The Dazzle & Glitz of Collecting Old Costume Jewelry

A bit about Costume Jewelry.......

"Dazzle! Sparkle! Glitter! Flash!" That's the name of the game when it comes to costume jewelry.

Although fake, faux or costume jewelry had been in use long before the 1930s, it was in the 1930s that it really came into its own.

What's costume jewelry? Well, while the wealthy could afford to adorn themselves with jewelry made of the precious metal of gold, and with precious jewels such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies, the vast majority of people could not. So the manufacture of faux jewelry began to meet the need of people who wanted nice ornaments but did not have a lot of money to spend.

Originally, faux jewelry was made to look like the real thing - real diamonds instead of glass, and so on. But because the designers weren't working with items that cost a lot of money, they were able to really go to town on their designs without fear of losing a great deal of money if a design failed. As Carol Prisant, author of Antiques Roadshow: 20^th Century Collectibles put it, " Only the fact that the fake was just a little more fabulous than the genuine might give the game away."

Costume jewelry is made from a variety of materials. Rhinestones and Czechoslovakian glass provided the jewels, brass or brass alloys the metal settings.  Silver, a precious metal but not that precious, was also often used. Art Deco made use of marcasite – jewelry composed of hundreds of dark, finely cut bits of crystallized iron sulfide, usually set in silver. Bakelite was the material of choice for colorful pins, bracelets, rings and necklaces during the 1930s.

What are rhinestones, by the way? You've heard of the Rhinestone Cowboy, and many people will remember Liberace's rhinestone roadster or his "platinum mink coat and rhinestone costume"...and even the later Elvis Presley was no slouch when it came to the faux gem. A rhinestone is a "diamond simulant" made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic. Originally, they were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. Around 1775, an Alsatian jeweller had the idea to use them to imitate diamonds by coating the lower side of the glass with metal powder.

Costume jewelry was not meant to last...as soon as the style went out of fashion many women through the jewelry away and purchased the latest design. However, quite a lot of this jewelry still survives and can be purchased at garage sales, estate sales, on Ebay, and so on. The care of this jewelry is all important.

Glass and base metals scratch easily, so don't throw everything together in a drawer or jewelry box. Each piece must be separated.  Display the pieces on a half-inch of upholstery foam, which will help absorb moisture. Perfume and hairspray can also damage jewelry, so put on your jewelry after you've finished styling your hair, and don't put perfume on your skin near your jewelry.

The heyday of costume jewelry was from the 1930s to the 1960s - that's when the major designers were in business.

In the 1930s, it was all about Art Deco. Designers such as Marcel Boucher and McClelland Barclay came to the fore.

In the 1940s, the idea of imitating "real" jewelry was abandoned, and the "retro" look came into style - bold colors and large pieces. Designers included Hattie Carnegie and Joseff of Hollywood.

In the 1950s, gaudily colored rhinestones took over, as well as matching sets, or "parures" – necklace, earrings, pins and bracelet. Designers included HAR (the Hargo Jewelry Company of New York) and Miriam Haskell.

The 1960s brought in the era of "flower power." and jewelry for the "space age." Designers included Kenneth Jay Lane and Schiaparelli.

There were literally dozens of designers in each decade, with many overlapping into succeeding decades as well. The history of these designers is a fascinating one, and as fun to learn about as it is to wear or collect their fabulous creations!

Please visit The Velveteen Rabbit Antiques for all your vintage jewelry needs.