A fascinating topic. Thank you for introducing it Vincent. Certainly when a lady who comes from a prominent family wears fake jewels people are likely to assume that everything is real or valuable.

I suspect that the wearing of fake jewellery occurred more often than we realise.

I have always wondered if QEQM wore fake jewels in 1935 to the concert at the Austrian Embassy when this photo was taken.



At various times in the eighteenth and nineteenth-century paste jewels were very popular.

Eighteenth-century paste worn in 20th century


In the twentieth- century the popularity of fake jewels continued.

1935



1935. Mentions royal ladies.



In the early 1930s in London society ladies often wore what was described as "talc tiaras" designed and sold by Beatrice Dawson (herself a member of the aristocracy) who later gained fame as a costume designer for theatre and movie productions. I do not fully understand what these tiaras were but I have a report showing that, at least one, was made from real gems.

In modern times, it has been said that the Duchess of Cambridge and, I think, the Countess of Wessex have worn imitation diamond earrings from a UK firm.