What Is The History Of Costume Jewelry?
Costume jewelry came into being in the 1930s as a cheap, disposable accessory meant to be worn with a specific outfit, but not meant to be handed down through generations. It was intended to be fashionable for a short period of time, outdate itself, and then be repurchased to fit with a new outfit or new fashion style. Cheap jewelry also existed prior to the 1930s. Paste or glass jewelry dated as far back as the 1700s. The rich had their fine jewelry duplicated for a variety of reasons, using paste or glass stones. By the mid 1800s, with the growth of the middle class, there were different levels of jewelry being manufactured using fine, semi-precious and base materials. Fine jewelry of gold, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires continued to be made. Jewelry from rolled gold, which is a thin layer of gold attached to a base metal, entered the market for the middle class. This jewelry was often set with semi-precious gems such as amethyst, coral or pearls, and was much more affordable. Ther
