The 1950s was a period of glitz and glam especially after the recovery from the war. The Jewelries in this period moved from laid-back to all-out shiny and modern. Most of the 1950s jewelry designers designed more pressures than single accessories. Some designers also made jewelry that could be worn in different styles. The Diamond was the most used gem in this period.
Now that we’re all caught up on the background of 50s fashion, let’s talk about the top 1950s jewelry trends so you can accessorize your vintage dress the right way for your dress-up party. This vintage jewelry guide is here to take you through the styles of accessories during this period.
Contents
Brooches
Animal Brooches
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Animal motifs brooches have been in vogue from previous decades but it was still a big rave in the 1950s. Birds, prancing animals and other animal motifs were all out. These brooches were mostly set in enamel, gold, and platinum and designed with diamonds.
Floral Brooches
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Nature motifs were a big brooch design inspiration for 1950s costume jewelry designers. Brooches in shapes of flowers, fruits, insects, and others were much in style. These brooches were set with semi-precious gems and were made to be colorful and eye-catching.
Lapel Pin Brooches
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These sleek brooches were not really in vogue like the big and bold brooches. They’re part of the vintage jewelry guide because the pin brooches are elegant and worn by people with classy tastes. These lapel pins were intricately designed with mostly diamonds.
Copper Brooches
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Some 1950s costume jewelry designers veered from the normal use of platinum, gold, or diamonds, they went ahead to dabble into copper designs. They hand-made brooches out of coppers which were out of the normal designs.
Modernist Brooches
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Later in the 50s, there was a rise in modernist art and it was present in the designs of the 1950s costume jewelry designers. Sam Kramer’s Silver brooch is a typical example of modernist designs.
Necklaces
Spaghetti Necklaces
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These necklaces are called spaghetti necklaces because of their layers. Like the Forstner Yellow Gold spaghetti necklace, most spaghetti necklaces were set in gold and a few diamonds were added to spark it up.
Fringe Necklace
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The Fringe necklaces in the 1950s were worn for formal evenings. They were mostly set in expensive diamonds. The fringe necklace as the name implies is a necklace with drop fringes. These fringes could be of floral motifs.
Bib Necklace
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The bib necklace has always been an iconic style that would forever be in style. Bib necklaces are designed to look like bibs therefore, gemstones are carefully placed to give the desired design. It could also be in collar designs.
Chokers
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Chokers are like bib necklace but are designed to fit around the neck without leaving any space. Chokers are also iconic styles that could never go out of vogue which is why it is present in this vintage jewelry guide.
Bracelets
Charm Bracelet
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The charm bracelet is an intricate jewelry design that came into style in the 1950s. These bracelets are called charm bracelets because of the different charm designs attached to the bracelets. These attached charms give the bracelet an expression. Charm designs can go from animals to memories to cherished materials. There can be many charms on a necklace, the merrier the better.
Chain Link
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Jewelry designs have come a long way in different ways and chain link is one. The chain-link bracelet is a simple bracelet mostly of hand-made designs. They are simple and elegant as they are made with chains.
Wire and Mesh
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Just like the hand made copper brooches, some 1950s jewelry designers brought out some bracelets made with wire and mesh. Gold meshes were very popular. These mesh bracelets were affordable and some came as double jewelry, that is, a watch and a mesh bracelet.
Bangles
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Bangles were big and came in bold designs. Some 1950s bangles were of bold designs while some were plain gold or silver.
Torsade Bracelets
Torsade bracelets are bracelets that are made of many twisted cords of materials like beads, pearls to form a fitting bracelet. These jewelry designs were present in the 1950s. Torsade bracelets were made to be affordable and beautiful as they were made with colorful materials.
Earrings
Button Earrings
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Button earrings were round and big and came in different designs and decorated in different gems from emeralds to diamonds to colored gems. They were worn with simple necklaces and styled hair updos.
Drop Earrings
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Drop earrings are earrings with dangling from. They are like button earrings but with another addition with a wire holding it to make it ‘drop’. Most drop earrings come with a necklace or better still a pleasure. They’re made of mostly diamonds and other precious gemstones.
Ear Clips
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Ear clips were really a big fancy in the 1950s. Designers made various earrings but added clips instead of hooks or studs. They were designed to that it could be worn easily and could also be worn as brooches.
Studs
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Stud earrings were not really popular in the 50s because we all know the 1950s were about showcasing big and shiny jewelry. Studs were worn indoors to keep the ear adorned.
Screwback Earrings
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The Screwback earring was popular just like the ear clips. These earrings were worn with a tiny screw as a hook to screw at the back.
Conclusion
Let’s face it: who doesn’t love a good vintage throwback dress-up party? Even our latest fashion trends and fads hold nostalgic memories of the vintage trends of the 50s and 60s. Let us guess, you’ve been invited to a 50s themed dress-up party; you’ve got your vintage dress down and now all you need is a guide on how to accessorize it. Whether you’re dressing up as a traditional 50s housewife, or showcasing your appreciation for the 50s mod culture, you have to know a little about the 1950s jewelry trends.
You can check out “fashion history” on vintage-retro.com, to get more and something related to vintage fashion.
Accessorize your vintage dress by picking a 1950s jewelry trend of your choice to make sure you look the best at any retro-themed dress-up party. Follow above antique jewelry identification and guidance, you will be a true vintage fashion icon and show off around your friends.
