Non precious metals, bones, shells, wood have been traditionally used by the industry to manufacture stylish and high quality jewelry items. In the modern times, materials including hand made paper, leather, and terracotta are being increasingly used in combination with other materials to create exotic and different designs. Crafts with design.com introduce you to some of the popularly used materials which are:

Wooden jewelry

Wooden costume jewelry has become a rage with women of different age groups all across the globe. The jewelry pieces are stylishly crafted from natural wood and given a fine finish. The traditional wooden jewelry is in demand in the international market. India and China are one of the leading Asian countries exporting a high quality and stunning collection of wooden jewelry.

Stone Jewelry

Stone studded jewelry creates a scintillating effect and caters to women of all age groups. Innovation in designing is of utmost importance for creating demand. A variety of semi precious and inexpensive stones are used by manufacturers for designing costume jewelry including Zirconia, Cats eye, Crystal, Pearls etc. The market of stone studded costume jewelry is booming with a high demand in the international circuit. Italy, China and India are one of the major manufacturers of stone based costume jewelry.

Jute jewelry

Jute is a natural fibre being extensively used for manufacturing high quality and fashionable jewelry items. Beaded jute jewelry items are creatively handcrafted for a distinctive look. The jewelry pieces are crafted with great stress on the aesthetics and design innovation. The last few years have seen an increase in the demand and supply of jute based costume jewelry. A range of items are in demand in UK, USA, Canada, and the European Union. India and China are some of the important jute fashion jewelry manufacturers.

Beaded jewelry

High quality, colorful beads made from natural and synthetic materials are used in combination for long lasting and durable items. Different types of beads are used in combination, to create innovative designs of costume jewelry. Some of the beads used are wooden, metal, glass, bone, ivory, crystal etc. China, India, Italy are some of the leading manufacturing and exporting countries of beaded jewelry. US, Canada, Australia and UK are the major importing countries for beaded jewelry.

Ivory jewelry

Ivory is a hard, white colored, opaque substance that constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant. Ivory has been used since long to craft beautiful and attractive jewelry pieces. Ivory jewelry is available in floral designs, animal figures, inlay work. The jewelry items are often studded with stones, semi precious gems and metals for providing a distinctive look. A number of countries in the western hemisphere import finely carved and high quality jewelry pieces.

Shell jewelry

A variety of natural sea shells including puka, paua, troca, blacklip and brownlip, hammer, nautilus are used to handcraft various jewelry items and hair accessories. The jewelry can be worn on both formal and casual occasions depending on the design, color combination and also the materials used. Shell jewelry is handcrafted and available in stylish, trendy and exclusive designs. These natural shells jewelry is uniquely created with inlay work, painted shells of different shapes and sizes are hand woven into beautiful and exotic pieces.

Lac jewelry

Lac or wax filled jewelry is often used by craftsmen to make decorative ornaments. The jewelry is native to India and used as bridal jewelry and also for casual occasions. This ethnic handcrafted jewelry is made using ancient methods and involves filling lac or wax in hollow silver foil piece. The jewelry is often gold polished and used as imitation jewelry. The Indian State of Rajasthan is famous for making lac jewelry in various color combinations, designs and patterns. Lac jewelry is exported to a number of countries in US, Canada, Australia etc.

Glass jewelry

Glass has been used since centuries to manufacture beautiful and high fashion jewelry pieces. These items are manufactured from different types of transparent and color glass. This inexpensive material is durable and long lasting, making it a favorite with young women. Glass costume jewelry is creatively designed using it with other materials including semi precious stones, beads, metals etc.

Metal jewelry

Metal is one the most fashionable and widely used materials for manufacturing costume jewelry. Inexpensive metals like brass, stainless steel gained popularity because of the rising price of fine jewelry metals like gold and platinum. Brass and copper alloys are often used to create dainty pieces of jewelry. Floral, geometric designs are commonly used in bracelets, pendants and anklets. Metals are sometimes painted in different colors for an eye catching effect. Sterling Silver Jewelry, Oxidized Metal Jewelry, Stainless Steel Jewelry and White Metal Jewelry are some of the most famous types of metal jewelry.

Don't want to shell much money? Want to try different trends? Go for costume jewelry. They are much cheaper, available in wide varieties. And the best thing is that they won't strain your purse much as gold, silver or diamond does! So go ahead and explore the whole world of Costume jewelry. It's here to stay!