DRESS IT UP WITH COSTUME JEWELRY

Just because its costume doesn't mean it's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Costume jewelry has come a long way since the 1940's, and today the pretty pieces of glass and plastic, set with the basest of metals, are hip with the in-crowd. Faux is fabulous, so forget about Diamonds and Rubies. Show me the Rhinestones and Bakelite, baby.

When it comes to costume jewelry, it's all about vintage. Those pretentious baubles' from the Eames era are hot. And the designer pieces are once again setting the collecting world on fire. Should you decide to accessorize your wardrobe with these fashion flames, do so now, before competition gets behind the wheel and drives the market out of sight.

The name is the name of the game. Certain designers are coveted by collectors. Pieces by Mazer, Kramer, Eisenberg, Trifari, Miriam Haskell, Chanel, Weiss, and Sherman are perennial favorites.

Bakelite pieces, be they bangles or beads, are highly desirable. The chunky, carved bangles absolutely sizzle. Prepare to pay a bundle for Polka-dot bangles. Prices can easily exceed a cool grand.

Diamonds may be forever, but Rhinestones are now. And ostentatious rules, so go gaudy.

If Pit Bulls set the scene for the new millennium, poodles ruled the fifties. Poodle pins can set you back a Grant and the price is sure to rise.

Size matters, so go chunky, monkey. The thick, heavy pieces of costume jewelry are where it's at. Heavy hoop earrings, bangles, bracelets, and necklaces are bringing premium prices.

Red might be hot, but black is scorching. Black glass and plastic is trendy among the fashion elite.

Unlike Platinum or Gold, costume jewelry can still be found in less prestigious venues. You can still dig through yard sales, mine thrift stores, and pan auction houses for these fabulous bits of colored glass and plastic. But if you want to find strike gold, stake your claim before the next gold rush.