Many jewelry lovers have an appreciation for both costume jewelry and real jewelry for different reasons. While real jewelry is considered a valuable asset, a lifetime investment, costume jewelry also has its advantages which make it the jewelry of choice for millions of women. It continues to gain popularity even in these tough economic times for 3 primary reasons: price, variety, and versatility.
Price: Affordability is probably the most apparent and biggest advantage of costume jewelry. Why spend hundreds or thousands of dollars or more on a single diamond ring or gold necklace when you can purchase several pieces for the same price thus getting more for your dollar. A well constructed cz ring, bracelet, or necklace can have the beauty and sparkle of its real diamond counterpart for a fraction of the cost. And with proper handling and care it can last for several years. Costume jewelry with layered gold or silver or an overlay of precious metals tend to be the most durable and therefore longer lasting. Plated items tend to fade and tarnish more easily but can be re-plated. Affordability also allows us to experiment with a large variety of themes, colors, and styles to match or taste, wardrobe, mood, even our hobbies and interests. This brings me to the second benefit of costume jewelry: variety.
Variety: Costume jewelry offers an unparalleled variety of colors and styles. Unlike real precious stones like rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc. synthetic stones in costume jewelry which are often composed of cubic zirconia, rhinestone, synthetic crystals, or glass can be produced in just about any color you can imagine. While typical costume jewelry usually consists of metal alloys coated with precious metals like gold, silver, rhodium, or platinum, it can also be made from other materials like nylon fiber, plastic acrylic or natural materials like wood, shell, or stones. These materials allow for an even broader variety of style choices.