It sure is! But that is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean jewelry for Halloween or Mardi Gras. Miriam Webster says "Costume jewelry is designed to wear with current fashions and made with inexpensive materials and imitation gems." Even couture design houses like Chanel and Armani make costume jewelry to complement their clothing each season. Well designed costume jewelry retains its value and is highly collectible.
Costume jewelry has a long history. The concept wearing pieces made with either precious or non-precious materials can be traced back through most ancient cultures. Fine jewelry has always been cherished for its symbolism, and investment value. It has been worn to signify social status and cultural traditions. However, the beauty, artistry and craftsmanship associated with fine jewelry can also been found in a broad range of less expensive adornments. In many civilizations, people used beads, glass, and other readily available materials to create jewelry that today appears in the world's great museums.
For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a department devoted to the history of fashion and clothing. Know what it is called? The Costume Institute! (And their are no clowns, ghosts or sexy French maids in there.)
People often confuse costume jewelry with fake or fraudulent jewelry meant to deceive. Who hasn't read a regency romance or detective novel where the society matron is confronted by an angry declaring "Madame your jewels are paste!" Even paste (glass cut and colored to look like real precious gems) has a respectable history of use in costume jewelry in the Renaissance and before.
The value in costume jewelry is less in the cost of its materials and more in the quality of its design and its ability to accentuate the outfit of the wearer. Its styles develop in conjunction with fashions in art, architecture
and clothing. In the early 20th century, two styles, Art Deco and Art Nouveau, emerged and influenced design broadly
Art Nouveau featured curvy lines, nature themes, delicate filigree work and colorful enamel. While Art Deco took a more geometric, angular approach to design. Original costume jewelry from the period is highly sought after and expensive. But you can find echoes of the styles in modern Paparazzi designs for just $5.
Iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel did much to popularize costume jewelry. She believed that accessories should be an integral part of every outfit and introduced statement pieces made with faux pearls, colored glass, and rhinestones. Like the Chanel brand, this stlye lives on today. Look in the Paparazzi Fiercely Fifth Avenue collection for an ever changing selection of classics to polish your upscale look.
The mid-20th century saw costume jewelry becoming even more glamorous and bold. Designers like Christian Dior, Paloma Picasso and Trifari embraced large, colorful stones, intricate metalwork, and innovative designs.
North America is also the source of a number of jewelry trends. Indian Trade Silver is one of the lesser known ones, featuring silver pieces in rustic designs which were manufactured by Europeans to appeal to Native Americans in trade for furs. Best known is the silver and turquoise jewelry of the Navaho and Pueblo peoples. This jewelry is an art form recognized worldwide. If you want to experiment with this style before investing, or just want a more affordable option in this high end style, check out Paparazzi's "Simply Santa Fe" looks for both traditional and modern designs.
The 1960s and 1970s marked a time of experimentation and self-expression, reflected in the jewelry trends of the era. Costume jewelry became a popular choice for statement pieces, often featuring bold and unconventional designs in neon plastics and acrylics. At the same time, natural materials like wood, stone and leather began appearing more regularly in fashion accessories. Both of these trends are still going strong today. And costume jewelry designers continue to to innovate in
So don’t fret if someone calls your Paparazzi jewelry “costume,” it is! Tell them how Paparazzi jewelry been spotted at award shows, in movies and TV shows and even the most exclusive high fashion event of the year, The Met Gala, benefitting The Costume Institute .