History of Vintage Costume Jewelry

Vintage costume jewelry has been worn since the time of Ancient Greece.

While costume jewelry was worn by Ancient Egyptians and Grecians, its popularity and respectability surged in the 19th century. The appetite for baubles not made with precious gemstones became so intense that even crème de la crème designers such as Coco Chanel created lines of what is now known as vintage costume jewelry.

Identification

Flashy and fun, vintage costume jewelry is not made of precious gems, silver, gold or pearls.

In the world of fashion, vintage refers to an article of clothing or an accessory of high quality that was created from 1920 to 1980. According to the Federal Trade Commission, which has stricter guidelines, any object categorized as vintage must be at least 50 years old, as opposed to antiques that are required to be no less than 100 years old. Costume jewelry is any ornamentation made from plastic, synthetic stones or base metals such as iron, nickel, lead, zinc or copper.

Time Frame

When the economy bottomed out in 1930, enthusiasm for costume jewelry increased.

Archeologists have unearthed the Ancient Greek version of costume jewelry--accessories composed of seashells and colored glass. In Europe during the 13th century, faux adornments became popular when sumptuary laws--edicts stating that only the nobility could wear precious stones--were passed. Glass became a popular material in the 1700s. Little changed in costume jewelry culture until the 1930s, when the down-and-out economy crippled companies dealing in gems. This economic funk continued during World War II when metals were rationed. During these years technology advanced and it became easier to create rhinestones, cubic zirconia and other semi-precious materials.

Coco Chanel

Fearful that her inquisitive adorers might swipe her genuine pearls, Coco Chanel began wearing fakes.

Coco Chanel once said, "Costume jewelry is not made to give women an aura of wealth, but to make them beautiful." In addition to impressing the importance of the "little black dress" on modern-day women, Chanel was also instrumental in popularizing vintage costume jewelry. When she fell in love with the Duke of Westminster, her relationship vaulted her into the public eye. With this, she feared facing her ardent admirers wearing genuine pearls, lest one wanted a souvenir. So she began to wear fakes. In 1932, DeBeers, facing lagging diamond sales because of the Depression, partnered with Chanel to create affordable jewelry. Chanel focused on creating a thematic line of bows, feathers and stars set in asymmetrical designs. Two days after the DeBeers/Chanel brand debuted, DeBeers stock skyrocketed 20 points on the London stock exchange.

Companies

Avon Cosmetics was one of the many companies to start selling vintage costume jewelry.

Coco Chanel was not the only designer or iconic company to design what is now considered vintage costume jewelry. In 1968, Melvyn Bernie established the 1928 Jewelry Company in California, creating jewelry that replicated antique designs. Inaugurated in 1886, Avon Products has become synonymous with cosmetics. A little known fact, however, is that starting in 1971 the door-to-door retail service expanded to necklaces, brooches, bracelets and rings, creating a new way to market costume jewelry to stay-at-home parents and the middle class at large. In addition, celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins have also jumped on the vintage costume jewelry bandwagon.

Warning

Glass that is overly bright is an indication that the vintage costume jewelry is tawdry and overly cheap.

Professionals such as Diane Geisel, an expert on jewelry collection and a regular contributor to BellaOnline, stress the term "costume jewelry" does not mean one shouldn't be as cautious when purchasing genuine gemstones. Novices especially should buy only from reputable dealers and avoid investing in pieces studded with colored glass that is too bright. Signatures are also key. For example, when purchasing a piece designed by Elsa Schiaparelli--one of Coco Chanel's fiercest rivals--check the spelling engraved on the object. Cheap fakes often misspell her last name.

References

• Collectics: Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers
• Milk Way Jewels: Chanel Jewelry: Through the Decades, For All Time
• BellaOnline: Antique or Vintage?
• Albums by Jan Gaughan: Vintage Jewelry Advertising