Costume jewelry
Costume or fashion jewelry includes a range of decorative items worn for personal adornment that are manufactured as less expensive ornamentation to complement a particular fashionable outfit or garment[1] as opposed to "real" (fine) jewelry, which is more costly and which may be regarded primarily as collectibles, keepsakes, or investments.
Originally, costume or fashion jewelry was made of inexpensive simulated gemstones, such as rhinestones or lucite, set in pewter, silver, nickel, or brass.
Lower-priced jewelry may still use gold plating over pewter, nickel, or other metals; items made in countries outside the United States[dubious – discuss] may contain lead.
Some of the most remembered names in costume jewelry include both the high and low priced brands: Crown Trifari, Dior, Chanel, Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Monet, Napier, Corocraft, Coventry, and Kim Craftsmen.
If you admired a necklace worn by Bette Davis in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, you could buy a copy from Joseff of Hollywood, who made the original.
Stars such as Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jane Russell appeared in adverts for the pieces and the availability of the collections in shops such as Woolworth made it possible for ordinary women to own and wear such jewelry.
Chanel’s designs drew from a variety of historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork.
Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family, introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
[10] Kenneth Jay Lane has since the 1960s been known for creating unique pieces for Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and Audrey Hepburn.
Other celebrated names who wore Lane’s creations include Jackie Kennedy, Babe Paley, the Duchess of Windsor, and Nancy Reagan.
[11] Elsa Schiaparelli brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, collaborating with artists such as Salvador Dalí.
Costume jewelry manufacturers are located throughout the world, with a particular concentration in parts of China and India, where entire citywide and region-wide economies are dominated by the trade of these goods.
The wholesalers purchase from international suppliers who are also available on the Web from different parts of the world like Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, and Indian jewelry companies, with their wide range of products in bulk quantities.
The trend of jewelry-making at home by hobbyists for personal enjoyment or for sale on sites like Etsy has resulted in the common practice of buying wholesale costume jewelry in bulk and using it for parts.
