THE RISE AND FALL OF COSTUME JEWELRY

Costume Jewelry became an entity in the 1920’s but its roots are found in the 18th century when leaded glass was used to replicate diamonds. By the end of the 19th century Swarovski had developed rhinestones. Base metal with gold plating created the look of the real thing.

The Industrial Revolution made it possible for jewelry to be mass produced, then Hollywood movies featuring Designer costume jewelry worn by film stars (the 1940’s fashion influencers), inspired the middle class to acquire similar baubles. Costume Jewelry became a flourishing industry of its own up until the late 20th century. Its purpose was to provide well-made, affordable jewelry to the middle class and to complement trending fashion colours and styles.

It did take a turn, however, in the mid 1980’s when large manufacturers started to focus on higher production, faster turnaround and the cheapest prices. To achieve this and be competitive, offshore factories were engaged to employ people (including children) who would work for very little money and endure hard working conditions. Cheap metal alloys were created that contained toxic elements, craftsmanship was replaced by automation, and the number of units completed became more important than the quality of the jewelry.

Costume Jewelry became known as a single-use accessory that might turn your finger green, also associated with potential human rights violations.

High end department stores wanted better quality jewelry than this new Costume Jewelry. This created a market for what became known as Fashion Jewelry, still mass marketed but well designed and made with good materials.

HOW COSTUME JEWELRY BEGAN:

Coco Chanel created jewelry in the 1920’s with excellent craftsmanship that combined fake pearls, chains, glass and plastic. The purpose for wearing jewelry immediately shifted from expressing one’s wealth to expressing one’s personal style.

Coco would wear bold and flashy costume jewelry herself as a fashion accessory to complement her outfit and this immediately became a trend that was available to most women because of its affordability.

Her jewelry sparked a profusion of Designer Costume Jewelry that flourished for most of the 20th century.

The following is an incomplete list of 20th century Costume Jewelry Designers. Careful attention to detail, engineering and artistry was common among them.

Miriam Haskell Company immediately became popular in 1926 New York with her floral themed jewelry.

In the 1930's Elsa Schiaparelli was one of the most popular fashion designers in Paris. She created a line of jewelry inspired by the Dada art movement, with large fake stones on bold bracelets. 

Eisenburg, originally a clothing company, started making jewelry in the 1930’s. Known for high quality materials and masterful craftsmanship, they continue to operate today. The company was famous for its very authentic looking replicas of 18th-century fine jewelry.

During the Art Deco period, Ralph DeRosa created quality costume jewelry and became known for his innovative designs.

Henrietta Carnegie moved from Austria to the US and changed her name to Carnegie after learning that Andrew Carnegie was the most successful person in America.

Her jewelry designs were wild, giving a touch of flair to otherwise conservative outfits: bold yet timeless.

Kramer Jewelry Creations was founded in New York City at the height of World War II. Kramer favoured organic-looking floral designs made with colored enamel or gilt petals and leaves.

Trifari is one of the most respected producers of costume jewelry in the United States since the 1920's. Their invisible gemstone settings showed a level of craftsmanship and technique not seen before in costume jewelry. 

Christian Dior's costume jewelry was designed to not only complement and accessorize his fashion lines, but also to match the quality of his couture collections.  

Marcel Boucher began his career as a jewelry designer for Cartier and founded his own company in 1937.

The design and craftsmanship in his work is the same as fine jewelry, only made from lesser materials.

Coro Jewelry is one of the most recognized  American jewelry companies. Coro created jewelry to suit every taste and budget. They are known for delicate yet sturdy construction, and high quality craftsmanship.

Since the 1960’s, Kenneth Jay Lane has created pieces worn by Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Bush and more.

Cheap mass produced Costume Jewelry came into the market around 1985. It does have a lucrative place in commerce but should not be confused with the designer pieces made between the 1920’s and the 1980’s. Substandard jewelry manufactured after that period compromised the Costume Jewelry industry and it is hard to recover from a damaged name.

Vintage Costume Jewelry has been having a moment for some time as people discover that it was actually extremely well made and designed, and not the poor quality “copycat” pieces from the period since the mid 1980’s. Uneducated buyers and sellers don’t necessarily know there is a difference between these two phases, and the “new” Costume Jewelry has its own market.

The category called Fashion Jewelry has emerged to fill the gap with pieces that are designed and hand made or manufactured with the careful intention of creating a trendy high end product that is still quite accessible. Department stores like Holt Renfrew, Saks and Nordstrom carry this type of designer Fashion Jewelry, while museum and gallery shops also carry independent designer goldsmith lines.