Know the History of Costume Jewellry

 Costume Jewellry The History and Types of Costume Jewelry

Jewellry has a rich history in America, and of course, jewellry is just the right accessory that can make any woman's outfit complete. This is why women love to have a variety of different types of jewellry to complete their costume. Having rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings in different colors gives women the opportunity to match jewelry to any outfit in their closet.

It used to be that only royalty could afford to buy jewellry. Prior to the nineteenth century, jewellry was only made of expensive metals and pricey jewels, such as diamonds, emerald, rubies, and pearls. The everyday woman could not afford to buy these elaborate styles of jewelry. Fortunately, costume jewellry came along to save the day.

The History of Costume Jewellry

Shortly after the 1900's, costume jewellry became an important part of women's fashion. One of the reasons for this was because clothing styles were changing. Women shifted from wearing the heavy, long gowns from the Victorian era into lightweight, more modern dresses. Rather than covering their arms and necks, they began to wear dresses that showed some skin on the arms and neck. As a result they wanted to wear shiny, sparkly jewelry in order to accessorize. Costume jewelry was just the answer to fit this need. It was inexpensive but pretty. This allowed women of all socioeconomic levels to have the ability to purchase multiple pieces in order to match different outfits. This is why it was called "costume jewelry".

Designers made beautiful rhinestone necklaces, earrings, pins, and bracelets. Many of the costume jewelry pieces were made to look like real diamonds or gem stones. There was also a trend to make hard plastic jewelry, called "Bakelite". Most Bakelite pieces were made into bracelets and necklaces. They came in an assortment of different tones, and they added color to an outfit and were very affordable.

Around the 1930's, the Great Depression hit America. During this time expensive jewelry stores took a nose dive. Many of them went bankrupt because people were unable to afford to pay for expensive jewels or jewelry. Everyone reduced their spending. This hit the fashion and jewelry industry especially hard.

By the end of the 1930's, the Great Depression was finally over and the economy started to improve again. Rhinestone brooches came into vogue. Many women enjoyed wearing these sparkling pieces, to dress up old clothing in order to give them a fresh look. This type of costume jewelry was considered to be disposable jewelry. It was designed to be something women would wear with a specific outfit, and then it could be thrown away and a new one could be purchased. This type of costume jewelry was not something women considered to be collectable. They never imagined it might be passed down to future generations.

History changed the jewelry market again with the start of World War II, in the 1940's. The U.S. lost the influence of the French designers because France was at war with Germany. Jewelry was forced to be designed and made in the U.S. Jewelry switched from being glitzy and sparkly to being more patriotic. Jewelry resembling flags were made. There were also several red, white, and blue designs to choose from.

In addition to patriotic jewelry, many factories that specialized in making costume jewelry had to make changes. They switched their priority from making jewelry to using workers to make ammunition. Many of the metals that were typically used for jewelry were now needed for the war. The jewelers did not completely stop making jewelry they just adapted the material they used to make it. They used sterling silver, which was inexpensive at that time. Jewelers also became creative and used other material such as wood and plastic in their designs. Since these pieces were very creative and unique to this time period they are highly collected today. These tend to be the pieces of costume jewelry that are the most valuable at auctions and antique stores.

Throughout the 1950's costume jewelry remained popular. In fact, manufacturing this type of jewelry became divided. Some companies designed expensive lines of costume jewelry that had an artistic flair. Other companies made designs that were meant more for the middle class. These pieces were made to be worn for fun and flair.

In our current day jewelry is not much different than any other time. There are a variety of different types of jewelry that is available. This explains why the jewelry industry is a million dollar industry. Fine jewelry made of expensive metals and jewels are available at a higher cost. Attractive costume jewelry is available at moderate prices. Inexpensive costume jewelry is also available at many discount stores. The biggest difference in today's market is that jewelry is now worn by both men and women. It is not uncommon to see men with earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. This is true for expensive gemstones and less expensive costume jewelry as well.

Jewelry design has a very interesting and rich history to follow. It has changed through the ages due to supply and demand. It will be interesting to see how it continues to evolve and change in the future.