\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div><\/div> \t\t\t\t\tCarol Woolton\u2019s new book looks at the collection of Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and the rise of costume jewelry in 20th century America.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tA longtime jewelry editor who hosts the popular podcast \u201cIf Jewels Could Talk,\u201d Woolton added that the costume jewels featured in the book have the \u201cfinesse of fine jewelry. They are elevated pieces with incredible detail, craftsmanship and the finest materials, such as fine-quality crystals.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe argues that it was pre-war Europeans designers who laid the groundwork for the American boom in costume jewelry. \u201cYou can\u2019t underestimate how radical Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli were at the time, wearing and creating costume jewelry and making it fashionable and acceptable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tIn post-war America, costume jewelry quickly became popular due to the arrival of talented craftspeople fleeing Europe; the abundance of leftover war materials such as Lucite, which was made by DuPont and was originally used for aircraft canopies and windshields; demand from a new generation of working women who wanted to look smart, and a parade of Hollywood actresses showcasing their faux jewels on- and off-screen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tAn ad for Trifari, which produced costume jewelry.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIn America, many women, said Woolton, \u201cwere traveling, going to resorts, to Florida, and maybe wearing little palm trees. They didn\u2019t want to be left out of this new, fun fashion.\u201d At home, these wealthy women \u2014 including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy \u2014 wore faux pearls, just like their husbands\u2019 secretaries.<\/p>\n \n\tThe faux allure is enduring. Kennedy\u2019s simulated pearl necklace just sold at Bonhams<\/a> for more than 16,000 pounds, more than three times the estimate. <\/p>\n \n\tIn 1996, the French fashion brand G\u00e9rard Darel<\/a> bought Kennedy\u2019s black \u201cpearl\u201d necklace, made from glass beads, at Sotheby\u2019s in New York, and has used it as inspiration ever since, producing replicas in various colors.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCostume jewelry was a great democratizer,\u201d said Woolton, who also writes about the role of Hollywood in promoting the trend.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tGabrielle \u201cCoco\u201d Chanel popularized costume jewelry, which she mixed with real gems throughout her career.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\u201cJoan Crawford, Norma Shearer and Paulette Goddard had great fine jewelry collections, but they also had faux jewelry, and they would wear it on screen,\u201d Woolton said. The studios relied on designer Joseff of Hollywood, who created special finishes for the on-screen jewelry to minimize the glare from the lights.<\/p>\n \n\tCrawford even modeled for the costume jewelrymaker Miriam Haskell.<\/p>\n \n\tAs the years passed, it was Kenneth Jay Lane<\/a> who took up the costume jewelry mantle, wowing royals and socialites, including Princess Margaret, with his designs. She especially liked wearing Lane\u2019s colorful replicas while on holiday in Mustique.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-wwd-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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