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Costume Jewelry

Before the 20th century, women wore jewelry made of precious and semi-precious stones largely to show off the wealth of their husbands. The term “costume jewelry,” born in the 1920s, introduced a significant change in that way of thinking. New non-precious materials became more widely available with industrialization, and women began to wear jewelry as a means of expressing themselves creatively and stylishly.

The concept of fashionable costume jewelry truly took off when Coco Chanel introduced bold “statement” accessories in the late 1920s. The “Golden Age” of costume jewelry took place from the late ‘30s to mid ‘50s. Bakelite, a hard plastic material invented in 1907, became popular in the ‘30s and ‘40s as an inexpensive material for beads and bangles.

In 1941, Pell Jewelry Company was founded, and its costume jewelry products were sold in lower-end department stores like Sears and J.C. Penney. Then, in the late ‘40s, high-end designers like Dior started creating costume jewelry pieces, finally able to creatively steer away from restrictive fine jewelry and appeal to a wider audience with more affordable pieces. In the ‘50s, there was a high demand for “parures,” or sets of at least three matching pieces.


Quick Facts

  • While widely popularized in the 1930s, the concept of costume jewelry has actually been around since the 17th century, when jewelers started making pieces out of inexpensive glass
  • Makes of costume jewelry didn’t intend for pieces to be passed down through the generations – it was considered fashionable for a short time and a woman would by a new piece when she bought a new outfit
  • Kenneth Jay Lane was widely known in the 1960s for creating faux jewelry for Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn

Recommended Items at Auction

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COSTUME JEWELRY LOT LOT 696
Sep 24, 5:00 PM EDT
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT LOT 696
by Jones Auction House LLC
Est: $0- $0
$3811 Bids
Overflowing Jewelry Box full of Estate Costume Jewelry - Lot 1292
Sep 24, 5:00 PM EDT
Overflowing Jewelry Box full of Estate Costume Jewelry - Lot 1292
by Jones Auction House LLC
Est: $0- $0
$2611 Bids
Collection of Vintage Costume Jewelry
Sep 26, 10:00 AM EDT
Collection of Vintage Costume Jewelry
by Weschler's
Est: $20- $40
$1258 Bids
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
Sep 30, 10:00 AM EDT
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
by Farrin's country Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$806 Bids
Group of butterfly and insect costume jewelry 30"L x 3"W (necklace)
Sep 25, 3:00 PM EDT
Group of butterfly and insect costume jewelry 30"L x 3"W (necklace)
by Ripley Auctions
Est: $100- $200
$606 Bids
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
Sep 30, 10:00 AM EDT
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
by Farrin's country Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$806 Bids
Collection of Assorted Vintage Costume Jewellery
Sep 24, 10:30 AM AEST
Collection of Assorted Vintage Costume Jewellery
by Kerleys Auctions
Est: AUD80- AUD120
AUD906 Bids
Stunning Collection of New Costume Jewelry - Lot 215
Sep 24, 5:00 PM EDT
Stunning Collection of New Costume Jewelry - Lot 215
by Jones Auction House LLC
Est: $0- $0
$125 Bids
Sorrelli very long, multi-jeweled costume jewelry station necklace. 38"L x 1/2"W
Sep 25, 3:00 PM EDT
Sorrelli very long, multi-jeweled costume jewelry station necklace. 38"L x 1/2"W
by Ripley Auctions
Est: $50- $100
$104 Bids
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
Sep 30, 10:00 AM EDT
COSTUME JEWELRY LOT
by Farrin's country Auctions
Est: $0- $0
$1254 Bids
Christian Dior Designer Costume Jewelry Pins, 2
Oct 08, 12:00 PM EDT
Christian Dior Designer Costume Jewelry Pins, 2
by Auctions at Showplace
Est: $300- $500
$1504 Bids
Collection of Costume Jewelry with a Lacquered Jewelry Box
Sep 26, 10:00 AM EDT
Collection of Costume Jewelry with a Lacquered Jewelry Box
by Weschler's
Est: $20- $40
$254 Bids
Aurora borealis 3pc sparkle costume jewelry group: adjustable to 15"L (necklace)
Sep 25, 3:00 PM EDT
Aurora borealis 3pc sparkle costume jewelry group: adjustable to 15"L (necklace)
by Ripley Auctions
Est: $100- $200
$503 Bids
Fenichel aurora borealis 5pc sparkle costume jewelry group: adjustable to 14"L (choker)
Sep 25, 3:00 PM EDT
Fenichel aurora borealis 5pc sparkle costume jewelry group: adjustable to 14"L (choker)
by Ripley Auctions
Est: $100- $200
$303 Bids
PARCO COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE SUITE
Sep 23, 9:00 AM MDT
PARCO COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE SUITE
by Davis Brothers Auction
Est: $25- $50
$203 Bids
COSTUME JEWELRY NECKLACE AND BRACELET SET
Sep 24, 9:00 AM MDT
COSTUME JEWELRY NECKLACE AND BRACELET SET
by Davis Brothers Auction
Est: $25- $50
$152 Bids
LARGE BOX LOT OF LADIES VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY
Sep 29, 4:00 PM EDT
LARGE BOX LOT OF LADIES VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY
by Diefenderfer Auction Company
Est: $0- $0
$82 Bids
Group of 3 Vintage Costume Jewelry Brooches
Sep 30, 12:00 PM EDT
Group of 3 Vintage Costume Jewelry Brooches
by Greenwich Auction
Est: $30- $50
$202 Bids
Costume Jewelry - Lot 215
Sep 24, 5:00 PM EDT
Costume Jewelry - Lot 215
by Jones Auction House LLC
Est: $0- $0
$52 Bids
COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE SUITE
Sep 23, 9:00 AM MDT
COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE SUITE
by Davis Brothers Auction
Est: $50- $75
$252 Bids
VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE BROOCH
Sep 23, 9:00 AM MDT
VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY RHINESTONE BROOCH
by Davis Brothers Auction
Est: $25- $50
$152 Bids

Sellers Who Sell Costume Jewelry


Col. Christie Hatman, Auctioneer

Col. Christie Hatman, Auctioneer

Diefenderfer Auction Company

Diefenderfer Auction Company

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