Since prehistoric times, men and women have adorned themselves with jewellery. Whether for social or aesthetic reasons, we are fascinated by jewellery. A sign of wealth or refinement, jewellery is today accessible to all social classes, notably thanks to the appearance of costume jewellery. It is a piece of jewellery created on an industrial scale from the beginning of the 19th century. The manufacturing process used considerably reduces production costs and they are thus "accessible" to all. Costume jewellery is very popular. There are a multitude of models on the market, depending on styles and fashions. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, jewellery comes in all styles, colours, shapes and materials.
The world of jewellery is nowadays divided into 3 main families: jewellery, handcrafted jewellery and costume jewellery. You are wondering what are the advantages of wearing this type of jewellery compared to classic jewellery. Of course, you may a priori think that they are of lesser quality. And yet these are preconceived ideas, because costume jewellery is becoming more and more sophisticated and made of noble materials. So, without further ado, here are 9 excellent reasons to wear costume jewellery.
Jewellery is essential to make you look your best
Before you fall into the cauldron of costume jewellery, you might ask yourself why it is so important to wear it after all? Indeed, over the centuries the wearing of jewellery has become less and less codified. The primary function of jewellery is to sublimate the body. However, according to civilisations and eras, the choice of jewellery had a meaning and importance, in view of its value. It provided information about social or marital status, or marked one's ethnicity, religion or family. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, jewellery is not only for women. In the Middle Ages, for example, jewellery was worn by both sexes.
In addition to their aesthetic function, some jewellery also has a useful purpose. For example, in the Middle Ages both men and women wore clasps. These are jewels that have the function of holding the edges of a dress together. Today, we find jewellery headbands that allow you to fix your hair while adding an aesthetic touch.
Nowadays, we no longer necessarily wear jewellery to display our social status, but rather to show off our looks. Jewellery will, in fact, reveal your beauty by dressing your body.
Sometimes, we also wear jewellery to reassure us, as a good luck charm to face a difficult situation.
You see, there is no shortage of reasons to wear jewellery. That's why they are also present in our daily lives today. The jewellery industry still has a bright future ahead of it.
Costume jewellery stands for independence
Thanks to its low price, costume jewellery is accessible to all budgets. Before there were two categories of women, those who were offered jewellery and those who did not. Today, this time is over. Women can afford jewellery regardless of their social category. Costume jewellery is not necessarily a gift, it is the fashionable device that we can now afford.
It is interesting to note that the evolution of costume jewellery is closely linked to the history of women's emancipation. As seen above, costume jewellery developed from the industrial revolution onwards. Fashion jewellery flourished during the Second World War, which coincides with an important moment in the history of women's emancipation. Indeed, gold was requisitioned to participate in the war effort, so precious jewellery was no longer relevant. At the same time, women had to replace men in the fields and factories. These changes in society have a direct impact on fashion. Dress is less formal and lighter. Clothes are getting shorter and skin is becoming more visible. The beginning of the 20th century also marks the beginning of ready-to-wear, clothes designed industrially on a large scale and more accessible. Jewellery followed and it is the development of costume jewellery that is adopted by all strata of society. Indeed, as clothes are more casual, the wearing of classic and precious jewellery becomes offbeat. Later, the events of May 68 will also popularise costume jewellery.
Costume jewellery is accessible for all budgets
The main advantage of costume jewellery is not least of all its very attractive price! Indeed, classic jewellery made of precious materials represents a real investment. If it is not a gift, this type of purchase is reserved for special occasions: baptism, birthday, engagement, wedding, communions, Mother's Day... Buying costume jewellery means having the possibility to offer yourself jewellery without special occasions. Indeed, the price of costume jewellery is very competitive. Their low cost can be explained by the manufacturing process. Indeed, costume jewellery is manufactured on an industrial scale. Until the 19th century, jewellery was reserved for an elite. They were high-value jewellery made of precious stones and materials. Only during the industrial revolution did the middle class want to adorn themselves with beautiful jewellery. The new manufacturing processes introduced during the industrial revolution then made it possible to create jewellery in large quantities. This was the beginning of "gold-plated" jewellery. These are metal jewels on which a gold layer has been placed. This trick makes it possible to considerably reduce the price of the jewellery. During the Second World War, gold was requisitioned for the war effort. The jewellers no longer had any work to do and solutions had to be found to make themselves beautiful. This is the beginning of the rise of costume jewellery. Today, the price of raw materials has fallen, especially since China joined the World Trade Organisation. By choosing costume jewellery, you don't expose yourself to temptation, and you don't fear being robbed. You can wear your jewellery with complete peace of mind.
