Steampunk Jewelry
September 8th, 2010 |
The steampunk subculture is one that over the years has allowed many people who did not feel they fit into mainstream society and cultures to actually have a culture to belong to. Steampunk came into being somewhere in the 1980s to the early 1990s and is a culture that is reminiscent of times when steam power was widely used. Today, not only are people interested in the science fiction and fantasy elements of steampunk, but they have also embraced steampunk fashion as part of that culture.
Steampunk fashion is very distinct, as it has taken some of its influence from Victorian era fashion. A big aspect of the fashion is steampunk jewelry, which is easily recognizable by even the novice when it is spotted. Although many people will not necessary know how to classify the jewelry, they will definitely know that it is representative of some kind of subculture or movement.
Steampunk jewelry has been designed to actually reflect the culture of steampunk. This non-mainstream movement surprisingly places great importance on the value of beauty in a somewhat unusual manner. The jewelry used in the steampunk subculture is often times very bold and aggressive in appearance. However, designers still strive to maintain even an ounce of femininity in their steampunk jewelry styles.
Generally, you will find mainly women wearing steampunk jewelry, as it reflects strength as well as femininity and intelligence. As you would imagine, many designs of steampunk jewelry actually take their cue from the Victorian era and the use of steam power as the driving force behind the entire steampunk culture. It is hard to imagine that jewelry fashioned from elements of steam power can make attractive pieces of jewelry! But to each his own and there is now a great following of people interested in this type of jewelry.
Science fiction authors like HG Wells and Jules Verne were important influences in the steampunk culture, hence the inspiration for steampunk jewelry to have a dark and salvaged appearance. These authors presented a dark kind of angle to the whole steampunk culture, which is strongly reflected in the jewelry designs.
The main item of jewelry that you will see being worn by people embracing steampunk is a timepiece. For some reason, the steampunk culture embraces the idea of time, and as a result wristwatches and pocket watches are very popular pieces of jewelry. People also use clock parts to construct different pieces of jewelry.
Although steampunk jewelry may seem odd to many people, there are many who embrace the designs as something different yet symbolic and significant. It may not be your style, but you may very well end up identifying a piece that you actually like!
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