Is costume jewelry worthless?

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#46
verychic555 said:
Thank you for posting this. If I end up buying costume jewelry from Chanel I want to use it for special occasion, so not a daily thing. I’m also quite careful with my stuff, and have earrings I bought for $2 from when I was in my first year of college and they still look the same (didn’t wear them much). But The thing is I can’t get Chanel costume jewelry out of my head, but feel very reluctant every time I come close to buying and then start reading reviews. I don’t know. Based on your experience with your necklaces, and based on my intended use, do you think it is a “good idea” to get a small collection of Chanel costume jewelry? My husband prefers that I put this kind of money towards a handbag. I see his point too. What is your recommendation? Thanks
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The handbag will last much longer... especially Gucci or Hermes or YSL. You will start out wearing your Chanel for one occasion, then you are gonna fall in love with the look and complements. Then you are gonna wear it just a little bit more or have more special occasions to wear it to... then the inevitable will happen, it will pop, and then you are gonna buy another, then same thing will happen and you are gonna end up with a zip lock bag of broken Chanel necklaces. It might not happen until a year out, but rest assured... it will happen and you are gonna be sad. Try out one if you must get it out of your system, but I wouldn't recommend buying a lot of the Chanel costume necklaces... a Chanel pin is cute too... just don't drop it. Good luck
"J!m"
 
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#47
Chanel costume jewelry belongs to a separate artistic tradition than jewelry in precious materials, but that doesn't mean it's poorly made or will break easily. It depends on the nature of the materials and how it's made which can differ from brand to brand. A full metal Chanel brooch will last you a very long time. Enamel on fine jewelry can chip off easily unless you're careful. It's two different things entirely in my book. Costume jewelry is ususally louder, bigger and more glamorous.

If you don't want to pay the full price for costume jewelry, which is understanable, its' very easy to find Chanel costume jewelry second hand for less than in the store. And by buying second hand in good condition you know that the piece has already lasted a while with the previous owner.
 
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#49
doni said:
This!. And even if it is not an investment in terms of returns (it often isn‘t) vintage custom jewellery is SO great value. Not difficult at all to source either. I would say up to until the end of the 70s, the quality of top custom jewellery is on pair with some fine jewellery today in terms of craftsmanship. A lot is high K gold plated too (I mean, even handbag hardware often was at the time). I have pieces by Trifari, Lanvin, Napier, Carnegie, Schiaparelli... and they hold up so well. Then moving on to the 80s quality worsens, but still fun and quite cheap to get items from say YSL or Givenchy. I do not understand why this stuff is not more popular as it is so easy to find vintage pieces that still look current today. But better, it keeps prices down...
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Exactly! Costume jewellery is just that. Items for dressing up for fashion fun. I have a small selection of Chanel camellias- they have in fact gone up in value over the years. Do I care? No. But I enjoy wearing them. I also have faux pearls from lotus which are also great. They were inexpensive (£30-£50 per set) the quality is amazing and I enjoy wearing them. ‘Real ‘ jewellery can be too much of a commitment. I am currently debating if I should fork out for a Pomellato nudo ring...
 
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#52
i love wearing my Acrylic earrings that cost me less than $20. It brings me the same joy from branded jewellery. No matter how much it cost, i buy when i really love wearing it, and wouldn’t hurt the bank too much.

However for special occasion like push present and anniversary, i choose branded jewellery in gold or platinum with diamonds so i can keep it for a long time and pass them down
 
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#54
I have both costume and branded real jewelry. I wear my branded real jewelry (Cartier love bracelet) every day to lower the cost per wear, but funnily enough I actually baby my Chanel costume jewelry more because I know they’re more delicate. I have a super sparkly Chanel brooch that I get complimented on every time, 3 pairs of Chanel earrings (pearl with crystals surrounding it, CC with a drop pearl attached, large CC with crystals) and one pair of LV drop earrings that also get compliments. I only wear my costume jewelry for special events.

My sentiment is that my small Chanel costume jewelry gives me joy and while they’re “worthless”, I’ve sold my Chanel jewelry in the past and recuperated my costs (they went up in price over the years), and there is always a huge resale market for CC earrings. I don’t think this is true of the Chanel necklaces though.

Buy what you love. I love my costume jewelry so to me it’s worth it!
 
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#55
This has been said already in the thread, but I thought I would chime in because I love this topic. Costume jewelry as a genre and handicraft has a storied and rich history, and although the materials used may not in and of itself be "worth" anything, what gives pieces their value is their individual provenance, their designer, and their craftsmanship.

I do not like contemporary costume jewelry very much, because the design and craftsmanship isn't usually there, but I absolutely adore vintage costume jewelry. Also, I do not think that it is shameful (that's a strong word...maybe tacky is better) to wear "fake" pieces of paste or diamante. Costume pieces were sometimes created to substitute for the real thing in case of theft, but in general (esp. in the 20th century) were created as costume in their own right, and were not supposed to be a substitute for precious stones or fine jewelry.

That said, very few costume pieces hold their value over time; and usually the more recent you go, the less monetary value pieces have. I buy and wear mid-century costume jewelry because I appreciate the history of the industry, because I love the colors and sparkle (I am a magpie), and because as someone said earlier in the thread, it "makes [my] heart sing." I do not think, like many others here, that the Chanel costume pieces are worth $1500, and if that is a fairly large chunk of change out of your budget, I would either sit on that money and wait to purchase a piece until you find something you love, or go for a quality handbag that (again) you love. I am not familiar with Chanel costume jewelry, but trust those who say that it is not worth its retail price.

If you must have Chanel costume jewelry, I would stalk eBay, Poshmark, and any other secondhand markets, to avoid paying for the initial depreciation.
 
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#56
Interesting thoughts from a conoisseur of costume pieces! I've always thought costume jewellery was impersonating something it's not; but that's not necessarily the case at all. Those really blingy costume pieces just are what they are, and we're now at a point where arguably the majority of worn jewellery is costume, so calling it "fake" is an anachronism.

And yet, I still *want* the solid, precious stuff!
 
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#60
ladysarah said:
They are not mine, I just took the photo because I was considering buying the little black jacket. They are super adorable in person, but decided not to indulge in another super cute piece.
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Thanks for the honesty... rare for social media image. It is a cute piece the little black jacket. Make a wish, and let it be known to all and as many people you can that you really want to have it, and somehow... it will come to you. Success comes from three things... luck, timing and someone granting you favor. Hard work only guarantee you more hard work for doing such a good job. Savings help, but somehow, savings set you up for changing your mind, wanting something grander so you have to save more or another issue to use up the savings and not to get to use it for the intended purpose... Luck, Timing and someone granting you favor. Good luck and look forward to seeing you post your Chanel little black jacket pin within 3 months.
"J!m"
 
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