Imitation jewelry, sometimes known as costume jewelry, provides an affordable alternative to real jewelry, which can be very expensive. Every woman wants a large collection of rings, necklaces, pendants and ear-rings, and many own some beautiful pieces of real jewelry, however a wide collection of real gold and precious stones is not attainable for most.
This is where imitation, or costume, jewelry comes in. It is true that, at the lower end of the market, some imitation jewelry is of low quality and is rightly known as 'junk jewelry', it is also possible to get some beautiful imitation jewelry that is nearly impossible to tell apart from the real thing. These imitation pieces will not be solid gold, but will be gold plated, and will be far less expensive than genuine jewelry.
Imitation jewelry originally became popular in the '30s when it was used as a low-cost fashion accessory for certain outfits. The idea was that the costume jewelry would quickly become unfashionable and would be replaced to match the next style to come along. Imitation jewelry was an immediate hit and has been extremely popular ever since.
Usually, imitation jewelry is made from inexpensive materials such as plastic, glass, base metals, and synthetic or non-precious stones. However some of the more expensive imitation jewelry will use gold plating, semi-precious metals or American diamonds, and the result can be very close or even identical to the real thing.
The design and manufacture of costume jewelry has become a huge industry. There are thousands of manufacturers globally producing high-quality necklaces, anklets, rings, ear-rings and all kinds of jewelry to a very good standard. Some of the best imitation jewelry comes from countries like India and China where there is a long tradition of crafting top-quality products. That said, some of the best pieces is mass produced and distributed by western companies such as Dior, Chanel and Coventry.
At present, the US has by far the largest demand for jewelry worldwide, with over 30pc of the market share. With such a massive demand for both genuine and costume jewelry here, it is little wonder that there is an excellent range available in stores and on the internet. Competition among dealers can be fierce, so there are some real bargains to be had.
While imitation jewelry will never really attain the quality, beauty and value of the real thing, it remains popular even in the most exclusive circles. Screen stars such as Audrey Hepburn owned unique items of imitation jewelry, while Barbara Bush wore an imitation pearl necklace to George's inaugural ball.
A lot of unique pieces of imitation jewelry such as this are priceless collectibles, as are many of the more distinctive, high-quality examples. Therefore, it can be seen that costume jewelry needn't be low quality, but a genuinely valuable addition to any woman's collection at a fraction of the price of the 'genuine article'.
This is where imitation, or costume, jewelry comes in. It is true that, at the lower end of the market, some imitation jewelry is of low quality and is rightly known as 'junk jewelry', it is also possible to get some beautiful imitation jewelry that is nearly impossible to tell apart from the real thing. These imitation pieces will not be solid gold, but will be gold plated, and will be far less expensive than genuine jewelry.
Imitation jewelry originally became popular in the '30s when it was used as a low-cost fashion accessory for certain outfits. The idea was that the costume jewelry would quickly become unfashionable and would be replaced to match the next style to come along. Imitation jewelry was an immediate hit and has been extremely popular ever since.
Usually, imitation jewelry is made from inexpensive materials such as plastic, glass, base metals, and synthetic or non-precious stones. However some of the more expensive imitation jewelry will use gold plating, semi-precious metals or American diamonds, and the result can be very close or even identical to the real thing.
The design and manufacture of costume jewelry has become a huge industry. There are thousands of manufacturers globally producing high-quality necklaces, anklets, rings, ear-rings and all kinds of jewelry to a very good standard. Some of the best imitation jewelry comes from countries like India and China where there is a long tradition of crafting top-quality products. That said, some of the best pieces is mass produced and distributed by western companies such as Dior, Chanel and Coventry.
At present, the US has by far the largest demand for jewelry worldwide, with over 30pc of the market share. With such a massive demand for both genuine and costume jewelry here, it is little wonder that there is an excellent range available in stores and on the internet. Competition among dealers can be fierce, so there are some real bargains to be had.
While imitation jewelry will never really attain the quality, beauty and value of the real thing, it remains popular even in the most exclusive circles. Screen stars such as Audrey Hepburn owned unique items of imitation jewelry, while Barbara Bush wore an imitation pearl necklace to George's inaugural ball.
A lot of unique pieces of imitation jewelry such as this are priceless collectibles, as are many of the more distinctive, high-quality examples. Therefore, it can be seen that costume jewelry needn't be low quality, but a genuinely valuable addition to any woman's collection at a fraction of the price of the 'genuine article'.
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