Defining and Differentiating Types of Jewelry

Many online jewelry stores sell a mix of fashion and costume jewelry such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets that date back in time. Nevertheless, at times the terms antique, vintage and retro can be used synonymously that leads to confusion in the minds of the consumer. This article would be helpful in understanding these terms.

The concept of Costume jewelry originated in 1930's, when Hollywood Studios opted out of using fine jewelry and instead, ornamented their actresses in fabulous fakes. This was much less expensive than investing in fine jewelry that could be lost, stolen, or broken. Costume jewelry, also known as imitation jewelry, is often created from plated base metals or metal alloys, instead of solid base metals. For example, while fine jewelry is made from solid gold, costume jewelry would be plated with gold or be gold filled with a mix of sterling silver. This lessens the value of the piece of costume jewelry.

For Fashion jewelry, the same idea of creating something beautiful yet affordable still applies. Fashion jewelry is also created out of less expensive materials to make it more affordable to the masses. It earned the name fashion jewelry in the latter part of the century, when "fashion" became a common term. It has casual designs that do well in the market. Colorful Plastic earring, Rubber stylish bracelets, and chunky metal necklaces all constitute fashion jewelry. The important thing is that the focus is on the design rather than the metal being used to create it.

In a nutshell, costume jewelry and fashion jewelry are inexpensive forms of jewelry but regardless of what you call them, anything that gives a little adornment to your life should always be considered valuable. Like Fine Jewelry, they can also be classified based on when was it made.

Antique jewelry is "a work of art or designs made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago." On the other hand, the term "vintage jewelry" refers to any item that is at least 20 years old. The word vintage which originally applied to the age of a bottle of wine. This term is now adapted to describe an item that has cycled back into fashion.

Retro (or Art Moderne) is a design period that represents colorful and elaborate jewelry. Many of the pieces feature shades of gold and a range of gemstone hues like citrine, amethyst and aquamarine. This jewelry can also be identified is by its larger than life size, inspired by the glitz and glam of Hollywood. In addition, a collectible is a term that describes valuable objects less than a hundred years old, often distinguished from antiques, which as a rule are more than a hundred years old.

Hopefully, this article will help people to understand what they buy and make informed decisions. Crosschecking dates with designs and the period, they were famous in always helps in certifying the investment.