Costume Jewelry – Jewelry Definition
Costume jewelry is low-cost jewelry made with inexpensive materials. These materials can consist of almost anything: plastic, wood, tin, copper, enamel, glass, crystals, cloth, etc. Gold, silver, platinum and real gemstones are, for the most part, not used.
The term “costume jewelry” dates back to the early 20th century. It reflects the use of the word “costume” to refer to what is now called an “outfit“.
Costume jewelry has been part of culture for almost 300 years. During the 18th century, jewelers began making pieces with inexpensive glass. In the 19th century costume jewelry made of semi-precious material came into the market. Jewels made of semi-precious material were more affordable, and this affordability gave common people the chance to own a piece of jewelry they could be proud of.
Repairing Costume Jewelry
Costume jewelry is often expensive to repair, if at all possible. Frequently, it costs more to repair costume jewelry than the original cost of the item. This is due to how much more time consuming it is to repair.