Early man decorated himself with whatever available – sometimes seashells on a string, fish bones or even animal claws. The documented examples of “jewelry” can be dated back to around 20,000 BC. Man used whatever might make him stand out. We are not much different – only our available ornaments are much better and more diverse.

Jewelry has had many roles throughout the years – during the various periods it has always been used to establish a certain stature in society. It has also been used as religious offerings, decorations for the church and clergy, certain stones have been deemed able to ward off disease and ill fortune. Jewelry has played many roles throughout mankind’s existence. Quite honestly, it still does. What young executive on the rise does not want to sport a Rolex or other show of success? Yes, jewelry still plays a major part in our society and will continue to do so.

The history of “costume” jewelry – History of many sources credit Coco Chanel (born in 1883 as Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel) as being the first to introduce costume jewelry as an acceptable accessory. In 1910 she opened a hat shop (in France) and in 1913 she began designing and making dresses. In 1919, she opened a fashion house where a lady might go and be decked out from head to foot with clothing and all accessories – including “real” and beautiful costume jewelry! This wonderful lady also developed and released her ever popular Chanel No. 5 Perfume in @1923. When World War II was imminent – she retired (@1939) but came out of retirement in 1954 to once again dominant the fashion world. She left us a wonderful legacy when she passed in 1971.

Many years ago the Ziegfield Follies was an extraordinary show. Acts and ladies attired in costumes glittering in rhinestones parading around (much like what you would expect to see now at a Los Vegas Show). The use of these highly decorated costumes and accessories did wonders for the acceptance of glittery jewelry. As the demand for new and better costumes grew – it helped several jewelry companies flourish and grow. My research tells me that Hobe was a major contributor and supplier for the Follies. It was a good choice – Hobe designed and manufactured some outstanding piePrior to this development – costume jewelry was mostly known as fake or imitation jewelry. The people designing and selling were not considered true craftsmen. The Follies helped the industry gain a certain amount of acceptance.

Probably the biggest major development was Hollywood. As more and more stars began wearing these extravagant pieces in their films – the average person developed a desire for them. The developments in manufacturing costume jewelry had made it much cheaper and affordable for the average person now. You could go to the movies and see your favorite star and leave the movie house and head to the department store and purchase a similar piece. You too could look just like Elizabeth Taylor! Well, almost look like Elizabeth Taylor.

Back during these time periods – the average person was not well traveled. Many never traveled over a hundred miles from where they were born but – we had Hollywood and the movies to show us what was stylish. We could see what the beautiful people were wearing and we wanted to be beautiful people too!

Costume jewelry was developed many years ago. Originally, it was still hand made – often times still set in gold. The only difference would be the stones or jewels. As far back in time as 3500 BC – craftsmen discovered that gold could be heated, hammered and shaped quite easily. Silver, copper and bronze metals were also used during this era.

In the era of kingdoms and holding court – a certain standard of opulence was expected. Gems were very expensive! Labor was not a concern. If it took weeks to fashion a stone by hand – then so be it. Jewelers could be commissioned to produce these pieces for a fraction of the cost of real gems. Traveling with very valuable jewelry was not a good idea. The distance between kingdoms was often long and treacherous.

The story of Robin Hood comes to mind. I don’t think there was a lot of giving to the poor going on but I do believe a rich, gold and jewelry laden coach and entourage might find themselves suddenly surrounded by robbers and stripped of their valuables. Hence, the courtiers still needed the flashy accessories demanded by their station but who could afford to replenish such expensive treasures?

Poor kingdoms that could not afford actual gems still had to project a certain image – an industry was born! This jewelry was still well made, still beautiful and often times was much more labor intensive because of fashioning and working the raw materials into a shiny replica of the original.

As discussed earlier – true gems were expensive and hard to acquire. An alternative was needed. How to imitate the luster and brilliance of fine diamonds and gems? Finally, a process was developed where glass was ground down into a powder. It could then be colored to simulate other gems or left uncolored to for the diamond effect. It was then placed in a mold and the kiln fired. The hardened “paste” could then be cut and shaped and polished into an acceptable replica.

