MUSINGS & MOMENTS

Glass is an under-appreciated material of vintage costume jewelry pieces. Many people think of rhinestones and crystals when they hear the words “vintage costume jewelry” and they’re not mistaken. However, glass afforded jewelry makers a flexible substance that allowed for an enormous creative range of color, texture and shapes.

Styling your vintage jewelry with other items is fun. But there are certain things that you should never directly mix with your vintage costume jewelry. In order to preserve the quality of the pieces in your collection, stay away from the enemies of gilding and patinas: Lotions, soaps and perfumes.

As vintage costume jewelry becomes more and more mainstream, so do the opportunities for counterfeiters to fake the old “costume” thing and take advantage of its growing popularity.

If you are shy and have a hard time chatting with people at social events, wearing a unique statement piece of vintage jewelry acts like a conversation starter. People ask about it and they want to know the history of it. They want to know what it’s made of, and where you got it.