Archive for vintage costume jewellery
10 eras of Vintage Costume Jewellery
Posted by: | Comments10 eras of vintage Costume Jewellery , a new mini series.
Over the next week or so I am planning a new mini series here all about the history of Vintage Costume Jewellery. I will be looking at the style, themes , motifs, colours and materials popular at the time hopefully helping you to identify how old your special pieces are. Also I will include a few famous designer names to look out for where relevant
Costume Jewellery
1. Ancient and Medieval Costume Jewellery
- What did Ancient Egyptian Jewellery have in common with costume Jewellery of today?
2. Victorian and Georgian Costume Jewellery
The earliest pieces of costume jewellery which can easily be found today are from the Georgian era and the Victorians introduced a whole new range of materials and styles.
3. Edwardian Era and 1910s
Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and the romanticism of the Edwardian times
4. Art Deco Costume Jewellery
1920s and 1903s bold colours design and new materials which followed from the difficult times of the first world war
5. 1940s and the cocktail era
The huge influence of the USA on costume Jewellery design
6. 1950s and diamante
As life returned to normal after the second world war design changed and the 1950s again brought new styles and materials, space age Jewellery
7.1960s and pop art jewellery
Plastics, shiny metals and simple bold designs and colours – pop art and psychedelia
8.1970s
Not exciting but collectable for the future?
9.1980s
Wonderful new designs and copies of old ones
10. Contemporary Costume Jewellery to collect
What is available from the 1990s and 200o’s to buy today and collect for tomorrow?
Want to see some vintage costume jewellery?
diamante earrings
Vintage earrings flower diamante 1950s costume jewellery
These vintage earrings are super examples of how diamante can be used for best effect in costume jewellery. Just look at the range of shapes, sizes colours and finishes to the stones. All the diamante have been individually prong set. These are clip on type earrings. They date from vintage 1950s and measure about 4 cms long
Have you seen my range of vintage costume jewellery earrings?
vintage art deco lavalier necklace green glass filigree
An original vintage necklace from the art deco era. This is made of green glass beads with filigree metal detail in lavalier style. This necklace measures about 42 cms long with the pendant drop being a further 6.8 cms. This necklace dates from circa 1930sHave you seen my other original glass vintage costume jewellery necklaces?
Vintage Costume Jewellery – 10 top facts
Posted by: | CommentsVintage Costume Jewellery – 10 top facts
I have talked on here a lot about jewellery but not much specifically about costume jewellery. What is it and why is it different from normal vintage jewellery. Here are my ten top facts ( in no particular order)
1. What is costume Jewellery and how does it differ from other vintage jewellery?
Costume jewellery is made of non-precious materials – that is it is not made of Gold, silver, platinum or precious gemstones. It is made to be worn rather than to be stored in a bank vault as an investment.
vintage costume jewellery brooch
2. What is costume Jewellery made of?
Non -precious metals, Plastics, Wood, Glass, non precious stones such as agate or shell
3. How old is costume Jewellery?
Whist Coco Chanel is attributed with being the first designer to bring costume jewellery into her collections you can find costume jewellery going right back to the ancients with glass and ceramic beads. The Victorians even invented new materials such as Pinchbeck for costume Jewellery.
4. Where can I find vintage costume jewellery?
Vintage costume Jewellery is relatively abundant and can be found at all antique fairs, collectors markets, car boot sales, auctions, eBay and any even Charity shops. The problem is to learn how to tell what is good vintage costume jewellery from nearly new poor copies made recently.
5. What vintage costume Jewellery should I buy?
You can either spend a lot of time learning about costume jewellery before you start or buy a few pieces that you really like in your favourite colours and in very good condition. I would always check the condition of a piece and now buy damaged costume jewellery unless I was going to use the pieces to make something new.
6. Whos Who in vintage costume Jewellery
As I have mentioned Coco Chanel was the first designer name in costume jewellery. Look out for some less well know names which can be found more easily and at a cheaper price. There is real quality to be had from Coro / Corocraft and Tiffari . Personally if I was starting to collect now I would look at Spinx and if you like the celtic look Miracle jewellery is still reasonably priced.
7. What about a themed collection of vintage costume Jewellery?
How about a collection of vintage costume brooches? Perhaps insect or bug pins. Vintage glass necklaces are very popular at the moment as are vintage plastic bangles. If you can wear clip-on earrings a great collection can be had quite cheaply as many ladies prefer to wear earrings for pierced ears.
8. How do I care for my vintage costume Jewellery?
The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to keep it dry. Most costume jewellery will suffer if it gets damp, metals will tarnish, paint will flake, stones will come loose. If it needs a clean do it very carefully, brush with a soft dry brush and a lint free cloth to start with. Still not clean then use an almost dry soft brush with a tiny dab of jewellery cleaner and pat dry quickly. Remember perfume, hairspray and makeup will spoil your vintage costume jewellery.
9. Can I see some vintage costume jewellery?
Here are two nice pieces:
- donkey brooch
- Theater masks brooch
10 How can I find out more about vintage costume Jewellery?
I will be bringing you more about vintage costume jewellery here but in the mean time pop into you local library or book shop. Here are a couple of books to start with:
Judith Miller Costume Jewellery pub Dorling Kindersley
Julia C Carroll Costume Jewellery 101 pubCollector books
Happy Hunting