Origins of costume jewelry.

Originally, costume or fashion jewelry was made of inexpensive simulated gemstones, such as rhinestones or lucite, set in pewter, silver, nickel or brass. During the depression years, rhinestones were even down-graded by some manufacturers to meet the cost of production.^[1]

During the World War II era, sterling silver was often incorporated into costume jewelry designs primarily because:

1. The components used for base metal were needed for war time production (i.e., military applications) and a ban was placed on their use in the private sector.
2. Base metal was originally popular because it could approximate platinum's color, sterling silver fulfilled the same function.

This resulted in a number of years during which sterling silver costume jewelry was produced and some can still be found in today's vintage jewelry marketplace.

Modern costume jewelry incorporates a wide range of materials. High end crystals, cubic zirconia simulated diamonds, and some semi-precious stones are used in place of precious stones. Metals include gold- or silver-plated brass, and sometimes vermeil or sterling silver. Lower-priced jewelry may still use gold plating over pewter, nickel or other metals; items made in countries outside the United States may contain lead. Some pieces incorporate plastic, acrylic, leather or wood.