Countless hours were spent on these new gems but labor was cheap and many a cottage industry supplemented their meager incomes by producing these simulated treasures.

This method or “paste” was perfected by George Strass (1701 -1773). Mr. Strass developed a glittering paste made from ground lead glass, potassium and other additives that could be used to replicate different transparent stones. This mixture brought a certain brilliance and capability to refract the available light not seen before in simulated gems! He also developed formulas (by adding metal oxides and certain salts) to produce the different colors needed to simulate many of the other rare and valuable gemstones of the day. In honor of Mr. Strass – this method and resulting replicas were often called “Strass” or “Strass Glass”. This was surely a milestone in the history of our present day treasures.

My favorite contributor to the evolvement of our modern day costume jewelry was/is Daniel Swarovski. Mister Swarovski was born in Austria and into the “business”. He followed his father in this trade but he was not content with the slow tedious process of producing these stones. After almost a decade of research and trial and error – Daniel managed to produce a machine that could cut this crystal (leaded glass) with more accuracy and precision than local craftsman could ever hope to achieve. A wonderful side benefit was that not only could these stones be cut more precisely but also could be produced far faster.

Instead of days or even weeks to create the best possible stone – it could be reduced into a matter of minutes or less! Daniel Swarovski had made a major accomplishment but yet he was not satisfied. He was still dependent on suppliers for quality crystal for his process so – he began to experiment and finally developed his own recipe for fine crystal glass that had a very high lead content. This particular recipe seemed to give the perfect facet and refraction combination.

What else could one man possibly do to revolutionize his industry? What else was left? Well, there was one thing that bogged the process down quite a bit. The stones were produced at what was considered lightening speed but – quite frequently these new stones had to have a foil backing applied. Here comes the bottleneck. What does it matter if you can produce a thousand stones a day but can only apply backing to fifty? So, here comes Daniel Swarovski to the forefront once more.
He developed a means and method to vacuum plate the back of his stones with foil by machine thereby eliminating another costly and time consuming step in the production of his superior stones. Daniel could now produce many stones all in one process! Seldom has any one person done so much for his chosen field and I do have a great admiration for his abilities and ingenuity.

Swarovski stones are widely used here in the US and dominate the market. You may also hear them referred to as Austrian Crystals. His legacy still lives on and the company is alive and flourishing. In 1985, they began producing their own creations and marketing them. Currently, their designer marking is a swan and I suspect they will become highly collectable. We have the good fortune to have several pieces and they are a delight.

In @1953 – the process for creating the ever popular aurora borealis rhinestones was perfected. They are often abbreviated and called simply AB stones. This name is credited for the stones resemblance to the awesome Northern Lights displays. I cannot disagree with the analogy – simply amazing! This stone has had a very thin metal coating applied to the surface and this has an outstanding effect. Almost holographic, the stone changes color as the light changes or movement occurs. History credits this development to guess which company? Swarovski of course, with assistance duly noted from Christian Dior. These stones are widely used for some awesome results.

In 1954 – the copyright law for/applying to costume jewelry designs was passed. This was a major event in that it gave not only certain rights to the jewelry companies but also lent a certain validation to their products and efforts. No longer was costume jewelry an also ran but a thriving industry with all the rights and recognition of any industry. Costume jewelry has officially arrived!

The birth of your vintage jewelry – What had to happen for this lovely piece of art you now have in your possession to arrive? Here is one example – of course it might vary according to the article, style and time frame. Many years ago a designer came up with the idea. He painstakingly drew it out and then decided what stones and color he thought best. After many hours of checking and comparing – he would finish his final drawing. Then the drawing and specifications would go to the craftsmen that would seek to make it happen. They would spend hours on end crafting this original mold or model. Then, after they and the designer was satisfied – the mold was poured with a base metal. Then the molded piece was removed and trimmed of any excess metal and hand polished and buffed to a shiny creation.
Once this step was satisfactorily completed – then the piece was ready for it’s plating or finish. Usually, a good copper plating was applied for a sealant and bonding agent. Next, nickel plating was done for that smooth, shiny surface. Finally, after all this – we must begin the electroplating process where the final coating of gold, silver or rhodium was delivered.