Costume jewellery is good quality.
Costume jewellery has the reputation of being cheap. Beware of preconceived ideas, in fact there are costume jewellery of quite suitable quality, despite their low price. People wrongly think that it is fake jewellery. However, costume jewellery is good value for money. They are often little marvels that successfully imitate pieces of jewellery. Craftsmen compete with each other in ingenuity to offer quality jewellery at low prices, but above all which uses the same models, shapes, appearance and texture to create the illusion at best. For example, in the 18th century, Georges-Frédéric Strass, before becoming Louis XV's jeweller, invented rhinestones to imitate crystal and allow all women to wear jewellery of this brilliance. Later, at the end of the 19th century, Daniel Swarovski, an Austrian jeweller, created costume jewellery for haute couture. Thus jewellers and craftsmen had to find technical solutions to create at low prices and democratise the wearing of costume jewellery. As the materials are less noble, they also have the freedom to give free rein to their imagination and invent original shapes.
It is also important to know that costume jewellery is not necessarily of poor quality, as the price of materials has dropped enormously. Especially since China's entry into the global economic system. Indeed, since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, the prices of precious stones and cultured pearls have fallen due to the low exchange rate of the yuan. As a result, it is now possible to use semi-precious materials in the costume jewellery industry. In order to keep your favourite costume jewellery in good condition for a long time, you should also take the time to take good care of it, for example by removing it before going to bed or bathing, but also by keeping it in pockets, for example.
Costume jewellery adapts to your style and your outfit.
Because of its low price, the purchase of costume jewellery is very tempting. Indeed, it will be difficult to limit oneself to just one piece of jewellery. You can buy several of them while respecting your budget. This way, you will be able to renew your jewellery regularly and easily. This is the advantage of costume jewellery, you don't need to limit yourself. No more need to hesitate, you can afford to treat yourself. So you can choose them according to your outfit or the colour of your skin. Fashion jewellery is available in all styles, materials and colours.
For example, you can choose to harmonise your jewellery with your outfit or, on the contrary, you can create a contrast by carefully choosing the colours of your jewellery. You can help yourself with a colour circle, which will show you the complementary colour pairs. These are colours that go well together, such as orange and blue, or red and green. This will create a contrast that will add pep to your outfit. Or you can decide to stay within the same colour range.
To stay elegant, avoid combining jewellery. You should draw attention to one part of your body and not scatter your eyes. If you wish to wear several pieces of jewellery, choose a strong piece and more discreet jewellery so as not to interfere. Here's a tip for those who can't decide between gold or silver. You should choose according to your skin tone. Look at the inside of your wrist, this is the part of the body whose colour is closest to that of your face. If it tends towards grey, you are made for silver and cold colours, if it is golden, prefer gold and warm colours.
Fashion jewellery can reveal your personality
Due to the use of less noble materials than in jewellery, craftsmen, artists and designers compete in daring and inventiveness to create original pieces. It was notably at the beginning of the 20th century, with the Art Nouveau movement, that unique and innovative creations were created. Designers who joined forces with artists played with shapes, materials and colours to impress the general public. These experiments did not stop and you will find on the market all kinds of costume jewellery, from the most original to the most classic. Thus, according to your tastes and desires, you will find the pieces that correspond to you. Today, wearing a piece of jewellery or fashion devices allows you to show the world every facet of your personality. If you are rather discreet, you will find costume jewellery that takes up the codes of classic jewellery. If you're more rock'n'roll, why not mix styles, for example by combining leather with a crystal or imitation stones with trainers? You can also choose materials that suit you. Some will opt for natural materials such as wood, others for the softness of fabric, or the elegance of metal... You've understood that anything goes when it comes to revealing your personality to others. You can also choose to wear elements that represent you. For example, you will find in costume jewellery shops, jewellery in the shape of an animal, or objects. You can choose jewellery that represents your tastes or character traits. Your choice can also be made according to a loved one. In this case, the jewellery will be the symbol of this person or of the link that unites you. In fact, with costume jewellery you can consider all the possibilities.