| Description: | Everyone from the beginning of time has worn some sort of ornamentation on their bodies – necklaces, pendants, bracelets, rings and so on. Up until about 300 years ago, only the wealthy could afford jewelry inset with precious stones like diamonds, rubies and sapphires. This jewelry was “fine” jewelry. In the 1800s, with the rise of the middle class, everyone wanted to be able to wear jewelry that looked like the real thing, but didn’t have the cost factor. Enterprising manufacturers starting using glass to make jewelry that looked “just like the real thing,” and this became costume jewelry. Because costume jewelry was much less expensive than fine jewelry, women could afford to purchase a lot more pieces, so that they could have a matching piece or pieces for every outfit, or “costume” they wore for a particular occasion. What’s the difference between antique and vintage costume jewelry? Any item over 100 years old is considered an antique. Antique costume jewelry can be anywhere from 300 to 100 years old. Vintage costume jewelry, on the other hand, is anywhere from 100 to 20 years old. Yes, costume jewelry from the 1980s is considered “vintage.” Now, just because an item is an antique or vintage doesn’t make it valuable, of course. It all depends on demand. But because lots of people love antique and vintage costume jewelry, don’t just assume that the pieces you have – even if they’re “only” from the 1980s, won’t have a market for them. The fascination of vintage costume jewelry? Vintage costume jewelry is jewelry manufactured from the 1920s to the 1980s. Everyone loves beautiful things, and each “decade” of costume jewelry is beautiful in its own way. Designers really went to town on their creations, taking them every bit as seriously as fine jewelers took their creations. Many of the designers from each decade gained recognition and fame, and their pieces are more valuable as a result. Designers were from all over the world – France, Italy, England, as well as the United States. |
