Coco Chanel was one of the first designers who started to work with imitative jewelry on the radically new terms. Although there had been a market for the costume jewelry before her, it had been primarily reserved for those who could not afford buying the real luxury. Chanel brought the imitation to the state of art.
Chanel introduced her first luxurious costume jewelry in the early 1920s. Her simple dress designs and plain fabrics she used, were ideal for wearing jewelry.
Coco Chanel loved wearing jewelry herself, but always used to say that it should be worn to decorate rather than to expose wealth. She was convinced that too much money killed luxury.
In spite of the fact that she owned a wonderful collection of valuable jewels, which she had received as gifts from her wealthy friends, she rarely wore them. Unlike other women, and disrespecting the established traditions, she preferred wearing her costume jewelry during the daytime, even for informal occasions, like spending time on the beach. In the evening Chanel often wore no jewelry at all.
Her faux gems were proudly fake, larger-than-real versions of the precious jewelry. She was the first designer to gain the social acceptability of wearing fake jewels. The fame and respect of the House of Chanel made sure that her costume jewelry collections became very popular with her wealthy customers. Their exquisite design ensured their exclusivity.
The same as with her clothes, her jewelry designs were subsequently copied in the cheaper versions.
Chanels inspiration for creating her jewelry was widely diverse. The Romanov jewels given to her by the Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, gave her ideas to create long gilt chains with Baroque crosses. The wonderful jewels given by the Duke of Westminster, rich with Indian emeralds, rubies and sapphires, gave her endless ideas of creating the wonderful costume jewelry.
Chanel loved creating jewelry with artificial pearls. In her younger years pearls had been one of the most precious stones, and the privilege of aristocracy. In her designs Coco Chanel made her costume jewelry pearls emphatically bigger and in other colors than natural. Her pearl jewelry consisting of rows of pearls arranged in chokers, brooches and pendants, became a classics.