Costume drama

She doesn't wear much jewellery herself but is an expert on it – specifically vintage costume jewellery. Deanna Farneti Cera's collection of photographs is currently showing in Dubai.

Exquisite craftsmanship, rich history and stunning aesthetics need not be the exclusive privilege of precious metal or precious stones that demand all three of the above.

Other kinds of jewellery can lay claim to them without the slightest loss of gleam and sheen. Take costume jewellery for example. It is a design palette that makes limitless demands on imagination and creativity just as gold jewellery.

Deanna Farneti Cera, a collector, author and an expert on vintage costume jewellery, understands this only too well and is completely taken by its beauty. Her collection of photographs of Hollywood divas wearing costume jewellery of their time, each photograph accompanied with the brief history of each piece, is in town as an exhibition.

The exhibition titled 'Golden Age of Hollywood', is part of the Dubai International Fine Art and Antiques Fair and being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 12-15 December.

In an interview with Friday by e-mail, Deanna traces her love for costume jewellery and her passion for collecting it. Her love affair with vintage costume jewellery began thanks to her husband, "a serious antique dealer in paintings and furniture". He once said that silver costume jewellery pieces cost less than the silver.

"So we bought about 200 of them for their intrinsic value. When the time came to melt them and extract the silver, I said 'no'. Impressed by their unique beauty and brilliance, I got passionate about the connection between fashion and fake jewellery, and made up my mind to start my research. It was then I discovered that every craftsman had his or her own specific style and had a fascinating story to tell.

I bought costume jewellery pieces that belonged to the 1980s, photographed them and made a technical record of each one of them."

The glimmer of a beginning

Deanna, a graduate of Bologna University of Faculty of Letters and Disciplines of Arts, Music and Theatre, Italy, ran the Modern Art Gallery in the city of Bologna during the late '70s as a curator and acting vice president.

In the role of an in-charge of paintings, she edited catalogues of different temporary exhibitions and handled the press office as well.

By promoting and creating different successful exhibitions, she secured the essential facts, at every step, that helped to quench her thirst for being fully updated on costume jewellery.

In the midst of conceptualising the exhibitions and her writing, she put together her own collection. "My compilation began following the exhibition I organised in Venice in 1987 entitled Le Goie di Hollywood (The Joys of Hollywood). However, it gathered pace after the 1991 exhibition, Jewels of Fantasy, in Milan, sponsored by Daniel Swarovski, which was based on the history of costume jewellery," Deanna says. "The show travelled to museums throughout Europe, the US and the Far East."

During these expeditions, she kept collecting vintage pieces of jewellery; and later highlighted them in her showroom of vintage costume and fashion jewellery in Milan.

Even though she is completely fascinated by costume jewellery, Denna herself does not wear much (of jewellery). "I am a simple and down-to-earth person. So to understand, choose and buy costume jewellery pieces with the aim of reconstructing its history and development, I have to "impersonate" the lives of those wonderful and elegant women who lived in luxury and comfort and had no other problem except to be beautiful and desirable.

"In this way, as I said, for me to have written the history of costume jewellery and bijoux de couture has been, and still is, some kind of a game."

Her book, Amazing Gems, is a testimony of the fact that she is truly a master of the 'game'. In its 256 pages, it features more than 250 of the world's best costume jewellery creations.

The collection comprises photographs of stars and celebrities of the 1930s wearing costume jewellery of the time – the golden era of costume jewellery. "The photographs have been a great help to define dates of these pieces. Many of them were conserved in special photo libraries, where, as an historian, I was lucky to discover them easily."

The exhibition that she brings to Dubai is similar. It features photographs of stars such as Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Loretta Young, Veronica Lake, Carmen Miranda, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jane Russell with designs of Trifari, Boucher, Mazer, Miriam Haskell, Coro, Joseff and Kenneth Jay Lane.

A lifelong relationship

What exactly is costume jewellery? The term almost universally means jewellery made from non-precious stones. However, there is a great debate regarding the origins of the term, as well as the first producers of costume jewellery, says Deanna.

Costume jewellery was introduced as an alternative to fine jewellery. For example, crystal was a credible substitute for diamonds; coloured glasses imitated precious stones and metal alloys – especially pinchbeck, an alloy of zinc and copper-simulated gold.

With many leading edge ideas and ingenious minds, the vintage era gave birth to costume jewellery – at times a combination of non-precious ornaments and fine jewellery.

"Popularity of these alternatives was not only as adornments, but also for their symbolic value. Iron necklaces and bracelets were best replacements for German women who had donated their diamonds and gold to fight Napoleon. English women wore jet [a black fossil] jewellery for its black colour, as a sign of mourning," Deanna says.

Yet, until the 19th century, its distinction lingered as imitation jewellery. However, it was only in the 20th century in general, and the USA in particular, that saw the creation of a golden era of costume jewellery.

