Jewelry Lovers

In the 1930s, the glamour and extravagance of the twenties gave way, particularly in America, to increasing economic hardship and to the Depression. This had a number of different effects on the jewelry trade. On the one hand, people were less able to afford expensive jewelry, and so the costume jewelry market was comparatively thriving, while many of the fine jewelry houses suffered serious financial losses. One contemporary journal, Art Plastic, commented that all the main department stores in New York, including Saks and Bonwits were selling 40 to 50 per cent costume jewelry during this period. On the other hand, those who could afford more expensive pieces adopted a conservative attitude, rejecting the novelty and experimental

Designs of the previous decade in favour of safer, more traditional jewelry. These designs represented reassurance in a financially threatened society, and could be seen as a relatively secure form of investment. By complete contrast, a third type of jewelry to emerge against the political and economic background of the 1930s was an extreme and bizarre style inspired by the Dadaist and Surrealist art movements.

At this time manufacturers were producing three distinct types of costume jewelry. There were couture originals, their copies, and mass-produced trinkets, which sold through outlets such as the five and dime stores in the United States and their Woolworths counterparts in Britain. The originals were usually made on the Continent and copied in America more cheaply, because of the high taxes imposed on foreign-made products. The copies usually included rhinestones, semi-precious gems that were set by hand and artificial pearls made of Bakelite. It was an important status symbol to wear the couturier original before it was copied and became widely available.

Many of the fine jewelry houses were forced by the economic depression to turn to producing costume jewelry. This resulted in a much closer relationship between the two sides of the trade. Standards of workmanship for costume jewelry consequently improved greatly, as did its reputation. A higher degree of- artistic daring also became apparent in the costume jewelry field. The traditional glamour of white gold combined with diamonds was transformed into costume jewelry by Trifari, who produced cane tops, glove and dress clips and gilt chain bracelets. Fine jewelry houses like Cartier and Herz followed suit.

The thirties marked the heyday of Hollywood, and costume jewelry was promoted and popularized by many of the leading film stars, in particular Mae West.

Plastic jewelry became fully integrated into the fashion arena during the thirties, by when the fashion magazines had really begun to recognize the importance of this market. The manufacture of plastic jewelry was still very labour intensive. Hand- finishing operations did not cease until the 1940s, which kept the price of cast plastics relatively high.

From 1931, acrylics were being produced as a coating agent and safety bonding for glass in Germany, and within a short time they were adopted for use in jewelry. Acrylic is easy to colour, and renowned for its clarity, making it an ideal material for non-precious jewelry. It could be carved, faceted and engraved just like a crystal. It is known under two trade names today, Lucite and Plexiglas. The patent for Lucite was bought up by a costume jewelry manufacturer in New York, called Meyer Bros, in 1941.

A return to convention

The thirties were a period highlighted by a return to a conservative attitude towards jewelry and the status symbolism associated with it. There was a renewed interest in the idea of ‘good taste’ and morally acceptable styles. One important modification made at this time was the introduction of interchangeable stones in order to match different costumes without the expense and extravagance of commissioning new designs.

The thirties are characterized by a soft but streamlined look. Curved, feminine fashions superceded the hard-edged lines of Art Deco. In terms of jewelry fashion, clips were particularly popular and were often combined to make a brooch. They were considered an essential part of women’s dress. The fashion for diamonds was at its height, whether real or paste, and flower sprays and bouquet jewelry with gilded finishes were a favourite design.

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Costume Jewelry Design at the thirties