Jewel Song

I have always loved jewelry, but I used to be the kind of girl who was all about the real. I had a special disdain for faux rocks that tried to look like massive diamond engagement rings. I didn't feel right wearing anything that wasn't real; it was as if I was cheating somehow. I smile at myself when I think of that because my sentiments and taste have changed drastically! Drama was my gateway - I enjoy making a bold statement with my rings (my go-to jewelry accessory) and with real stones, as the size goes up, so does the price!  At first, since I was used to precious pieces, the more massive presence of costume rings looked too large to me. But I loved the way they felt on my hand and the way they let me say something distinctive about my style. The latter feeling triumphed and I stopped worrying about size so much and just went for it :). That decision to take a chance and experiment revealed a new benefit: because designers are less limited by availability and price and not at all limited by the real stones themselves, costume jewelry can take liberties with creativity that real jewels can't touch - at least for those of us with school loans or mortgage payments ;). Luscious, crave-worthy, insanely fierce concoctions are to be had, things that would be impossible -or nearly so- with non-costume materials. Costume jewelry is free to be about the expression, rather than about the stone and to reach a kind of art that isn't tethered to what's possible with real jewels - a boon to both designer and wearer! How many of us could style our own version of Marguerite's Jewel Song from Faust with real stones? Precious few  (pun intended :)). It's one reason why Chanel was a proponent and proprietor of faux pieces, including the pearls she made iconic. If you love that kind of classic chic, you can take on that role, even without marrying a Kennedy ;). And again, how do you design a flower out of real stones? It's possible, but complicated. The endless possibilities of glass and other materials significantly broaden the options. Suddenly, wearing an open rosebud on your hand is completely do-able! And in a variety of colors. The fact that costume pieces can be art, rather than a setting is completely seductive to me.  What they might lose in dollar value, they make up in aesthetic value: they might be faux stones, but they're real art!