If you are a collector of vintage costume jewelry, you already know that there is a lot of history behind this type of jewelry and that there are a lot of factors that need to be considered when trying to determine whether or not a piece is actually what someone says it is.  Whether you are a buyer, a collector or someone wishing to sell vintage jewelry, knowing how to authenticate vintage costume jewelry is a vital element to making sure that you or anyone you buy or sell pieces from is not going to be getting ripped off.

The following is a rather extensive collection of books that are all geared towards helping you make sure that your jewelry is in fact authentic vintage costume jewelry.

Rejuvenated Jewels: New Designs from Vintage Treasures by Amy Hana
Fabulous Fakes: A Passion for Vintage by Carole Tanenbaum
Warman’s Vintage Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide (Warmans) by Leigh Leshner
Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector’s Guide To Costume Jewelry, Identification And Values by Ann Mitchell
Kenneth Jay Lane: Faking It by Kenneth Jay Lane
Ladies’ Vintage Accessories by LaRee Johnson Bruton
Vintage Jewelry: A Price and Identification Guide, 1920 to 1940s by Leigh Leshner
Accessorizing The Bride: Vintage Wedding Finery Through The Decades by Norma Shephard
Vintage & Vogue Ladies’ Compacts Identification & Value Guide: Identification & Value Guide by Roselyn Gerson
Earstrings: An entry from UXL’s Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages by –
Advertisement for Trifari Costume Jewelry, Vintage” This is Not a Book but a Vintage Article/advertisement from a Journal by Vintage Paper
Katzman’s Jewel Necklaces c.1929 – Depression Era Costume Jewelry Beading Designs in Color by Bead Importer Nathan L. Katzman
Fabulous Fakes: A Passion for Vintage Costume Jewelry by –

Click on the highlighted links for details and purchase information.

While these books are not the end all and be all of certifying the authenticity of vintage costume jewelry, they will certainly empower the average collector or buyer of vintage jewelry to the point where they are able to verify for themselves whether or not a particular piece they are dealing with is actually real or if it is a fake.  These books work by informing you as to who made what – when – as well as by providing pictures of pieces along with signatures, marks and distinctive styles.  The books mentioned above are literally an encyclopedia of the history of costume jewelry.

The term ‘costume jewelry’ may be a little confusing to some people. When you understand that fact that the term originated in the 1930’s, it makes a little more sense. Back then the word ‘costume’ was synonymous with the word ‘outfit’. Costume jewelry was made of cheaper materials and was considered to be disposable. It was made to be worn with a particular outfit, be in style for a short period of time, become outdated and then reused to go with a new style. An economic way to remain trendy and thrifty at the same time.

To me, the term always used to strike images of big gaudy stage props worn by little girls playing dress up and trying to look like older movie stars. On some level, that image is true. No, not the little girls thing silly! Costume jewelry was simply meant to be a sensible alternative to spending big money on delicate jewelry that might get lost, or break. It was meant to be a fashion accessory that was available to the masses. Everyone could take part in looking as if they had spent lots of money without having to be in the upper class to afford it.

Today that is still the quite the case with modern costume jewelry. A walk through the mall to any boutique store that sells jewelry to younger teen-aged girls will provide quite a display of cheaper, colorful plastic and fake metal jewelry. This is what would be considered wholesale costume jewelry.

The cheaper type of wholesale costume jewelry that you see in boutiques today can be differentiated from the costume jewelry of yesteryear by the term ‘vintage costume jewelry’. Vintage costume jewelry can have great value to some collectors. As with any collector items, a great deal of importance is placed on authenticity. Much of the legitimate costume jewelry back then would usually have the name of the manufacturer stamped on the back of the item. This is what is called ‘signed’ jewelry. There was also a lot of jewelry back then that wasn’t signed (‘unsigned jewelry’) that doesn’t mean that that jewelry isn’t worth something to collectors, it often is provided it has a unique design.

I guess any fashion itself can be considered a form of costume. Costume jewelry was actually an attempt to give people of the middle class access to fashion that was previously only enjoyed by the wealthy.