Electroplating is the process of putting a metallic coating on a metal or other conducting surface by using an electric current. It is intended to improve the appearance of materials and for protection against corrosion. The item to be plated is thoroughly cleaned by dipping it in acid and alkaline cleaning solutions. Then put in a solution of the metal with which you desire to coat or plate the item. The metal in solution exists in the form of positive ions which are atoms that have lost one or more electrons. The item is then connected to the cathode or negative end of a source of the electric current. The anode or positive electric terminal or end is then connected to another conductor which is also placed in the solution.

The current flowing through acts on the metallic ions in the solution. The ions are attracted to the cathode side, and the coating is deposited on the item’s metallic surface. Of course, after each process the item must be cleaned and polished. At last, the piece is sent to the stone setter where he would hand set the stones. Of course, this would vary in difficulty depending on whether the stones were prong set, glued, dogtooth set, bezel set or even caged. Often, a piece might have several types of settings. Quite a trip for what quite often is still called fake jewelry!

We hope you enjoyed this article and will soon be publishing more on our passion – vintage costume jewelry. We invite you to visit our website for more information on how to find these wonderful pieces of art at yard sales, donation centers and elsewhere – how to care for and properly store – how to date your treasures and much more. Come visit us and share our passion at:
http://www.the-vintage-jewelry-advisor.com

Kathryn and Richard Baird – passionate collectors of vintage costume jewelry. Help us save and preserve these treasures. Come and join us in one of the most highly collectable and still readily available fields today.

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The use of gold jewelry can be dated back to Egypt 3000 BC. Gold was the preferred metal for jewelry making during ancient times. It was rare, it was easy to work with, and it never tarnished.

Magnificent bracelets, pendants, necklaces, rings, armlets, earrings, collars, and head ornaments were all produced in ancient Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs. In 1922 Howard Carter’s excavations led to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and many gold artifacts, all showing the art work of ancient Egypt.

Greece

In ancient Greece, gold beads in the shape of shells, flowers and beetles were very common. In Northern Greece beautiful necklaces and earrings have been excavated from burial.

By 300 BC the Greeks were using gems such as emeralds, garnets, amethysts and pearls. They also created colored glass stones and enamel stones. Carved agate cameos and gold filigree work were widely made.

Italy

The Italian Etruscans produced granulated textured gold work. They made very large, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They were also known for producing hollow gold pendants that were filled with perfume. Even today the Italians are still known for the quality gold jewelry.

Rome

The Romans used 18 and 24 carat gold for their coins. Coinage gold was readily available so it was popular with craftsmen for decorative jewelry. Over 2000 years ago the Romans were using sapphires, emeralds, garnets, and amber in their jewelry.
Europe.

During the 13th century the Medieval Sumptuary Laws were enacted which put a cap on luxurious jewelry and clothing. The town folk of France, banned from wearing girdles made from pearls or any other gemstone.

They were also banged from wearing gold or silver. Similar laws existed in England banning artisans from wearing gold and silver. These laws show how fine jewelry had spread beyond nobility to the town folk.

For as long as mankind has existed gems and jewels have been used as token of ones love for another. While many pieces of jewelry existed adorned with fine gems and made from precious metals, there was also some very good fake jewelry.

True gemstones and pearls originated in the east and they were bought mainly by the Italians. The Italian merchants then sold the jewelry to the Europeans.

High quality glass imitations were often used and sold with the intent to deceive. These high quality glass stones were often used in the Royal funeral robes and in children’s jewelry.

Valued more than gemstones, were the flawless, round, natural white pearls. South India provided some of the finest pearls. The Italians were able to make quality imitation glass gems and pearls that could only be identified by a gemologist.

There is historical proof that recipes for false pearls existed as far back as 1300. White powdered glass was mixed with albumen and snail slime to produce imitation pearls.

Earrings and Dress Jewelry

During the 17th century woman always wore earrings, whether they were dressed or undressed. It was very acceptable to wear faux pearls and paste gem earrings during the day saving fine diamond jewelry and gem jewelry for evening attire.

