Known by its many aliases like, costume jewellery, artificial jewellery, imitation jewellery, fake jewellery or faux jewellery, fashion jewellery has been steadily expanding its market for almost 300 years. What started as jewellery that could be afforded by the common public today is nothing less than a style statement and must have for all stratum of society.
What is fashion jewellery made of?
Fashion jewellery is widely made of non-precious and semi-precious gemstones that are set in brass, copper, silver or an alloy of metals and may or may not be plated with gold. Some may also use plastic beads, acrylic, and low cost glass to make fashion jewellery.
Fashion Jewellery then and now
It was around the 1920s and 1930s that the fashion jewellery market started expanding rapidly. Around this time Coco Chanel was amongst the first to have enhanced the look of her costume by adding artificial jewellery to it, that’s where the term costume jewellery started being widely used by everyone. It was some time in the middle of the 20th century that the fashion jewellery market exploded with the industrial revolution. It was then that fashion jewellery started replicating the finer jewellery and heirlooms, to make it more affordable for the middle class people. Soon we saw Hollywood stars wear them and fashion jewellery became a great form of accessory to wear to social gatherings. Over the years the fashion industry has grown and delved into manufacturing all types and categories of jewellery. What was once used as an accessory to enhance ones costume for special occasions today is being widely used on a day to day bases, be it someone accessorizing their wardrobe to go to office, lunches, coffee dates, dinners parties or even weddings and occasions alike.
Fashion Jewellery in India
It was during the Mughal era that India saw a rise in the adornment of jewellery. Mainly made and used by the Royal families of India, jewellery was a mark of prestige and royalty back in the days. With the passage of time, when the finer jewellery started being replicated in India gold was replaced with silver, precious stones with semi-precious stones and Polki was replaced by kundans, this made it affordable and available to the larger public. With the western culture seeping in, India began manufacturing and mass producing all types of jewellery, be it stone, kundans, pearls, American diamonds or cubic zirconia (CZs). Today fashion jewellery has become a must have accessory in one’s wardrobe especially with the growing culture of destination weddings.
