Editing Costume jewelry (section)

== Business and industry ==
Costume jewelry is considered a discrete category of [[fashion accessory]] and displays many characteristics of a self-contained industry. Costume jewelry manufacturers are located throughout the world, with a particular concentration in parts of China and India, where the trade of these goods dominates entire citywide and region-wide economies. There has been considerable controversy in the United States and elsewhere about the lack of regulations in the manufacture of such jewelry—these range from [[human rights]] issues surrounding the treatment of labor, to the use of manufacturing processes in which small, but potentially harmful, amounts of [[toxic metals]] are added during production. In 2010, the Associated Press released the story that toxic levels of the metal [[cadmium]] were found in children's jewelry. An [[Associated Press]] investigation found some pieces contained more than 80 percent of cadmium. The broader issues surrounding imports, exports, trade laws, and [[globalization]] also apply to the costume jewelry trade.

As part of the [[supply chain]], wholesalers in the United States and other nations purchase costume jewelry from manufacturers. They typically import or export it to wholesale distributors and suppliers who deal directly with retailers. Wholesale costume jewelry merchants traditionally seek new suppliers at [[trade shows]]. The trade-show model has changed as the [[Internet]] has become increasingly important in global trade. Retailers can now select from many wholesalers with sites on the World Wide Web. The wholesalers purchase from international suppliers available on the Web from different parts of the world, like Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, and Indian jewelry companies, with their wide range of products in bulk quantities. Some sites also market directly to consumers who can purchase costume jewelry at significantly reduced prices. Some websites categorize [[fashion jewelry]] separately, while others use this term instead of costume jewelry. The trend of jewelry-making at home by hobbyists for personal enjoyment or sale on sites like [[Etsy]] has resulted in the common practice of buying wholesale costume jewelry in bulk and using it for parts.

There is a rise in demand for artificial or imitation jewelry by 85% due to the increase in gold prices, according to a 2011 report.<ref>{{cite news |title=High gold prices drive up imitation jewellery demand by 85%: Assocham |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/high-gold-prices-drive-up-imitation-jewellery-demand-by-85-assocham/articleshow/17295221.cms?from=mdr |access-date=25 February 2020 |work=The Economic Times |date=20 November 2012}}</ref>