I stopped at a local collectibles dealer and indicated that I had my mother's estate to liquidate. Surprisingly he wasn't interested in any furniture, but he inquired if I had any "costume" jewelry. I do have quite a bit - several shoeboxes which I happily brought to show him. He was less than happy with my treasures and said that really wasn't what he wanted. I asked him to be explicit on what he wanted and he just shrugged and said he know it when he saw it. So apparently my definition of "costume jewelry" is very different from his. Could someone clarify what constitutes as "costume jewelry"? Thanks.

I believe he's looking for named and/or well made pieces. It's the difference today between a $1.00 pair of earring and a top costume jeweler who charges $300.

I found this from Wikipedia:
Costume jewelry is jewelry that is made of less valuable materials, including base metals, glass, plastic, and synthetic stones, in place of more valuable materials such as precious metals and gems. These items are usually, but not always, inexpensive, and often flashy. Costume jewelry is mainly used for fashion purposes, opposed to "real" (precious) jewelery which may exist primary as collectibles, keepsakes, or investments. It can also be called “Fashion Jewelry.”

The term costume jewelry dates back to the early part of the 20th century when the word “costume” was used in reference to ones outfit. In today’s lexicon, the words “outfit or “garment” have replaced the word “costume” in reference to the fashion mode. A common description of the fashion during this period would read, “Handsome street costume of maroon brown velvet….” Thus the jewelry worn with everyday fashion (costumes) grew to be known as “costume jewelry.”

Costume jewelry can vary from vintage rhinestone sets to the latest fashions such as hair accessories and body jewelry with imitation stones.

Coco Chanel greatly popularized the use of faux jewelry in her years as a fashion designer, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls.

Kenneth Jay Lane has since the 1960s been known for creating unique pieces for Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and Audrey Hepburn. He is probably best-known for his three-strand faux pearl necklace worn by Barbara Bush to her husband's inaugural ball. Some say that the Duchess of Windsor is buried in Lane's jewelled belt.

Pennino Brothers Jewelry is one rare, but well-known brand of costume jewelry.

Today, popular costume jewellery brands include, 1928 Jewelry, Michal Negrin, Pilgrim jewellery, Orly Zeelon, Butler and Wilson, Leetal Kalmanson, Kramer of New York and Mikey jewellery.

He may have been trying to get sometrhing for nothing. He doesn't sound like a very nice businessman to me.

That's what I was thinking. He was probably hoping to find some gold or silver jewelry in the lot.

you do have to be careful with 'costume' jewelry.... my mom had a brooch, an art deco piece, that I treasured ...... when she passed, my dad GAVE AWAY some of her stuff.. the brooch was in it ... it went to one of her sisters, who didn't have a clue what it was..... I didn't know for sure until much later what that brooch was worth, until I saw one in a display at an antique show..... I could have cried!!.... I've been searching for one since then, but have had ZERO luck....

those are the kinds of things your 'dealer' was looking for.... those and pieces that , tho not of 'real' jewels, are still set in gold .... my granny had one that was made for her, with her initials, set in rose gold, in rhinestones...... and it, too, went off with someone who prob sold it in a yard sale for a dime..... arghhhhh!!!!.....

another one to be careful of is pearls..... so much costume stuff is fake pearls... or 'cultured' pearls.... but.... occasionally, like with my aunt, there's a strand or two of the real thing in there with the cultured, freshwater and fakes!!.... I got her costume jewelry and in there, found a three strand necklace and matching bracelet of magnificent pearls....pearls that came from 'wild' oysters!!!.... not cultured!!....

so do be careful!!.... not only do pieces like this have value, but it's a hurtful thing to think that someone gave a gift or bought this special thing, only to have someone who doesn't know about it, dispose of it unknowingly.....if you have a 'feeling' about a piece or really need the right advice, it's worth it to have a pro look at it to be sure.... one thought tho... if the pro tells you it's worthless and still offers to take it off your hands...run!!!...

Toots.....great advice!

I also think that a truly antique piece could have fake stones but be worth a lot of money because of the way it was made.I still do not understand the strand of pearls today. You have fresh water cultured and just cultured. It is very hard to tell now, which is which. I have a strand of cultured pearls that are now 47 years old. They are lovely. They were called cultured pearls when I was given them, and they were not fresh water cultured pearls. Does anyone know what is going on now?

HI TO ALL!!
About the pearls;
I was always taught that "Freshwater pearls" were the irregular shaped(almost bumpy), while "Cultured" pearls were round, matched in size and color. They are real pearls,only begun by man inserting the irritant in the oyster to begin the process. I guess "wild" pearls are just that,created only by nature.
I am sure that you have heard of the old test to teel about pearls. Rub the strand over your teeth. Cultured pearls will feel a little rough, while fake pearls will be smooth. Hope this helps

Freshwater used to be bumpy but they have somehow refined the process so for some pearls it is hard to tell whether they are freshwater cultured or salt water cultured. Freshwater has taken off partly due to some disease that has attacked the oysters in the ocean and killed off a good number of the oysters in the salt water farms. I remember reading about this several years ago.

A question for Toots:

Do you know a way to tell real from cultured pearls. I had a old family pearl necklace, took to to several jewelers and they said they didn't know how to tell the differenced.

I thought this was interesting question so I searched to see if I could find an answer. Most of the links I found really didn't have any info on how to tell the difference. The most important thing that they all mentioned is money. In order to have natural pearls one would need to be fairly rich as they are vary rare and that cultured pearls have been around for more than 100 years so unless your necklace is older than that it is most likely to be cultured. I thought this link had some interesting info.


http://www.pearl-guide.com/

Are you ready for the real pearl/cultured pearl test? Rub the pearl on your tooth. If it feels gritty, it is the real thing. If it does not feel gritty, it is cultured. Try it. I heard about this years ago.

The gritty test applies to real or fake pearls. Fake ones are usually made with glass so they are smooth but it doesn't tell between natural and cultured. As technically both are natural but the cultured ones are when man implants the irratant into the oyster whereas natural are when the oyster somehow gets something stuck and surrounds it with nacre (the stuff a pearl is made ut of). So the texture would be the same.

Sorry, I meant to say "not real" and said cultured instead. Such a goofus I am!!!

there are also pieces made by known designers..

some are signed/signature pieces.
There are dicoreic glass.........crystal...and
early plastic/bakelite,

Think of the red carpet and 70s hair ladies that make it now and sell on TV.Faucet and Joan.
Some day I am sure they will collect Bill Blass,
being sold right now...or the diamonique?

CONDITION ,DESIGN AND WELL MADE.

My opinion has always been that Costume Jewelry is one of the most, if not THE most fluctuating of all of the antiques and collectibles. It always seems that just when you save rhinestones, nobody wants them anymore. A few years back, I saw a few pieces of the auroraborealis jewelry once, which I hadn't seen since my mother wore it back in the 60's; and there was a fairly significant price on them at the time. Since I have some pieces from my mother and grandmother, I made sure I put them in a safe spot in my jewelry box. Now it's everywhere and for a reasonable price. Another item I've noticed lately are the really long necklaces that we wore (and knotted)in the 70's - which were a take from the 20's. They are coming back in style again, so the retro, and antique ones are desirable again, when two or three years back you could get them at garage sales for $ .25 Costume jewelry has always been one of the hardest things for me to judge - so when I got my grandmothers and my mothers, I saved it all! Some if it I display in an old printers box that I had fitted with glass, and the rest is in an old jewelry box that I let my grand daughter play dress-up with on special occasions while I wait for it to become valuable again!!! LOL