Antique costume jewelry is kind of expensive to buy if you are not lucky enough to have it from someone in your family, but this is an investment that deserves every penny. Money well spent could be the second name for antique costume jewelry. Not only that transforms every woman into a mysterious goddess, but also has a certain charm of the old ages. Every piece of antique costume jewelry has a its own history, so if you want to impress people not only with the to-die-for aspect of your jewels, find out the secret of the items you are proudly displaying on your body and tell their story.

Antique costume jewelry never ceases to amaze people, men and women aside. People are fascinated by antique costume jewelry, so wear it with pride and confidence. If you have this kind of items on you, give up any other accessories and leave those jewels do the talk. Choose a simple outfit, matching shoes and make a fashion statement using the antique costume jewelry you have. A very important thing to keep in mind is that you should not wear it daily because at some time it will look obsolete and charmless. When you wear antique costume jewelry, make it the attraction of your look. Use a natural make-up if you wear it by day. If you wear your antique costume jewelry by night, put the emphasis on your lips, because heavy eye make-up may draw the attention from the beautiful jewels you are wearing and you also risk to seem to tedious.

Why are antique costume jewelry items such a good choice? Well, they are high quality products and you are surely going to love them, as they are beautiful and unique. In fact, you can decide to create your own antique costume jewelry and so make sure that no one else is going to have a similar item to the one you are wearing. An antique costume jewelry is going to be the most stylish product you have ever had and when you use a product like that, you can be quite sure it will look great on every outfit. You can improve your every look with some stylish antique costume jewelry items and you will surely be happy with your choice. Although many people imagine that antique costume jewelry items are made of gold or platinum, such products can be purchased on a series of other materials and they are still going to look the best way possible.

Antique costume jewelry items will not cost you a fortune. Some very affordable items can be found in sale and you will be able to perfectly accessorize all your outfits. Anyway, when it comes to purchasing antique costume jewelry, there are some aspects you will need to consider. The first one is how old the pieces of jewelry bought are. You will also need to properly check out the material from which they are made of because you will not want to pay a lot of money on some antique costume jewelry that are not truly valuable. The way they have been kept and handled is also important when talking about antique costume jewelry.

As you begin browsing and buying antique costume jewelry, you’ll quickly discover that there are literally millions of designs available. A great place to start is with a wholesale costume jeweler. On one hand, the jeweler will stock fewer designs but each design will be a high quality piece. Often times the gemstone in your piece will have such a brilliant sparkle that only those with a trained eye will be able to tell the difference.

Something else to consider when buying antique costume jewelry is that most pieces will be gold-plated in 14 carats. When you find a wholesaler that you enjoy working with, it will be easy to get cheap costume jewelry that make great keepsakes and even better gifts for family or friends. Think about the kind of gemstone you want in your antique jewelry such as cubic zirconia, black onyx, pearls, or rubies just to name a few. By carefully researching your jewelry pieces you are sure to get items that look like the real deal and allow you to make a bold statement. Seriously, buying antique costume jewelry can be a lot of fun. The toughest part is deciding what you want.

How Old Is It?

The first thing you’ll need to know about antique costume jewelry is how old it is. In order for something to be classified as truly antique, it needs to be at least 50 years old. Anything that is 49 years old or newer is classified as estate jewelry, even when it’s costume jewelry you’re referring to.

The Different Periods

There are a few different time periods that you can choose from when you’re thinking about purchasing antique costume jewelry. The first is the Art Deco period, which ranges from the years 1920s to the 1930s. This time period strove to combine the harshness of mass production with the beauty and style of true art. Coco Chanel was one of the first designers to produce costume jewelry during this time and her styles still remain some of the most popular antique costume jewelry today.

The Retro Period was a time period that spanned 1935 to 1950. During this time, manufacturers were trying to get away from mass production and place the focus back on art and beauty. In order to do this, natural elements such moonstones, flowers, and sunbursts were created using plastic material. Because the major jewelry manufacturing plants were closed down in Europe during this time due to the war, America was the biggest producer of this jewelry and so, it took on a very American look and feel.

The Art Modern period is the last of the time periods for antique costume jewelry. During this time, costume jewelry lost the chunky, bold look that costume jewelry had in the past. Instead, smaller and more intricate designs were seen and man-made jewels such as rhinestones were introduced.

Care

Caring for costume jewelry is very easy. However, because it includes cheaper metals and stones, it’s important to never submerge them in water and to always take it off before doing things like showering or washing dishes. You can clean your antique costume jewelry simply by wiping it with a mild PH-balanced soap and lightly rinsing it off with water. Make sure you blot off any excess water and then allow it to air-dry.

The vintage look as been rising over the last several years and now is the premier look. Vintage costume jewelry will add glamour and pizzazz to any outfit and is perfect for the modern day world. It is stunning, fresh, and can make any outfit.

