Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Costume Jewelry - Making Every Outfit Special

By Ned D'Agostino

Though costume jewelry has connotations of being cheap or garish, the fact is, it is often anything but! As a matter of fact, this type of jewelry has a long history when it comes to western culture, one that goes back more than a hundred years. Whether you collect it, love it, wear it, or all three, a little bit of research will show you that this type of jewelry is here to stay!

If you have any sort of experience with fashion or the art of wearing clothes at all, you already know that the right piece of jewelry can make or break an outfit. A perfectly placed brooch or pendant can beautifully emphasize the lines of an outfit, while a piece of jewelry that is clunky, awkward or poorly matched can damage the look irreparably. Around the turn of the century, jewelry began to be produced that was meant for very specific wear, and though they tended to be made out of less expensive materials than fine jewelry, there was still a great deal of time and work put into their crafting.

When you are thinking about this type of jewelry, you'll find that inexpensive should not be the word that comes to mind. Indeed, some pieces of jewelry that fall into this category contain a fair number of semi-precious stones and are quite valuable in their own right. The main difference of this kind of jewelry from fine jewelry is the highly specific nature of its appearance. Jewelry like this is meant to accent one specific outfit, and because of that, they often could not be worn with other clothing.

This type of jewelry was often seen as somewhat disposable, especially after manufacturers started to mostly use plastics, but even now they can be wonderfully striking examples of workmanship and design. If you are interested in jewelry that is made in this mode, you can find it in many places. While of course you can hit couture shops, you can also investigate second hand stores, pawn shops and antique stores. This is a great hobby and you can make some amazing finds.

Think about what you like to see in your adornment, and chances are, there will be a piece of jewelry out there that is perfect for you! Let's face it, not everyone can afford a piece of fine jewelry with precious stones for every outfit in the closet. And it's pretty rare that you'll want to spend thousands of dollars on a piece that will only go with one infrequently worn outfit. Inexpensive costume jewelry makes it possible for you to make every outfit unique by having a piece that goes perfectly for each dress, skirt, blouse, or suit you happen to have.

To learn more about costume jewelry visit http://www.costume-jewelry-guide.com, a popular website giving you tips and ideas to help make all your outfits look their best. You'll get information on the different types of items available to you including turquoise and cubic zirconia jewelry.

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