Cosplay Jewelry

Fashion and fiction have always been inexorably entwined, no more obviously than in cosplay.

News outlets and social media are increasingly covering stories and showing images from science fiction conventions and comic-cons from around the planet, including costume competitions and character photoshoots. The rest of the world is starting to see the incredible skill, artistry, time and money involved in cosplay and cosplay communities.

What is Cosplay?

Cosplay (a blend, or portmanteau, of the words “costume” and “play”) is a hobby that is growing more visible. At its heart, cosplay involves dressing up as your favorite characters from television, comics, film, literature, etc. It began at a science fiction convention in 1939—where authors and fans dressed up for a costume contest—and has been growing ever since.

The main difference between cosplay and costuming is that cosplay outfits are an attempt to replicate functional attire. A stretch bodysuit printed with color and lines might give the look of a Star Wars® trooper, for an easy costume while attending a convention. A cosplay of the same character involves making each piece of armor and fitting it to the wearer, and then acting out the character during the convention, in photoshoots, at parades or for charity fundraisers. 

Accessories can make or break a cosplay. Jewelry plays a pivotal role, whether it's the intricate headpieces of fantasy heroines or the emblematic rings of legendary superheroes. How realistic does it look? How closely does it align with the original film prop, manga drawing or book description? How fully does the character show the details of their world?

Designer-artists who want to tap into the vibrant world of cosplay jewelry and accessories have choices: 

1. Make character-accurate jewelry to wear themselves for cosplay 
2. Make character-accurate jewelry to sell or trade to other cosplayers
3. Make "inspired by" jewelry to sell at Comic-Cons and other cosplaying venues

The choice you make will affect what you create and how you create it. 

Making Cosplay Jewelry and Accessories

As the cosplay community has grown, so too has the demand for high-quality, character-specific jewelry. Materials range from metals and gemstones to crystals and glass, ensuring realism, durability and detail.

Like most creative folk, cosplayers love to test themselves. The variety of skills needed to create accurate outfits, the range of materials they need to learn to use, the discipline of making it match the image or description in their source material—they find all of these challenges deeply satisfying.

Most cosplayers create every piece of their outfits, even making their own belts, shoes, jewelry, headwear and other accessories. Some will swap with other cosplayers who have different specialties. One makes the jewelry and accessories for both characters while the other makes the clothing—especially if they're from the same novel, film or anime.

To get started on making cosplay jewelry and accessories, designers need to choose the character or group of characters they're going to design for. Then, consider these questions:

• Does that character have a signature accessory like a signet ring, diadem or pendant?
• Does the plot revolve around a lost talisman or powerful treasure?
• Are there in-story groups such as houses, titles, districts, families or nations who are identified with a signature color set, symbol or jewelry (brooch, ring, etc)?

While cosplayers try to recreate the appearance of the character, down the smallest detail, the pieces don't have to be created the same way they were in the book or film. So, if the fires of a looming volcano or the heart of a dying star aren't available for forging the metal components, you are free to look for techniques that make a practical substitute.

For example, a superhero or a warrior character probably has armor on their forearms. Rather than putting foil over cardboard and lacing them together with shoelaces, make those bracers out of metal sheet. Then you can emboss the details into long-lasting metal to match the original character design. If the character laces them on, pick up leather cord and make it look realistic!

Designers can also create iconic magical stones using glass fusing or resin casting, create high-tech parts with metal clays or metalsmithing supplies, form armor and accessories with leather, shape realistic or stylized badges using polymer clays and air-dry resins and more. Then pick up all the tools you'll need to bring your ideas into reality.

Of course, there are always folks who simply don't have the time, energy, space or skills to make the necessary jewelry and accessories for their cosplay. That's where cosplay merchants come in—and that could be you. Even if you're not comfortable wearing a costume, you can supply those who are!

Selling Cosplay-Inspired Jewelry and Accessories

Finally, some jewelry makers use cosplay as a launching pad for their jewelry lines, for those jewelry wearers who are looking for something absolutely different. They're not looking for the One Ring™—they want that one ring that speaks to all the complexities of who they are, and they're not going to find that at a standard jeweler's store.

These customers want the steampunk bracelet, the wireworked elf ears, the seed-beaded superhero signet ring, the werewolf tiara, the recycled computer drive belt buckle and other off-the-beaten-path creations. One of the most appealing aspects of cosplay-inspired jewelry is its versatility—these pieces can also be integrated into the customer's everyday wardrobe. A nod to a beloved character or franchise can be a conversation starter or simply a way to carry fandom into daily life.

An ever-growing number of online retailers and specialty stores cater to the cosplay community, as well as fandom in general, offering a variety of thematic jewelry and accessories. Some sites feature handcrafted items from independent artists, while larger retailers provide officially licensed merchandise.

Designs for the fandom market can be incredibly overt or deeply subtle, melding modern jewelry modes with the recognizable symbols, colors and qualities of pop culture icons or franchises. So, consider your nerdiest designs for selling at a Comic-Con, even if you're not selling specifically to the cosplay market.

Don't forget that the most important part of cosplay and cosplay-inspired jewelry is to have fun and celebrate the stories, characters, creatures and realms that you or your customers love. And it will be a delightful reminder that jewelry, at its core, is fun. And not just for the wearer—making it will be fun for the creator, too!