The creation of jewelry dates back to ancient Greece. Medieval Europe dictated that only nobility be permitted to wear this accessory. During the Empire Period jewelry took on a significant role in fashion. Coordinated pieces comprised of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, and rings kept the jewelry artisans extremely busy. Film, television, and fashion designers have all had and continue to have an impact on jewelry design. Coco Chanel made costume jewelry an acceptable couture accessory in the 1920s, and the 1930s saw the creation of costume jewelry as a means to inexpensively personalize and update fashion. Jewelry designers, therefore, acquire skill sets in a specific medium or in several media; designer Elsa Per-etti is known for her extensive line of silver jewelry; another notable is Miriam Haskell for her costume jewelry of the 1930s.
See also Haute Couture.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.