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!

My cousin always gives me a really nice present for my birthday (which happens to take place during the Winter), so I always return the favor by getting her a nice gift. When this time of the year arrives, I always make sure that I find time in my schedule to go to the shopping center that is approximately twenty minutes from my home. Even though my evenings are filled with work, I always find time during at least one afternoon to go out and shop for her gift.

While I was out shopping, I actually ran into an old friend of mine, so it was really pleasant having the opportunity to catch up with him and see how his life has been going. After I had finished talking, my focus was one hundred percent on finding a gift for my cousin. During the course of my search, I found a piece of antique costume jewelry that I knew my cousin would love. Once I got my purchase home, I wrapped the piece of antique costume jewelry that I had bought in a beautiful piece of wrapping paper. I was so glad that I ended up choosing this gift, because my cousin was so happy about it when she pulled it out and saw what it was.

By the time our nails are done, it’s almost always time for lunch, so we head over and enjoy a delicious sandwich. Once we get a little food in our system, we are ready to start shopping. Depending on the time of year, we may have specific things that we need to shop for (such as Christmas gifts). However, the one thing that we always shop for together is antique costume jewelry. This may sound corny or silly to you, but we both really like antique costume jewelry, which is why we are the perfect two people to shop for it together.

Since this style of jewelry is not expensive, we are almost always able to pick up a couple of new pieces on every trip. Best of all, as long as you have a basic sense of style, you can make this jewelry look great with just about any outfit.

I think the reason that I am always able to find a gift for all of the people on my list is because I won’t settle for anything else. While I realize that some people simply give up when they think there is no solution to their problem, I just continue going until I find a solution.

It seems like the real key to coming up with a solution is being as creative as possible. While you may think that you’re never going to find a gift, you just have to continue thinking outside of the box. For example, everyone complains about how difficult my Grandma is to shop for. I do agree with this, but I still always get her a great gift. For example, I visited a really eclectic shop earlier this month, and I ended up finding a piece of antique costume jewelry to purchase for my Grandma.