Question:
I've been making jewelry pieces for about a year now and am ready to start selling. My question is how to classify the jewelry. The only two terms I'm familiar with are "fine jewelry" denoting pieces made with precious metals and stones and "costume jewelry" which, in my mind, denotes "fake" components. I've seen the term "fashion jewelry" but am not sure just what that means. The jewelry I make consists primarily of semi-precious stones and beads, glass beads, lampwork, and Swarovski crystal with sterling silver, vermeil, or gold-filled components, and occasionally pewter, copper, and some silver or gold plated base metals. I thought about using "Designer Jewelry", but is that an accurate classification or is there another classification that would be more apropos?

Answer:
It is important to consider what words you use to describe your jewelry. There are marketing and legal considerations in making this decision. You want to present what you are selling in the best light possible yet be accurate and not deceptive.

The term Fashion Jewelry and Costume jewelry seem to be interchangeable. This is usually a base metal (non-precious) with a thin gold or silver finish.

Fine jewelry is a specific category of jewelry that is made with precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) and precious and semi-precious stones.

There is another category of jewelry that is called bridge jewelry that is in between costume and fine jewelry. This would be jewelry that is made with Gold filled or sterling and semi-precious or common stones like jasper or agate.

Designer jewelry generally refers to jewelry that is not mass produced. It is not a specific classification and can refer to jewelry made from many different materials. Artistic would be another good word to describe Designer jewelry.