The love for beauty has prompted people to try many unconventional things. This is very true about jewellery where costume jewellery has made a space for itself, becoming an alternate fashion accessory.
The history of costume jewellery, per se, goes back to 1920 when the word “costume jewellery” was first coined. At a time when jewellery and jewellery designing was applied largely to precious metals like gold and silver, many also loved “junk” jewellery which was crafted with materials like pearls, beads, base metals, glass, shells and wood.
It took a while for this type of jewellery to gain mainstream status. Let’s learn how:
An Era that Craved for More
Freedom, progress and wild imaginations characterised the 20th century mindset. With the advent of industrial revolution, making jewellery became more expressive as creative themes gained more takers and admirers.
The fondness for instant fashion in jewellery, that was conveniently changeable and cheap, grew in time. That led to crafting fashion jewellery with inexpensive metals and materials. It also went well with counter-culture and retro fashion.
This history and background knowledge is imparted to all students who are pursuing their jewellery designing diploma.
Imitation jewellery began as an attempt to create jewellery that emulated the more expensive variety of jewellery that adorned the rich. The artificial stones and imitation gold all helped to create affordable, yet appealing jewellery.
In the decades following the 1920s, newly invented materials like bakelite, lucite and plastics, were used to make expressive and fashionable jewellery. That line of jewellery did more for those who loved to make a statement with the pieces they wore.
A new generation of craftsmen emerged, who were very creative and made fashion jewellery out of a combination of an array of materials. These included base metals, rhinestones, crystals, celluloid, shells, glass, corals, amber, stones, ivory and bone.
Fashion and Movies
In the 1960s and the following decades, movies played a big role in popularising fashion jewellery. The trend of fads and evolving fashion was well reflected in the inclination of people to change what they wear more frequently. The craze for expressing fandom and displaying cult icons including those influenced by movies increased the fondness for fashion jewellery.
The Modern Times and Beyond
Today, the fashion jewellery industry has an unprecedented relevance and customer-base. There are world-renowned fashion brands like Suhani Pittie or Farah Khan Ali, with their exclusive costume jewellery collections. There are dozens of internet-based local brands dealing in indigenous and innovative fashion jewellery offering exquisite designs at very affordable rates.
Even you can start designing your own costume jewellery line to sell it online or from a store! But in this age’s competition, getting certified in a jewellery designing course is significant!
The consistent rise of the costume jewellery industry is a matter of study for students at a jewellery design institute.
Hamstech encourages and trains its students to apply their imagination and creativity liberally, so that they can craft eclectic costume jewellery designs.