Jewelry: Exceptions

The ring that sparked the motto

 Lettered on a window somewhere in the Passage:

"If you're over 50, your jewelry should be real."

I first uttered this when a (30ish) colleague asked me if my emerald ring was "real".

Why?

There are several reasons for that belief:

1. A woman past 50 has the experience and bearing to wear jewelry well. The authenticity of genuine materials becomes her. And the inverse is true: like a Forever 21 dress, certain jewelry looks terrific on youth, but not on the mature.

2. Imitation materials have no soul or essence. Even if it fools the eye, it just does not deliver on an emotional level.

3. Fake is usually poor value. The "gold tone" bracelet wears to mottled patches, the gold bracelet takes on a burnished patina. Though you can sometimes salvage elements such as beads, you cannot recycle imitation gold or silver into a new style. 

"Real" does not imply costly. When I say "real", I include not only precious metals and gems, but also an array of organic elements, e.g., shells, wood, rock crystal, raffia, leather, an old bronze key on a silk cord.


Exceptions

However, there are exceptions, especially among vintage pieces, when  craftsmanship and materials were far superior to today's. (Below, gold and tortoise plastic necklace from Carole Tannenbaum.)

Among synthetics, bakelite and the modern resins are appealing, but the hard, glossy plastic of much current costume lacks character. In the '80s I had my armful of Madonna's durable, light, O-ring rubber bangles; did you? 

And for by-the-pool fun accessories, frank plastics like this wacky Aldo "Curl" ring for $12 make sense.

So despite that motto, I wear pieces of synthetic materials and admire some of it on others. Here's a selection:

Dress clip, ca. 1935, of gilt and plastic "shell", one of a pair my mother wore.

Ca. 1930s bakelite brooch; bought from a vintage dealer in Toronto when watching the entire series "Carnavale" on DVD renewed my love for Art Deco.

"Jade" (plastic) and genuine seed-pearl earrings, ca. 1930s, bought in Paris at a vintage jewelry store.

Big paste, strass and metal-chain necklace, bought for a New Year's Eve party, about $60 at Dillard's. An example of cheap, fun-to-wear glitz–but glad I didn't spend more.

Wide Italian plastic-laminate cuff, bought at a boutique; an example of plastic's ability to deliver vivid colour.

1950s gumball-sized metal knots, bought in London in the early '80s. I paid too much, but thirty years later buyer's remorse has faded and I still remember sunny Portobello Road that afternoon. The combination of their weight and the clip backs kill my ears after an hour, but I still have them.

The "sapphire" pin you found at a yard sale, the worn-down-to-brass "silver" ring you inherited from an aunt, the CZ "diamond" studs that make travel carefree: choose your own exceptions, and enjoy them.

What are your favourite fakes?