Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Rhinestone Necklaces And Their Place In History

By Angela Briggs


Rhinestones became popular around the thirteenth century when crystals were discovered in the Rhine River. They were hand cut and polished at that time and very time consuming to make. The stones were prized for their brilliance and were made into rhinestone necklaces and other jewelry for the upper classes.

It was not until the eighteenth century that a machine was created that could mass produce glass replicas of the original stones. This revolutionized the industry and today eighty percent of all crystals in America are made by Swarovski the inventor of the process. The stones he creates are available to private individuals as well as jewelers for custom pieces to be sold to the public.

In the two decades between nineteen twenty and nineteen forty when styles were more focused on femininity and bright dazzling jewelry these stones were very fashionable. Younger women purchased items that were small and sleek while the older generation was more interested in broaches and hair clips. This popularity waned after the war ended in the nineteen forties.

Popularity for crystals diminished tremendously in the twenty years including the nineteen fifties and sixties. The younger generation was not interested in sparkly jewelry. They determined that the natural look was more to their liking and began using leather and cords to create their adornments. The stones were rediscovered with the disco dance era and an advanced sense of fashion.

There is no better place to display beautiful jewelry than the neck. That is demonstrated by the numerous fashion styles that are available for neck wear. One of fashions most popular styles is the choker. It enhances the neck and bodice lines in a very flattering way. The collar form of necklace also serves this purpose but is worn a little higher on the neck.

As bibs or long strands they are excellent in a more casual setting or a night on the town. They enhance whatever style you choose to wear. Regardless of whether you are dressed in office casual or ready for a night on the town long strands are versatile enough to go in a moment's notice.

Vintage pieces are becoming a popular collection item. Many of these pieces were created by custom jewelers and have high value for resale. People look for them in old jewelry boxes belonging to their grandparents that have been handed down to them. Another venue for collection is estate sales or yard sales of people who have older items to offer. David Swarovski gave a gift to Liberace that was a fifty one pound crystal valued at nearly fifty thousand dollars twenty years ago. It is worth much more now.

Rhinestone necklaces have been a part of man's history since before the thirteenth century. They have held on to their place as a preferred mode of expression for centuries and will continue to be an intricate part of societies fashion world in the future. You can look forward to these pieces being handed down from mothers to daughters for generations to come.




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