Humans, who are naturally vain, have a tendency to adorn themselves with ornaments, if only to look beautiful or to imply stature. In fact, traces of early forms of jewelry made of tusks, teeth, or bones have been excavated in various pre-historic sites. These can be considered as the ancient versions of what we, in the twenty-first century, call as costume jewelry,

Costume jewelry comes by a lot of other names like fashion jewelry, faux jewelry, and fallalery. Whatever it’s called, all pertain to a particular piece or set that is created from not-so valuable materials like metal, glass, or plastic accented by synthetic stones. These accessories are the cheap alternatives to the fine jewelry, which come from the customary precious stones and metals.

Before we dwell so much on its contemporary use, it will be great to take a peek first at its origins, right?

So, how and where did this trend start?

If we will look further into history, we can get a glimpse of how the Egyptians were so hooked on ornaments like amulets and headdresses. Many of the finest pieces were made of precious stones because they believed these had powers that can embody the person wearing them. When the jewelry making business reached its peak in Egypt during the twelfth dynasty, which covered 1991 to 1786 BC, the jewelers ventured into more colorful materials like glass.

Many were fond of the spectacle of colors that make up the new pieces and the trend became popular almost instantly. The trick they used in getting more colors was to use glass. This new material for jewelry took the place of the gemstones.

The shift was easy since the designers spend lesser time making jewelry out of glass instead of the stones, which need a lot of grinding before they can be used. Glass as enamel became widespread and eventually some other uses sprung like the mosaic. These pieces of glasses were cut and designed to resemble small flowers, which the Egyptians loved to use as rings.

Many people also relate costume jewelry to antique jewelry and they could be right but the use of these antiques started before the 1930s. The earliest forms of this form of jewelry came out in the 1930s and they were used as accessories that can be disposed after some time. They were very cheap and can be matched with any outfit that suited the era. The pieces of jewelry were lovely and trendy, but they were not the type that can be given to the next generations of wearers. The concept then, until now, is to stand out during a specific period of time, become obsolete, and then be revived again with little twists when a new fashion style comes out.

Vintage pieces from the past are also considered costume jewelry. These inexpensive pieces were first released during the Victorian era until the 1960s.

As people continued to make use of ornaments, cheap, fake jewelry became an accepted fashion style. In fact, Coco Chanel, a pioneer in French fashion design has given a lot of attention into faux jewelry during her time as a famed fashion designer by bringing the spotlight to the costume jewelry she made out of gold and faux pearls.

Another artist to note is Kenneth Jay Lane who became popular in the 1960s for dressing up Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn with very unique pieces that commanded a lot of attention and gave these women added glamour. The high-end fashion is the best place for costume jewelry.

Other designers include Elsa Schiaparelli and Miriam Haskell. Schiaparelli’s works were mostly made from colorful rhinestones while Haskell’s were famous for the fine details that depict nature.

What’s with the name of costume jewelry?

The term “costume” has been coined during the early part of the twentieth century when people referred to a certain theatrical outfit as costume. The word eventually made its way to mainstream and have come to pertain to any outfit worn for special events or occasions.

Owing to how elaborate the clothes of actors are onstage, they have become staples in making the people resemble their characters perfectly, and their costumes are customized to make them look really good onstage.

The same way that costumer jewelry is all for making somebody look good or better in what can sometimes be plain clothing.

How is costume jewelry different from the other types of jewelry?

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It has a look and style all its own that makes each piece unique and pleasantly attractive to its user.
• It is made of cheaper materials like glass, paste, crystals, clay, tiles, plastic beads, rhinestones, synthetic stones, and base metals.
• Costume jewelry pieces are not purchased for investment purposes but as keepsakes.
• The antique pieces, which can be considered costume jewelry, tell a great deal about history around the time they were created.
• It is primarily used for fashion purposes, for enhancing one’s outfit and not for any thing else.
• These pieces are trendsetters and will eventually be outdated.
• They are eye-catching and creatively designed.

What are the advantages of wearing costume jewels?

• Cost is cheap – from a few dollars to several hundreds usually.
• If you lose or damage it, you won’t get any pang of regret since they are really not very expensive.
• There are so many styles to choose from. There is Edwardian, Victorian, Art Deco, medieval reproductions.
• Collecting them is fun and not very pricey.
• There are a lot of themes related to any type of personality or hobby like animals, insects, flowers, special occasions, or even sports.
• You can have one set for every special outfit if you want to.
• You can add variety to your wardrobe without spending so much.

How do you wear pieces of the past to fit the present?

For collectors of vintage pieces, there really aren’t so many opportunities to flaunt them since you can’t wear too many of these at a time. The question for some collectors is how they can wear them.

A lot of the costume earrings are clip-ons so women worry that they might just fall off. There are nice vintage brooches or pins but it isn’t always a good time to wear them. Some necklaces have elaborate designs that sometimes a woman can feel overwhelmed. These shouldn’t stop one from collecting or wearing costume jewelry though. The trick is to find new ways to wear them.

Brooches, Pins

• Wear the brooch as pendant by purchasing a pendant converter from your jeweler or craft store.
• Attach the pin to a ponytail elastic and tie your hair, as you would normally do.
• For a more formal hairstyle like the French Twist, attach the brooch or pin to a hair comb or a large clip using wires. Use this new accessory to secure your hair.
• If you prefer to wear your hair down, you can just attach the brooch or pin to an elastic headband or a bandanna.
• Attach the brooch or pin to a satin belt or any plain cloth belt and use it to accessorize your waist.
• Adorn a purse with the brooch or pin.
• Attach the brooch or pin to a cloth bracelet.

Vintage clip-on earrings

• Can also be used as hair accessory by pinning them in the hair.
• Can be used as a pendant too.
• Attach to a belt for added bling.
• Clip them on to the straps of a tank top.
• Clip them on and secure them onto the straps of your flip-flops.

Vintage Necklaces

• Pile them on with other complementing neckpieces.
• For long necklaces that are adorned with rhinestones, you can wrap your updo with it and secure with hairpins.
• Grab a cloth belt and attach the ends of a long necklace to update the belt and up some spice to your jeans.
• For purses with removable straps, use the long necklace as a strap. Te necklace should have large chain links made of strong metal though.

The styles of the past years are becoming more fashionable these days and many of these costume jewelry pieces are seeing reproduction. People are no longer buying costume jewelry just so they could collect them for their antique-y nature. People are buying because these pieces are stylish and very fashionable. If you are off for a dress to impress event or you want to be a showstopper, then wear one around your neck and see the conversations swirl around it.

Costume pieces are really known for their uniqueness, aesthetic value, and the excellent detailing or craftsmanship that was put into them. As collectible items, they need proper care because they eventually amount to something. Avid collectors pay decent amounts for really rare vintage costume jewelry that is in tiptop shape. More than its potential for investment, there is some good feeling about owning something beautiful that has come from a historic and significant era – that, in itself is really priceless.

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