Designer Costume Jewelry Trend for 2012
It’s awards season, and that means practically every weekend, we get to feast our eyes on Hollywood’s hottest celebrities wearing incredible designer couture and unbelievable designer jewelry. Whether it is Sofia Vergara lighting up the Golden Globes wearing $5 million in Vera Wang and Harry Winston diamond jewelry, or Jessica Chastain dazzling photographers with $2.5 million of diamond and sapphire jewelry from Harry Winston at the SAG awards, these displays offer eye candy and inspiration to more budget-minded jewelry-lovers watching from home.
The term “designer costume jewelry” is often used to refer to two things. It can refer to jewelry pieces designed and produced by a noted designer that are not made with fine jewelry materials like precious stones, gold, and platinum. Usually, these pieces are not made of faux gems or gold, but of other, more creative materials like leather, fabric and stones that were chosen by a designer costume jeweler for aesthetic appeal. The term is also used to refer to designer-inspired costume jewelry made of faux gold and gemstones that are produced by fast-fashion outlets in an attempt to emulate or imitate popular designer jewelry pieces. Technically, though, designer-inspired pieces should always be clearly labeled as such, and not as “designer jewelry” with no caveat.
Designer costume jewelry, a branch of designer fashion jewelry, does not usually feature traditional fine jewelry items like engagement rings, wedding bands, or diamond stud earrings. Instead, you’ll find unique and creative pieces utilizing unusual metals like titanium, stainless steel, or copper, and exotic materials like leather, beads, crystals, enamel, fabric, and even plastic. Choosing a piece from a designer costume jeweler is a good choice for someone who wants the stylishness and cache of a famous jewelry design brand without shelling out for a piece with real gold and diamonds. For example, a stainless steel and purple leather woven bracelet by designer label Chloe costs under $300 on the discount site bluefly.com, while a pair of statement-making square stud earrings made of brightly-colored enamel and gold-plated zinc by designer Kate Spade are only $78 at Neiman Marcus. In contrast, a pair of woven cable studs made of 18-karat gold and set with 1.55 total carat weight of pavé diamonds by designer jewelry line David Yurman costs $7,900 at the same store.
Unlike knockoffs or faux-precious jewelry, designer costume jewelry will look classy and appropriate at every occasion. Rather than mimicking the look of a diamond-decked celebrity with faux diamonds that can look fake or tacky, you can embrace your own personal style and find creative, unique costume jewelry pieces by the designers you already love. And this year’s designer costume jewelry trends have gone wild, from textured, contrasting metal bracelets that are worn stacked up in sets on the arm, to oversized cocktail rings set with interesting minerals like mother-of-pearl and lapis lazuli.
If you want to treat yourself to a piece of designer jewelry that won’t break the bank, choose a stunning necklace or bracelet from a designer costume jewelry collection and you won’t be disappointed!