I did a little research about fine and costume jewelry before taking on gifting myself a/some piece(s) of affordable fine jewelry on my birthday each year.Jewelry comes in two types: Costume and Fine.
What is Fine Jewelry?
Fine jewelry refers to jewelry made from precious metals such as real gold (10k and above), platinum or .925 sterling silver.
When stones are included in a piece of fine jewelry the stones must be semi-precious or precious stones such as ruby, diamonds, topaz, pearls e.t.c for the jewelry to be classified as fine.
This means that if the metal for a piece of jewelry is real gold, platinum or .925 sterling silver, but the stones are glass or beads or resin, then that jewelry is costume and not fine. Or, if the stones are precious or semi-precious, but the metal in which it is set is not a precious metal then such jewelry cannot be classified as fine.
What is Costume Jewelry?
Costume jewelry may also be called Fashion or Cosmetic jewelry. It refers to jewelry made with copper or brass as the base metal. The base metals may or may not be gold plated or silver plated to give the visual appearance of precious metal.
If the base metal is gold-plated or silver-plated over time this plating wears off to reveal the base metal. The stones in costume jewelry are usually glass, beads, resins or other materials that are neither precious or semi-precious.
Fine Jewelry vs Costume Jewelry
There's no right or wrong between the two. It's just good to know the difference.
The good thing about fine jewelry is that they can last for generations and can be repaired or reworked when broken, but costume jewelry may be completely unworkable when broken as they cannot withstand the soldering flame used to rework fine jewelry pieces.
Fine jewelry are usually worn for understated glamour while costume jewelry are regarded as 'outfit' jewelry, as popularized by Coco Chanel in the 1920's.
