Every woman wants to be not just pretty, but also unique and original. She expresses and fulfills this desire through her style in clothing. But our clothes are most often store-bought and even tailor-made clothes can make us look no different than thousands of other women. Ornaments and decorations are the one thing that can distinguish a lady and show her individuality to the world. Without them, any portrait seems unfinished. Accessories can draw direct attention or reveal slight hints. French ladies are famous for their ability to give individual charm even to the plainest little black dress. The way they accomplish this is precise with the use of accessories.
Jewels have been the accessories of choice ever since antiquity – rings, earrings, bracelets, chains, pendants, etc. All these words sound like music to a woman’s ears. Of course it is wonderful when these ornaments are fashioned out of precious and expensive materials and embellished with gems of great worth, but few are those who can afford such jewelry. Besides, such jewels are either very snobbish-looking or too conservative. What if you are looking for something fresh and playful?
That is what fashion jewelry is for. It creates ornaments that are affordable. There are not many women who can afford a diamond necklace, but a necklace with Swarovski crystals (which are mostly made out of plastic compounds) can fit into almost anyone’s budget. An added benefit is that these jewels can be replaced as soon as we get tired of them or they drop out of style, while it is simply impossible to throw away the Kohinoor diamond.
Fashion jewelry is very flexible and follows the current trends, while gems are what they are – mostly used to distinguish one’s social status more than one’s taste or style. This has been a fact for the last 500 years at least.
Contemporary jewelry is capable of imitating even the most valuable specimen – crowns, tiaras, diamonds, and other jewels. This is all done with the help of Swarovski crystals, artificial pearls, glazing, etc.
Besides imitating classics, today’s tendencies are very open to eccentric ideas. Ornaments are made out of leather, plastic, fabric, sequins, exotic coins, and even old vinyl records.
Currently, jewelry with ethnic elements is very popular, because they give a sensation of mysterious far-away countries. Oriental, African, Indian, and Native American patterns are especially in style. These ornaments are usually made from materials used in the culture they represent – wood, pearls, mother-of-pearl, shells, semi-precious stones, coconut shells and other exotic materials.