Lucite earrings are popular due to their affordability, durability, and versatility in design. They can imitate gemstones and come in a variety of shapes, including Moonglow, pearled, Confetti, and embedded Lucite. They can be inexpensive or high-end designer pieces.
Lucite earrings are made of an acrylic resin consisting of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Introduced in the 1930s by the DuPont Chemical Company, Lucite jewelry became very popular in the 1940s and 1950s and has continued to be one of the best choices for costume jewelry. Lucite earrings are available as vintage items, mass-produced costume jewelry, and designer pieces.
Earrings made from Lucite are popular for a number of reasons. They are easy to shape, engrave, and carve, resulting in an almost endless variety of styles, from the simple to the elaborate. Earrings are inexpensive to produce, making them very affordable for a large number of consumers. Highly durable and lightweight, they are great options for kids and adults.
Naturally a transparent material, Lucite can be produced in any desired color, from delicately tinted to opaque. Lucite earrings are often made to imitate jewelry or gemstones. Moonglow Lucite is a popular semi-transparent form for earrings and has the appearance of a luminous, semi-precious stone. Similarly, pearled Lucite can look almost identical to real pearls.
Confetti Lucite is another popular style for Lucite earrings. This shape is made of translucent Lucite encasing tiny slivers of colored or shimmering Lucite. Similar to this is Lucite granite, which consists of opaque pieces in different colors mixed together to take on the appearance of granite. Embedded Lucite is also a very popular form of Lucite earrings. This type embeds objects such as flowers or images in a clear body.
These Lucite shapes are usually cut in a cabochon style for earrings, shaped, and then polished. The result is a smooth shape with a flat bottom and a convex top that the artists then set into a metal setting. Solid color, opaque Lucite shapes are usually faceted or teardrop and sphere shaped for earrings to take advantage of the gem-like appearance of the shape.
Lucite earrings are a popular choice due to their affordability. At one end of the spectrum, they can be considered a form of disposable fashion, cheap enough that most people can afford multiple pairs and easily buy new pairs as fashion changes. Unless they are vintage, they are not usually seen as collector’s or investment pieces. On the other end of the spectrum, however, there are designer pairs that can cost thousands of dollars. These pieces are usually from well-known designers or mixed with real gemstones like diamonds.
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