive pieces that you will be able to wear with a couple different outfits and get ready to feel your money stretch while you look fabulous every time you leave the house.
Ronnie Adolf is the president of Adolf Jewelers, a leading Richmond jewelry store featuring top quality products such as Richmond watches and Richmond diamonds. Adolf Jewelers can be found online at: AdolfJewelers.com.
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