Fashion Fake

Are You Wearing Fashion or Costume Jewelry?

What is the distinction between costume and fashion jewelry? Is there genuinely a distinction or do we use the words interchangeably? Perhaps a much better question is really should we use the words interchangeably? To locate an answer, we very first require to go back in time a bit and review the history of jewelry.

Although the use of materials, or particularly gold, to adorn the body effortlessly dates back to Egypt in 3000 BC as evidenced by finds in tombs like Tutankhamen’s, we require to move forward to the 13th Century in Medieval Europe and England when Sumptuary Laws had been enacted, to see the beginning of “fake” jewelry. Commoners, or yeomen and artisans, were forbidden from wearing gold, silver, pearls or gemstones. Since precious gemstones and pearls had been highly prized, a marketplace developed for very good glass imitations. The Italians, especially those from the glass making areas of Venice and Murano, began to make imitation glass gems and pearls that had been of really top quality.

By the 17th Century, garments had grow to be quite ornamental utilizing jewelry pieces known as dress ornaments on the stomacher, or front, sleeves and skirts. It became acceptable to wear fake jewelry by day and fine or actual jewelry by evening. Pearls had been worn in abundance and during this era, Jaquin of Paris patented a process for making fake pearls. About the exact same time, a compound of white lead oxide and potash, referred to as paste, was developed and became widely employed for making fake gems. These fake gems were pasted onto theatrical costumes, thus becoming referred to as costume jewelry.

Moving forward to the late 1800′s, jewelry production started to move to America and Australia, and resulted in lower quality standards. Resistance to the lesser quality pieces prompted jewelers for example Tiffany to begin to make very top quality fine jewelry. By the early 1900′s, we began to see recognizable names influencing the mass produced jewelry business. Designers such as Rene Lalique, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Napier made fake or faux jewelry enjoyable and fashionable. This faux jewelry was far more commonly referred to as cocktail jewelry, or costume jewelry, thus popularizing the term.

The Second World War saw fine jewelry dwindle in production since metals had been rationed. Top quality costume jewelry flourished, as well as the post-war 1950′s Art Deco period signaled the acceptance of more extravagant costume jewelry. Some of these top quality pieces have attained vintage status making them of interest to collectors. The 1980′s and 1990′s saw the influence of TV shows, movies, and celebrity sponsorships, make costume jewelry fashionable. And also the term fashion jewelry came in vogue and began to refer to any jewelry that was not considered fine or real jewelry.

The usage of the terms costume and fashion jewelry has become analogous and interchangeable, and is often based on tradition and locality. Anything of lesser value and lesser quality supplies than fine gold, silver, or diamond jewelry is now referred to as costume or fashion. In today’s usage, although costume jewelry is generally thought to be less pricey than fashion jewelry, numerous components are typical to both. Costume jewelry will often have gold plating over pewter, nickel or even lead, and may possibly contain beads or gems made of plastic or acrylic. Fashion jewelry generally will be one step higher in quality, utilizing electroplated gold or silver over brass, gold over silver, or even sterling silver as the metal base and might be accented with high-end crystals, simulated gemstones, CZ, semi-precious stones, or other natural supplies. Styling in fashion jewelry will typically imitate real or fine jewelry designs.

So to answer the original question, what is the distinction between costume and fashion jewelry, we need to draw a quite fine line of distinction. Looking at the top quality, supplies, design, and price should aid clarify which terminology fits the situation. Either is correct; neither is incorrect! But personally, I prefer the term fashion jewelry as I need to be fashionable, not attired in a costume!

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