Modern Heirlooms, Vintage Objects Inspire Jewelry Meant for Everyday Wear

A brooch from an estate sale, a silver bracelet passed down in a family, or a locket found in a velvet box only turns costume-like when it is styled as a theme. The smarter approach is simpler: let one object carry the history, then surround it with modern clothes that keep the look grounded.

Start with one piece and give it space

Alexis Badiyi describes modern heirlooms as pieces you choose now and live with over time, before they are ever handed on. That shift matters because it changes jewelry from something preserved in a drawer into something that earns its place in daily life. Badiyi, who is L.A.-born and Brooklyn-based, wears her father’s vintage silver bracelet, a piece her mother gave her, which is exactly the kind of detail that makes an heirloom feel lived-in instead of staged.

Her own archive is telling. She has kept the objects her grandparents designed for luxury beauty packaging, including flat lay boxes, pill cases, lipstick holders, and mini perfume bottles. Those are not museum pieces; they are compact, functional, and meant to be touched. That is the useful lesson for anyone trying to wear vintage jewelry now: choose pieces with a practical shape, then let them move through your day.

Read the object before you style it

The strongest vintage jewelry often began as an object with a job. Chatelaines, which date back to the 16th century, were usually fastened to a belt or pocket and carried chains for watches, keys, seals, writing tablets, scissors, and purses. They were especially popular in the 18th century, and some were made of gold while cheaper versions were made of pinchbeck, a yellow alloy that offered the look of precious metal at a lower cost.

That history is why chatelaine-inspired jewelry still feels fresh. It was never only decorative. It was designed to hang, hold, and organize, which makes it surprisingly aligned with modern life. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has chatelaine examples from the fourth quarter of the 19th century, the 1890s, and the 19th century more broadly, proof that the form kept evolving well beyond its earliest centuries.

When you pick up a piece, look for the clues it gives you: maker’s marks, metal stamps, and hallmarks on the back, inside the clasp, or along the reverse. Those details tell you whether you are dealing with gold, silver, or a plated alloy, and they help you understand whether the object was made for everyday use or for more formal display.

The easiest way to avoid costume: pair old with plain

The quickest styling formula is also the most effective. Take one historic piece and put it against something stripped back. A vintage brooch on a navy blazer and white T-shirt. A locket on a fine chain over a ribbed tank or button-down. A silver bracelet worn alone with a crisp shirt cuff. The contrast keeps the jewelry from feeling like it belongs to another century.

Scale matters too. The piece should feel intentional, not theatrical. A larger brooch can anchor a simple coat or knit, but it should not compete with elaborate earrings, stacked rings, and a printed dress all at once. If the jewelry is ornate, keep everything else calm. If the clothes have texture or pattern, choose a cleaner piece with a quieter silhouette.

Here are the easiest formulas to reach for:

• A brooch on a blazer lapel, shoulder seam, or even the waistband of tailored trousers
• A locket on a long chain over a crewneck sweater or open-collar shirt
• A vintage silver bracelet worn with a watch or on its own, so the patina can read clearly
• A chatelaine-inspired chain clipped to a belt loop or bag hardware, where it can function as a decorative accent without feeling like a costume accessory

Brooches, lockets, and bracelets are the most wearable entry points

Brooches work because they are direct. You can place one on a lapel, pin it to a knit, or shift it slightly off-center so it feels editorial instead of formal. That small displacement is what makes a brooch look current. It says you are wearing it because you like the object, not because you are dressing up as a character from the past.

Lockets are gentler, which makes them especially good for everyday wear. A locket on a slender chain has the intimacy of an heirloom without the visual weight of a statement necklace. If it has a little wear on the surface, even better. Patina softens formality and makes the piece feel like it has already lived a life.

Bracelets are the most natural bridge between old and new. Badiyi’s father’s vintage silver bracelet works because silver has an easy, low-key shine, and because a bracelet can move through errands, work, and evening without asking for a costume change. A single bracelet can feel more modern than a whole wrist stacked with too many mixed eras.

Why the Runsdorfs matter to this conversation

Badiyi’s collaboration with Nina and Alexa Runsdorf grew out of shared collections of vintage objects, which is part of why the project feels authentic rather than nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake. Nina Runsdorf’s brand works from an Upper East Side Manhattan atelier and takes private appointments with clients and select retailers, a model that keeps the work close to the wearer. That kind of intimacy suits heirloom-minded jewelry, where the piece has to feel personal before it ever feels precious.

Runsdorf also first designed jewelry at age 12 at her kitchen table, and in 2025 she marked 20 years of her eponymous New York-based brand with an Archive collection that revisited early sculptural silver designs in scaled-down, more wearable versions. That move says a lot about the direction of heirloom dressing now. The answer is not bigger or more ornate. It is sharper proportion, clearer function, and enough restraint to let the object speak.

The best vintage jewelry today does not announce itself as a relic. It slips into your life, carries its history lightly, and makes a plain outfit feel more considered. That is what turns a piece from inherited to indispensable.