The term Costume Jewellery was not used by the Victorians and the Georgians before them but they did make lots of use of non precious materials in their jewels.  These are the earliest examples of costume jewellery which have survived in any quantity and are  available to purchase today. Part 2a discusses innovations in costume Jewellery which were made during the Georgian era and 2b takes a long look at Victorian Costume Jewellery

Georgian Costume Jewellery Materials:

Paste Jewellery was introduced in the Georgian era , a high quality imitation of real gemstone jewellery. The “Gemstones” were made of glass which was often foil backed and could be cut and polished just like the real thing but at a much more affordable price. These paste gems were set into all types of jewellery and they can still be found today, I think a particularly interesting collecting field is paste set buckles which can be found from around £20 upwards.

Pinchbeck was a high quality alternative to gold, it looked like the real thing. Genuine pinchbeck items are quite rare today, many of the items described as pinchbeck are in fact gold plated. Pinchbeck is not plated but a metal where the gold colour continues all the way though – check at points of wear such as edges and hinges. If the metal colour shows signs of plating it is not pinchbeck. Pinchbeck is quite light in weight in comparison to gold, it is made from an alloy of Zinc and Copper.

Cut steel jewellery consisted of lot of tiny faceted metal studs which were set onto back plates, this sparkled almost like diamonds under the artificial lighting of the day. Something which looked similar to cut steel jewellery was marcasite set jewellery – again faceted and black but this time the studs are a natural crystal of Iron Pyrites. Most marcasite jewellery you see today is 20th century in origin so please check very carefully if you think you have a piece of Georgian  marcasite jewellery.

cut steel brooch

Wedgwood first introduced their jasper cameo jewellery in the Georgian era and these are still being made to this day

Vauxhall glass is a type of mirrored glass often in black or ruby red colour. This had been invented before the Georgian era but most of the pieces available today in Vauxhall glass are Georgian or sometimes Victorian. The glass is beveled / faceted at the edges and tiny pieces make up the piece of jewellery.

vauxhall glass buckle

Georgian Costume Jewellery Forms:

So what forms were these costume jewellery materials set into? In the early part of the Georgian era the French Rococo style was in fashion. This is scrolling and asymmetrical perhaps a complex forerunner of art nouveau style. In the 1750s large flower brooches were high fashion and rings could be worn on any finger. Sentimental and mourning jewellery was widely worn – look out for date and dedicated Georgian mourning brooches which can still be acquired for under £50.

From the mid 1700s the “Grand Tour” was popular with those who could afford the trips to see the ancient world this led later on in the 1790s  to the Georgian style became much simpler with the Neo-classical taste taking over. This had very simple uncluttered lined when compared with the earlier rococo pieces. Here we see Greek key patterns and Etruscan influences and, of course, a rise in popularity of the cameo.

georgian classical cameo brooch

 In the early 1800s wearing lots of jewellery at the same time was popular: several rings, several rows of pinchbeck chains, long pendant earrings and several bracelets all at the same time. With this quantity of jewellery only the rich could afford real and those aspiring to look  the part turned to costume jewellery

Between about 1820 and the early Victorian era a more naturalistic style was apparent – flower brooches of all types. Cut Steel jewellery was still popular and coral was re-introduced as a must have fashion. In the 1820s wearing hair jewellerywas all the rage with necklaces and bracelets at the same time.

This leads us up to the Costume Jewellery of the Victorian era which is the subject of my next blog entry