Dress ornamentation decreased in size. Sleeves or skirts were often decorated with matching brooches.

During the 16th it was very fashionable to wear large quantities of pearls. Both jewelry to clothing accessories were adorned with pearls.

During the 17th century Jaquin of Paris patented a method of making fake pearls. Hollow blown glass balls were coated with varnish mixed with iridescent ground fish scales. The hollow balls were then filled with wax to strengthen them. This discovery made Paris the main producer of faux pearls for well over 200 years.

Paste is a compound of glass containing white lead oxide and potash. Paste jewelry was very common in the later part of the 17th century. The highest quality and most long lasting paste jewelry was produced after 1734 by Georges Strass.

Paris lead the production of faux gems [paste] and faux pearls. Just about any kind of fake gem could be made, including fake opals.

After 1760 the production of fake jewelery spread to London and to Birmingham. During the industrial revolution steel was produced in large quantities so it was easily available. It was ues for setting marcasite and jasper ware cameos. Glass and Wedgwood porcelain paste cameos were made in English factories and were also very popular.

The fashion from this era also included ornate shoe buckles of paste, steel and tin, elaborate paste jewel buttons, as well as semi precious for day wear.

Empire Jewelry

In 1804 Napoleon emerged as Emperor of France, resulting in a revival of jewelry and fashion as a new court of pomp.
‘Joailliers’ worked fine jewelry and ‘bijoutiers’ used less precious materials.

The members of the new French imperial family had the former French royal family gems re-set into the latest neo-classical style. The new trends soon found their way to Europe, particularly England. The main influence for design was the Greek and Roman.

Parures and Cameos

Parures were a matching suite of coordinating precious gems which could include a necklace, a comb, a tiara, a diadem, a bandeau, a pair of bracelets, pins, rings, drop earrings or and cluster stud earrings and possibly a belt clasp.

A full parure consisted of a minimum of four pieces. A demi parure consisted of three or less pieces. Both Josephine and Napoleon’s second wife had magnificent parures.

Once Napoleon’s cameo decorated coronation crown was seen, cameos became the rage. Cameos were carved from hard stone, conch shells and even from Wedgwood porcelain.

Victorian Jewelry

In 1837 when Queen Victoria came to the throne jewelry was romantic and nationalistic. It focused on European folk art, which later influenced the Arts and Crafts Movement. Until mid century most western jewelry came from Europe, with some jewelry being produced in North America and Australia.

Mass production of mid Victorian jewelry in Birmingham, Germany and Providence, Rhode Island resulted in lower jewelry standards. Victorian women rebelled when they saw some the poor quality of much of this machine made jewelry.

Woman rebelled by wearing no jewelry at all, or buying from the emerging artist craftsman. Some jewelers like Tiffany recognized a niche market and began to make fine jewelry of a very high standard, opening shops in main European cities.

Mourning Jewelry

During the Victorian era mourning jewelry was very fashionable. The initial months of mourning were unadorned by jewelry of any kind. As the mourning rituals increased, mourning jewelry developed as a fashion item. Queen Victorian wore a great deal of jet mourning jewelry after Prince Albert’s death.

Jet from Whitby, North of England was set into mourning pieces. All types of material that were black were used and almost all included a lock of the dead loved one’s hair. Hair was also plaited, braided or twisted very tightly until it became hard and thread like.

Arts and Crafts Jewelry

During the 1870s the Arts and Crafts movement evolved as a reaction to mass produced shoddy goods and inferior machine made products which were a result of the industrial revolution.

William Morris and John Ruskin were both leaders of the arts and crafts movement in England. They promoted simple Arts and Crafts of designs based on floral, primitive or Celtic forms worked as wallpapers, furniture and jewelry.

The polished stones used in Arts and Crafts jewelry gave a medieval, simpler, gentler, tooled hand made look and feel to items.

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau followed the arts and crafts movement resulting in a new jewelry look. The movement began in Paris and its influence went throughout the Western world. Art nouveau jewelry had curves, sinuous organic lines of romantic and imaginary dreaminess.

