What is Bisuteria or Costume Jewelry?

Bisuteria, translated into English is basically, costume jewelry. This cheap form of personal decoration became popular for everyday use in the nineteen twenties when fashion designers started using it and it was not used solely for the stage. During this period of time Coco Chanel was the first to create costume jewelry to complete an outfit. Some of the bisuteria of this time period includes bangle bracelets, cocktail rings, long pendants, even elaborate cigarette cases and holders.
 
Bisuteria was created to amplify a regular outfit by complimenting the colors or patterns already used in the ensemble. Costume jewelry is made with cheap materials unlike regular jewelry which is made with precious metals and stones. Bisuteria is meant to be worn a short period of time, to outdate itself and to be easily replaced. Some of the materials used in Bisuteria are plastics, pewter, silver, nickel, rhinestones, Lucite and brass. Yet other types of bisuteria use leather, wood or gold plated base metals. This keeps the cost down for manufacturers and joyas or costume jewelry shops.

Their profits are based more on the amount of jewelry sold and not necessarily on the price of the items because bisuteria in joyas are generally all about the same price, they do not differ greatly. In a more expensive jewelry store where pieces are made of high quality materials such as gold and diamonds, the price of the pieces vary greatly depending on size or amount of karats of the piece. Employees in these shops would be more likely to want to sell larger pieces of jewelry instead of a lot of smaller, inexpensive pieces.  Bisuteria being mass produced over the years has made it possible for every woman to own a beautiful piece of jewelry without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money that most people, all over the world, cannot afford.

Joyas  or costume jewelry shops have opened up all around the world and are more popular than ever. These joyas make it quick and convenient to purchase a gorgeous piece of bisuteria for an evening out or a special event. The wonderful thing about this type of jewelry is that is not meant to be worn for years, it is meant to be worn for a short period of time, it follows fashion trends and can easily be replaced, and these are some of the reasons to purchase bisuteria.