Costume Jewelry Guru

Costume jewelry got its name from being used in stage costumes. This fashion accessory still looks as good today as when it was used for these stage costumes. 

Oftentimes costume jewelry is made from invaluable materials. These usually consist of glass, base metals and plastic. The gemstones that are used are synthetic. This is why you shouldn’t consider costume jewelry to be a type of investment like regular jewelry is. However, there are some pieces that you can still consider to be a keepsake. 

While he most well-known costume jewelry designer is Coco Chanel, the most recognizable pieces have been created by Kenneth Jay Lane. In fact, it was Lane that created Barbara Bush’s 3 strand pearl necklace. She wore this to the inaugural ball. Both Coco and Lane’s vintage pieces sell for a lot of money at New York auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

You will find that costume jewelry has its very own look, style and attitude. This jewelry also greatly resembles the time in which it was created. For instance, any costume jewelry from the 1920s or 1930s will have an Art Deco look to it. You can tell this by the jewelry’s geometric designs. This includes long pendants in black, white, or very bold colors. Rarely will you see any pastel colors. After this period was the Retro period. This jewelry included flowers, bows and sunbursts in its design. Today’s modern artists are actually quite classy. There are also many holiday themes that are popular as well.

Today’s costume jewelry is a fashion accessory that is growing bigger and more elaborate than vintage pieces ever were. The fashion and statements that they make are very personal. For this reason, it is often difficult to purchase costume jewelry for someone that you don’t know very well.

From candy colored baubles to diamond look-alikes, costume jewelry rings are an easy way to make a bold statement. People look at your hands more than you might think, so accessorizing them can have a huge impact. Because we tend to look at our own hands a lot too, wearing a fun and fashionable ring can even change your state of mind.

Costume jewelry rings are a fun thing to collect. It is nice to get a good collection going and to have a ring for every look and mood. A good ring can be the difference between a passable outfit, and one that looks carefully planned and pulled together. There are a lot of places to get some inspiration if you need help getting started.

Antique shops are a good place to start looking. There, you will often find large, velvet lined drawers full of rings. In the 50’s and 60’s they did all sorts of neat things with plastic. Big, chunky, funky, colorful, there is some really unique stuff out there. Keep your mind open and try out lots of different styles. Something that looks gaudy laying in a drawer might just be a real conversation starter on your hand.

Shopping for costume jewelry rings also gives you a way to shop in trendy boutiques without the hefty price tag. Pick up a ring or two for a way to sport the hottest trends without the massive hit on your wallet. 

Another place to find great costume jewelry is at local art fairs. You can find some really great pieces hand-crafted by local jewelry artisans. Think of each ring as a mini work of art you wear on your hand. Most of my favorite pieces have been purchased this way. I have all sorts of rings made from everything from glass to titanium. These fairs give you the opportunity to find really unique and possibly one of a kind pieces.

Buying rings as vacation souvenirs is a nice way to extend the memory of a great time away. Jewelery is a sentimental object by nature so it makes for a really nice way to commemorate a journey. Each time you wear your ring, you will have a gentle reminder of the good times you had.

Your jewelry should be thought of as more than just an accessory. If you take your time and select unique pieces that capture your personality, it can become a part of you and your image on the world.

A lot of people who like jewelry have an appreciation for both costume and real jewelry. There are different reasons for liking both of these types of jewelry. While they tend to like real jewelry because it is a valuable, lifetime investment, they can also see the benefits to costume jewelry as well. On the other hand, they like costume jewelry for the following 3 main reasons:
1.Costume jewelry is very affordable. This is the main reason why so many people like it. They do not want to spend a lot of money on one piece of jewelry when they can purchase several different pieces for the same price. Most of the time you will not even be able to tell the difference between a real piece of jewelry and a well constructed piece of costume jewelry and you will find that both will last just as long if you care for them properly. This is especially true of those items that have an overlay of either gold or silver on them. Even with these types of costume jewelry you will still be able to experiment with a variety of jewelry that you can mix and match as you please.
2.With costume jewelry you will be able to get a wide variety of colors and styles. This is because synthetic stones can be made in any imaginable color. Furthermore, there are a wide variety of materials that can be used to make this jewelry from. This includes nylon, plastic, acrylic, wood, shells and stones. As was aforementioned, this too will allow for you to have a wider variety of jewelry to choose from to mix and match as you desire.
3.You can wear costume jewelry to almost any event and for almost any occasion. This is not necessarily true of real jewelry. For instance, you can wear a necklace that is made from natural stone to a family reunion whereas if you wore a piece of gold jewelry it may look too fancy. At the same time, you can also use a cubic zarcadia necklace and earring set to accentuate a formal dress and still stand out nicely without it having to be a diamond.

While these are some of the many benefits of costume jewelry, you should know that real jewelry has its benefits as well. That is why people who own costume jewelry also own at least some real jewelry pieces as well. However, whenever it comes to price, variety and versatility, costume jewelry will always win over real jewelry, hands down.