It was very ethereal turning into winged bird and flower forms. French, René Lalique was the master goldsmith of the era of Art Nouveau producing exquisite one off pieces. Today, the Art Nouveau style is still admired, sought after, and copied.

Pearls

Various combinations of pearl necklaces come in and out of fashion with regularity so pearls too are a must. Today pearls are still a wardrobe essential. Both faux pearls and cultured pearls are very affordable today.

Since the opening of trade with China in the 1990s, many pearls are imported from China dropping the price to about 1/3 of what it was prior to China entering the market.

The Japanese have suffered disease in their pearl beds as well as facing competition and are finding it hard to compete with China’s prices.

Pearl necklaces and pearl earrings can lift a complexion and bring light and radiance to the face taking years off a woman whatever her age. They have been a wardrobe staple for centuries, and a wedding attire tradition.

Cultured pearls have become very affordable, and faux pearls are very cheap and the quality can be excellent. Currently Pearls are a very “hot” fashion statement and with the modern twist of being interspaced on gold wire or floating on special synthetic cord they are essential to the millennium look.

Cocktail Jewelry

During the 1920s Lalique mass produced and designed high quality glass jewelry. Fake, or costume jewellery was sometimes then called cocktail jewelry.

Costume or Cocktail jewelry was greatly influenced by designers such as Coco Chanel, and Elsa Shiparelli as well as a host of other designers. These two designers were particularly known for encouraging clients to mix their fine jewelry and costume jewelry. Both designers offered imagination and fun and both often sported fabulous fakes.

In the late 1930s Napier of the USA was at the forefront of manufacturing fake cocktail jewelry offer glamour and escapism. Today, Napier still produces excellent contemporary costume pieces.

Hollywood Influence

By the 1940s and 1950s American culture was very dominant in Europe. The influence of movie films and the prominence of film stars set the fashion stage for womens make-up, hair and wardrobe.

People wanted copies of outfits and jewelry worn by the actresses. Women believed that the glamour of Hollywood would rub off on them if they dressed and looked like the glamorous Hollywood actresses.

During the Second World War metals were rationed, halting the production of fine jewelry. Quality costume jewelry picked up the now defunct fine jewelry market. Costume jewelry flourished becoming an acceptable alternative to fine jewelry.
1980’s Television Influences Jewelry

During the 1980s with the evolution of glitzy television soaps such as Dynasty and Dallas, costume jewelry once again became a “hot” fashion statement. With over 250 million viewers, it didn’t take long for costume jewelry to be reborn.

Glitz and sparkle by day was not only acceptable, it became the norm. Earrings grew to an unbelievable size, as did other pieces of jewelry. By the 1990s this sparkly dazzling jewelry phenomena was dead, replace with tiny real diamond studs or a fine stud pearls.

21st Century Jewelry

For the 21st century women believe a mix is good. Fine jewelry combined with costume jewelry are wardrobe essentials. The sophisticated women of this century know what they want from their jewelry and how to wear it to make their fashion statement.

They recognize that costume jewelry can liven up their wardrobe. The types and quality of costume jewelry has grown enormously. Today one can purchase what is classified as fine costume jewelry which is usually plated at least seven times with 10 22 ct gold.

Swarovski crystal set in gold are common accessories, and cubic zirconium, man’s imitation diamond, can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of real diamonds allowing every women to add diamond styled jewelry to their wardrobe.

Ciro, Adrian Buckley, Butler and Wilson, Swarovski Crystal Jewelry Napier, Joan Rivers, Joan Collins, Christian Dior, California Crystal, Property of A Lady and of course Kenneth J Lane to name just a few continue to produce high quality fashion jewelry for today’s women.

Costume jewelry can take you from the board room to a night out of dining and dancing to your most intimate evening. It can make you look your best for your wedding, or a day at the beach. You can make Your Fashion Statement With Costume Jewelry!

Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry, and wedding help. So stop by and visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/ We’ll help you make your fashion statement! Remember looking good doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

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