Costume Jewelry: The Fascinating Tale Of Fabulous Fakes
Costume jewelry made its appearance in the United States in the 1920s. The term Fabulous Fakes refers to Antique American Costume Jewelry typically made with colored glass stones, rhinestones, gold plated metal, or sterling silver. Miriam Haskell and other designers began selling their jewelry pieces around 1925. Between the 20s and 30s, numerous European immigrants began crafting their exquisite jewelry in Providence, Rhode Island as well as Chicago and New York.
Costume jewelry gained popularity around the 1940s when Hollywood movie stars started wearing it in both films and real life. One of the most renowned designers of that time was Joseff of Hollywood. Other popular designers whose costume jewelry is sought by modern collectors include Hattie Carnegie, Eisenberg Originals, Nettie Rosenstein, Ciner, and Napier. Pieces from the 30s to the mid-fifties are the hardest for modern collectors to find. Pieces that have been marked or signed by the designer are exceedingly desirable as well as valuable.
The collecting of vintage costume jewelry has become a popular trend these days. Many antiques pieces have been known to sell for thousands of dollars. Classic costume pieces have become a bold fashion statement. Many of today’s celebrities favor costume jewelry, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Demi Moore, Nicolette Sheridan, Diane Keaton, and Madonna, just to name a few. Who could blame them? Antique costume jewelry features vibrant, bold colors and a larger than life scale. Attentive craftsmanship, originality, and striking attractiveness are typical of vintage pieces.
Tips for the Budding Costume Jewelry Collector
When searching for antique pieces, check to make sure pin clasps work because they are very difficult to fix. Also choose pieces in which the metal has not started turning green. Avoid purchasing pieces with missing stones as they will not be easy to replace. Searching antique fairs, garage sales, and flea markets may turn up exceptional deals on vintage costume jewelry. Church bazaars are another great place to find great deals on pieces, usually well kept jewelry that has been locked away by someone’s grandmother or aunt.
Make some memories of your own to share with the future generations of your family, buy discount costume jewelry. By building your own collection of magnificent modern pieces, you are sure to have a least a few that will one day just as valuable and desirable as the antique pieces sought by collectors today. If it’s in your budget, it would be advantageous to buy a few pieces from designers like Armani and Prada, especially their couture collections. These pieces are extremely original and are made in only small quantities.
