Costume Jewelry Online

Vintage Pearl Necklace

A vintage pearl necklace isn't all that hard to find, but you need to keep one thing in mind. Except in rare situations, costume jewelry pearls are "faux" (i.e., imitation). But many of the "pearls" are surprisingly well-made and still have a lovely look, even after 20, 30 or even 40 years.

What You Can Expect From Vintage Pearls

As I mentioned previously, the pearls are imitation (which is part of what makes them costume jewelry). Some manufacturers made some pearl jewelry, and some pretty much specialized in them. For example, Laguna and Deltah are famous for their pearl necklaces.

Coro made some necklaces of pearls for their graduation line. Packed in a box that looked like a graduation cap, the pearls were intended as a high school graduation gift.

Some pearls are made better than others, and some look more real than others. I have an Avon pearl necklace that I wore day in, day out for several months and the shine on the pearls lasted longer than the clasp.

In general, you should treat your vintage faux pearls much like you would treat real pearls. The reason being, the manufacturers used different formulas for their pearls, and some coatings are more stable than others.

The good news: vintage pearl necklaces are easy to find and usually are quite affordable. Below are some excellent examples of what you can buy and what they cost. You can click on the links to see larger photos are purchase details.