Bijouterie - this is what? Meaning of the word

"Mademoiselle Virginia, the girl is adorned with modesty." "Well, yes, this is when there are no other decorations." ("Search a woman").

Jewelry as art

Bijouterie is now very popular. It is worn even more often than jewelry made of precious metals, which undoubtedly have much greater value. But today, the image and the jewelry properly chosen for this image are much more important than how really your earrings are really gold. In this article, we will consider the lexical meaning of the word jewelry, its history and the features of the choice of such jewelry.

What is costume jewelry?

The meaning of the word is "ornamentation of base metal". There was this term from the French word bijouterie (decoration). In Russian-speaking countries, it means a product of materials that are not of particular value and are inexpensive. In many languages, to denote that the product is not precious, to the word "costume jewelery" add one more. In the English language, unnatural costume jewelry is costume jewelery, and the real expensive item is fine jewelery. Therefore, seeing the phrase "costume jewelry", do not understand it literally. In fact, there are no such kinds of costume jewelry.

In fact, there are only 3 species, and we will discuss each of them in more detail today. In the meantime, after considering the meaning of the word "costume jewelry", let's move on to what products are considered jewelry.

A bit of history

Primitive ways to decorate themselves were popular with ancient people - they wore leaves, pebbles, blades of grass ... It is noteworthy that this was before the appearance of clothing. Apparently, the vanity of mankind is more developed than a sense of shame.

Of course, the very interpretation of the word "costume jewelry" appeared much later, in France, but decorations appeared much earlier.

In general, the exact moment of the appearance of costume jewelry is difficult to determine - centuries have passed, if not millennia. The first to decorate themselves with a full-fledged costume jewelery began to fall into luxury Egyptians. They wore amulets with the image of eyes and hearts. In Russia, the fashion for wearing jewelry was brought by the Normans. And in the 18th century, the heyday of jewelery reached its climax, as jewelers learned to imitate precious stones. But at the same time, counterfeits were much cheaper, and people with small incomes could afford them.

Classification of costume jewelery

All the jewelry that exists today can be divided into the following types:

• Classical. Imitation of natural jewelry, which is difficult to distinguish from real jewelry with high-quality performance. Usually classical costume jewelery is quite expensive, but its service life is longer.
• Avant-garde jewelry, a photo of which is presented in the article below. She is an author, made by her own hands, and therefore is distinguished by originality and uniqueness. Such products are made of such materials: beads, threads, semiprecious stones.
• Ethnic. Traditional styles of different countries are often embodied in ornaments that can not only be worn, but also stored at home as an element of decor. Ethnic costume jewelry - a product that breathes a certain mystery, the people's spirit.

Also the costume jewelery is divided into 4 types depending on its quality.

4 types of jewelry

The 1st type is very cheap and tasteless gizmos, which are made of the most primitive materials.

The second type is better jewelry, usually collected by hand. They are made from already purchased materials. Despite its obvious "unnaturalness", such jewelry looks very stylish.

The third type is the author's jewelry made from stones, wood, shells, threads, beads and other materials in completely unique ornaments. Usually such gizmos are exclusive, so they are quite expensive.

And finally, the 4th type of jewelry is expensive jewelry, often covered in gold or silver, inlaid with semiprecious stones. Such products look expensive, it is almost impossible to distinguish them from natural without a professional. The cost of these ornaments corresponds to their quality.

Materials for manufacturing costume jewelery

To create jewelry, metals and alloys are used, as well as plastic, ceramics, transparent and colored glass. Most often in the manufacture of products the following alloys are used:

1. Melchior. Combination of copper, nickel, iron and manganese. Reminiscent of silver in appearance.

2. Neusilber - copper, nickel and zinc. If the nickel "did not regret", the decoration casts a greenish or bluish tone on a white background. The material is resistant to corrosion.

3. Brass. Copper in combination with zinc creates the illusion of gold jewelry.

4. Pewter is an alloy of tin and various additives.

5. Bronze. Copper and zinc with additives.

Be careful when purchasing jewelry based on nickel or lead, because they can be allergic. Try to buy high-quality jewelry - it will last you longer and will not damage your health.

Galvanic coating is the most popular method of gilding jewelry. Its composition includes gold, silver, rhodium and alloys based on it.

In addition, depending on the cost and quality, the decoration can be encrusted with various types of rhinestones, Swarovski stones (the cost of these products is certainly higher), as well as artificial jewelry - zircons, cubic zirconia, which are closer in composition to natural diamonds.

Rhinestones - an imitation of precious stones with a mirror coating for better shine. Their longevity depends on the material. Plastic, as well as acrylic crystals shine rather dim and look cheap. In addition, they serve not for long. But Swarovski crystals are more qualitative. They excellently shine due to the fact that they are made of crystal in combination with lead. It is quite difficult to distinguish them from natural stones with the naked eye. Although the term of their operation is still not so long.

Jewelery is also encrusted with natural stones, especially bracelets and beads.

Natural stones and bijouterie

Natural stones are an excellent choice for people who love bright decorations and ... believe in esotericism. After all, each stone has its own properties and even corresponds to a specific sign of the zodiac. In addition, at the energy level, stones can affect the radiation of the human body. Thus, they have a certain curative effect on the body, which is scientifically justified. So, let's consider the value of costume jewelery from natural stones.

Attention! When wearing, it is better that the stone comes into contact directly with the diseased area - thus the use of it will multiply.

Thyroid. The amber is shown in the form of a necklace for violations of the thyroid gland, as it contains iodine.

Bronchi . In diseases of the bronchi - moonstone or pearl.

A heart. Buy a ring with sapphire, garnet or jade. Wear it on the little finger of your left hand.

The kidneys. Bracelets from jadeite, lapis lazuli or white jade are shown. Lapis lazuli can also help with headaches.

Eyes. With eye diseases or poor eyesight, chrysolite earrings will help.

Back. When back pain regularly wear a ring of jadeite or carnelian on the index finger.

Of course, one should not forget about more serious treatment, but these stones will help you relieve unpleasant symptoms, and in some cases even help with treatment.

Conclusion

Jewelery is beautiful, stylish and relatively inexpensive. Pick it up for the outfits and combine to find your own unique style. Today, it is worn even more often than natural products, which have recently been rising in price. Be beautiful!