Accessories room
The jewellery on display in the accessories room dates from the
early 20th century and shows examples of expensive and inexpensive
designs.
Coco Chanel was among the many couturiers who believed that
jewellery should be worn with a specific type of garment. She was
the first couturier to show ropes of rhinestones draped on her
catwalk models.
Soon costume jewellery was seen as a cheap, disposable accessory
meant to be worn with a specific outfit, but not meant to be handed
down through generations.
Over the past few decades costume jewellery
has become very collectable, due in part to a number of special
exhibitions and the sale of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels in
1987. Jewellery in the form of big cats, in base metal and with
imitation stones, became very popular.
You may recognise, or perhaps own, some of the iconic mass
produced pieces on display.