If you have access to any of your grandmother’s antique jewelry, start wearing it! You will be the envy of town and will have a lovely set of accessories that you can incorporate in your every day looks If you weren’t so lucky, you can start shopping for vintage antique jewelry now and create your own fashions out of vintage pieces.

You can find vintage jewelry through a vintage jewelry collector, a thrift store, or even the internet. Be sure to check the settings carefully and the clasps and check the condition of the stones. Quality pieces should hold up for years to come!

Once you find good vintage antique costume jewelry, you will be able to dress up a casual look or add sophistication to an office or date-night look. It is also a perfect way to add a unique elegance to bridal wear to create a memorable look.

If your reason for getting an antique costume jewelry appraisal is more than just mere curiosity, a good rule of thumb is to show your piece to a person you trust. Start out contacting a generalist. If they are unable to do the job properly, ask to be referred to a specialist. If your piece is flanked by diamonds, call the Appraisers Association of America for guidance and help. Other reputable groups who give trustworthy information include the International Society of Appraisers and the American Society of Appraisers.

Something else you need to know is that you must get your Antique costume jewelry appraisal in writing if it is for tax or insurance purposes. Disclose to the appraiser that you need to learn the replacement value of the antique costume jewelery which will, in most cases, be greater than its fair market value. Remember that appraisers must see the jewelry in order to give you an honest answer. Pictures or written descriptions will not give the appraiser what he or she needs to determine the value of the piece.

Costume jewelry is generally made up of semi-precious metals and fake gemstones that can be made of anything from plastic beads to glass and even look alike stones. The higher the quality of materials the better the jewelry and less likely that it will react adversely with your skin. Even in some of the most extravagant of the antique jewelry, subpar materials have been used and have caused people to react poorly to the metal. Thankfully, by making sure you know what you’re buying and knowing your body this can be avoided.

An unfortunate side effect to having sensitive skin that only allows you to wear certain metals, however, is that you will then be looking at more expensive jewelry. For some costume jewelry, you can expect to pay anywhere from five or ten dollars apiece; whereas the high end antique pieces that are the most sought after and of the highest quality will generally retail for around $75 to $400 for a pair of earrings and increasing in price with the size of the piece. As always, the price of any one item is dictated by the size, quality and maker of that particular piece. Because of the wide variety of pieces though, you should find something to fit your budget.

Fortunately, costume jewelry doesn’t cost nearly as much as a diamond engagement ring, nor is it necessary to be as gentle and cautious with it as it is with fine jewelry. This means that it can be worn daily and you can have hundreds of pieces for a relatively low investment. However, like all fads, it appears that costume jewelry has started to repeat itself.

With the rise in people opting for a more retro look, antique furniture from the fifties, sixties and seventies has gone up exponentially in the last decade. Also seen in this neo-retro confusion has been the market for costume jewelry to match certain outfits that are from an antiquity the wearers scarcely know anything about. This has created a great market for collector to sell and for makers to imitate older costume jewelry while still offering great styles for every occasion or outfit.

Costume jewelry made it’s apparition on the scene in the 1930′s and has been popularized by movie stars and music personalities alike. Many movie stars from the early 1900′s where approached to endorse popular costume jewelry collections which helped make them more glamorous to the mass audience.

What sparked the popularity of costume jewelry in the last few years is the fact that you can get elaborate jewelry pieces for only a fraction of the price. You can even create your own piece using semi precious metals such as silver and bronze, and less expensive stones made of glass, synthetic stones or even plastic.

Costume jewelry is a great way to look sophisticated and chic without breaking the bank and most major brands carry their own line of costume jewelry right now. So don’t be afraid to experiment with all the different styles of costume jewelry available on the market right now.

The brilliant thing about antique costume jewelry is that most pieces are one of a kind. Any duplicates of a specific piece are likely long gone and never to be found again. Many end up in trash heaps, but some lucky pieces of jewelry go to antique shops and get sold to lucky men and women who like the jewelry. Antique jewelry is always fun to look at, because its so vastly different from modern jewelry! Many accessory shops are trying to duplicate that “antique” feel, but fail to do so when it comes to really recreating an antique piece.

Antique costume jewelry is easy found, you just need to do some searching around for good pieces. Not all will be suitable for wearing, because some is quite valuable. Necklaces and earrings are fun to buy antique, and then clean them up to make a new vintage piece! Antique costume jewelry can make any outfit instantly sophisticated and fashionable, instead of just boring and plain! Add little pieces to your outfit though, not too over the top vintage. Adding too many antique pieces would definitely be a fashion disaster! Next time you are in need of jewelry, look for some antique jewelry to wear with an outfit, you might be surprised at all of the compliments you will get!