"Technological advances in manufacturing techniques enabled pieces to be produced en masse. Necklaces, bracelets and rings sparkling with exquisite cut crystals were crafted in France and Austria. The Czechs created masterpieces of pressed, moulded and carved glass. American companies such as Coro, Eisenberg, Mazer, Boucher, DeRosa, and Kramer, to name a few, took pride in developing increasingly sophisticated techniques for making costume jewellery.

"Designers were very inquisitive about the innovation. [That could be because] they experienced tremendous freedom in designing them, where the cost or availability of the materials did not set limits on the design," she says.

It was Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, Deanna believes, who gave costume jewellery its due place in the world of fashion. "Costume jewellery's production in '30s Europe was a small enterprise, geared to the elite. However, Chanel's and Schiaparelli's support struck a chord in the United States," she says.

Moreover, Elsa Schiaparelli, a dressmaker of Italian origin who had attained international recognition in Paris and London, led the real transition of fine jewellery, that for centuries had meant social status and wealth, to bijoux de couture.

"Starting in 1930, she introduced avant-garde art – futurism, Dadaism, cubism and surrealism – into her fashion jewellery. To design accessories for her, she commissioned artists including Salvador Dali, Jean Clement, Jean Cocteau, Alberto Giacometti, Man Ray, Kees van Dongen and Christian Bernard," she adds. In addition to imitation stones and plated metal, these artists used new materials such as plastic and resin.

In line with her research, Deanna discovered that "[Designers] also chose motifs far removed from the classic themes of fine jewellery. For example, real objects such as desiccated beetles, subjects from daily life such as musical instruments, candles, circus figures and animals.

"Taking the lead from trends in Paris – the capital of elegance and luxury – many fine jewellers turned their tools and handicraft to costume jewellery; developing an industry that soon rivalled the garment industry
in size."

What makes costume jewellery so popular?

According to Deanna, the reasons for the success of costume jewellery are many.

"First, it was [due to] the movie industry of the 1930s and the 1940s. All fashion aficionados in America wanted to imitate their favourite Hollywood star; thus promoting the baubles.

"Second, it functioned well with the attires of American women, who wanted to make a feminine yet bold style statement while making a name for themselves in the male-dominated workforce.

"Third, the United States was a country of immigrants, most of whom had no family jewels. So, these women were avid purchasers of inexpensive better-quality trinkets made in the US by companies who took inspiration from the great Hollywood movies and street fashion.

"Fourth, costume jewellery, in its infinite variety of motifs, forms and materials, perfectly expressed the characteristics of the USA as a "melting pot" of culture.

Signature designs

The upsurge spilled over into Europe, where, after the Second World War, the situation was completely different. In France, says Deanna, the couturiers commissioned local designers and craftsmen to make specific pieces of costume jewellery enhancing their clothing designs.

While the use of costume jewellery turned extensive on both sides of the Atlantic, its creation had a marked difference. For example, "Americans tended to use precise machinery for fabricating substitutes for fine jewellery. They wanted their pieces to resemble, especially in the workmanship, the real thing. Whereas French bijoux de couture was pure invention, both in materials and form. They used a wide range of unusual materials including bronze, raffia, straw, leather, velvet, glass, plastic beads, resin and mirror."

Modern vintage

Commenting on the contemporary scene in costume jewellery, Deanna says it runs parallel with and yet, contrasts with the vintage trend. Even a small 4-piece faux crystal pendant costs up to thousands of pounds, if it comes with a brand name.

"The fashion houses of this century – such as Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior – are turning out sophisticated designs. Moreover, with some of them being pricier than the real ones, the stigma of 'fake' jewellery is gone. Today it is common to see the most chic women mixing fine and faux in the same outfit.

"The new-old look is one reason for its growing interest.

"To a degree, vintage costume jewellery, produced by Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel and Vivienne Westwood, was not cheap either. Their clothes were beyond their budget; but the vintage scene did not garner success on the base of value of the piece.

"From its origin until its decline, it was not about what it is worth but it was the thought [behind it] that counted," she says. "Therefore, although the contemporary scene is quite impressive and remarkable, the golden age of the '30s-'60s always remains a benchmark in my opinion.

"In many instances, high-end faux jewellery has achieved a "collectible" status, and an increase in value over time," she adds.

What about its quality? "It is possible; a quality item can still be affordable. Jewellery manufacturers use different quality materials – quality in rhinestones is determined best by brilliance and clarity. The lead content and cut of Swarovski stones, for instance, makes them incredibly brilliant and clear. Good quality rhinestones and crystals can bring on sparkles like real diamonds.

"In Europe costume jewellery has risen to the status of antiques. I think everyone agrees it is all about condition, quality and personal taste," she adds.

Currently, Deanna Farneti Cera is working on a book on the jewellery of an Italian costume jewellery company: Coppola e Toppo. "Italian faux jewellery has become very collectible in these last two years.

"I also plan to organise an exhibition on a private costume jewellery collection in Tokyo, foreseen for spring 2008 on a proposal from Chisa Kotaki, of the Kotaki Museum. I will help the experts there in putting together a book on the history of costume jewellery for Japan," she concludes.