The History of Costume Jewelry

The 1900 Paris Exposition inspired a widespread interest in jewelry. This led to the rise of costume jewelry, which was created to mimic fine jewelry at a much lower price point. (For example, marcasites were used instead of diamonds and jade was used in place of emeralds.) Essentially, costume jewelry made adornments that had previously only been available to the extremely wealthy accessible to the average consumer. In the 1920s, designers Madeleine Vionnet and Paul Poiret began accessorizing their dresses with jewelry made using crystals and non-precious metals, and other designers followed suit. Coco Chanel is typically credited with truly popularizing costume jewelry in the 1920s. Her innovative, timeless designs have remained popular for over a century. Moreover, Chanel helped make costume jewelry popular in many different circles because she was known to personally pair costume jewelry and finer pieces together, thus making both versions “fashionable” and desirable for the elite and the masses alike. Today, costume jewelry remains highly popular and is available at a variety of price points; vintage pieces are often sought after by collectors.