For hundreds of years, luxury jewelry made of gold and gemstones was the privilege of the ruling elite, royalty, and noblemen. With the advent in the 18th century of the new social class—the bourgeoisie—in the wake of the industrial revolution, the ‘consumer base’ for jewelry widened as the new class wanted to experience the royal privilege of wearing fine jewelry. However, since very few could afford the luxury, imitation jewelry started mimicking the finer brands in every detail except materials. In the 19th century, fashion jewelry continued to make inroads into fine jewelry, winning over customers in droves. In the early 20th century, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel declared “that really elegant women were those who could mix different jewelry, real and fake, suitable for each occasion as foreseen by the dress code of those days.” This declaration paved the way for non-precious jewelry’s wider adoption. From there on, fashion jewelry became a universally accepted addition to dresses without being a status symbol. More importantly, the latest trend to make sustainable ornaments has made fashion jewelry still more appealing.
One of the most notable brands, Ciro Jewelry, was established in 1917 and to this day continues the tradition of making high-quality fashion jewelry. In its early years, the company specialized in cultured pearls, making a name for itself among the Hollywood crowd that frequented its Wilshire Boulevard boutique, but in the 1970s, Ciro also embraced the newest cubic zirconia. This breakthrough material was so perfect and almost indistinguishable from natural diamonds that it quickly gained traction among consumers. As a result, Ciro produces designer jewelry of genuine jewelry quality. Their stones, also called CIROLIT, are used in rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and clips. Best known for premium 925 sterling silver, 18 ct gold-plated, and cubic zirconia jewelry, a wide selection of pearls, and fashion pieces, CIRO remains affordably extravagant. As CZ is a 100-percent sustainable material that is crisp and clear and free of any irregularities both in its appearance and origins, many celebrities who are known to be strong proponents of sustainability were seen sporting Ciro pieces, Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, and Cameron Diaz among them.
Ciro’s collections—Black Tie, First Love, and Cocktail—create a particular affinity with wearers. Delicate and elegantly designed First Love pieces made of brilliant solitaires in various designs can be worn as everyday jewelry and bring a little more love into your life. The Black Tie collection is an excellent fit for both a gala event to go with an evening dress and a night out with jeans and a T-shirt. Since cubic zirconia cannot be colored, Ciro makes exquisite color pieces from other materials. The green stones in its Black Tie collection are nanoglass, another material with artificial inclusions that give the stone a natural look. The red and blue stones are corundum - a naturally occurring mineral. Some pieces in Ciro’s most recent First Love collection are made from exotic moissanite and lab diamonds.
As Ciro Jewelry stays on top of the most recent trends in jewelry design, it would be interesting to explore its recent collections on their website or by following them on Instagram.
