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Costume Jewellery has been on the market for over 300 years. The jewels owned by the women of wealthy families were usually family heirlooms and bequeathed from mother to daughter, but because of their high value, it was dangerous to wear them daily, as they could be lost, stolen, or even destroyed. For this reason, many women chose to create copies of their jewelry from cheaper materials so that they could wear it every day and use their fine jewellery only at important events.
At the same time, costume jewellery were a solution to women who could not buy precious jewelry but wanted to decorate their outfits with different jewellery each time.
During the 1920-1930 period costume jewellery was in great demand. Well-known jewellery and fashion designers presented costume jewellery collections, where the central element was not the value of the materials but the jewellery design and the attention to detail. Women could now buy impressive jewelry without spending a fortune for each piece.
Coco Chanel is one of the most famous fashion designers of this period who presented costume jewelry, combining semi-precious stones and faux pearls with various metals.
The global economic downturn of 1929 and World War II only temporarily halted the dominance of costume jewellery in the fashion industry, and after WW2 was over, women, who had now entered the labor market and had their own incomes, turned to costume jewellery, both for their daily needs and for special occasions.
It is possible that the name Costume Jewellery came from their widespread use in the theater, as theatrical producers (and later film producers) wanted their protagonists to wear impressive jewellery that looked expensive, for the needs of the play, without, however, they need to pay a fortune for jewellery.
Now, almost all the big fashion houses offer Costume Jewellery, while there are also big companies, which create unique collections every year with semi-precious stones and metals, although they are no longer handmade but industrially made.
Vintage Jewelry by well-known Costume Jewellery designers, such as Coro and Crown Trifari, as well as costume jewellery by well-known fashion houses like Chanel and Oscar de la Renta, stand out for their excellent design and quality, handmade construction and are still sought after today with a great resale value, especially when they bear the creator's signature.
Over time, we have seen many famous women wear Costume Jewellery, even with expensive gowns for formal appearances. Especially in the period 1950-1970, when Costume Jewellery was at the height of its popularity and many designers presented costume jewellery collections, famous actors such as Betty Davis, Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor wore costume jewellery both in their films and in their official appearances. In the following years, following their example, many women chose branded costume jewellery for their appearances. Among them, Jackie Onassis, Diana Vreeland, and Audrey Hepburn chose costume jewellery from well-known designers, while Barbara Bush wore a 3-strand faux pearl necklace for the inaugural ball of her husband George Bush.
Nowadays, almost all big fashion houses offer Costume Jewellery, while there are also jewellery companies, that create unique collections every year with semi-precious stones and metals. Usually, however, these are no longer handmade but industrially made.
Vintage Jewellery by well-known Costume Jewellery designers, such as Coro and Crown Trifari, as well as costume jewellery by famous fashion houses, stand out for their excellent design and quality, handmade construction and are still sought after today with a great resale value, especially when they bear the creator's signature.
