Vintage Jewelry from My Grandma’s Closet

Thrifty Threads 365 is a fashion challenge where I will only thrift shop for an entire year. I’ll show you how it’s easy and wallet friendly to satisfy your style needs with secondhand finds. For full details, check the original post here.
Thrifty Threads 365: raiding my grandmother's jewelry box A few weeks ago my aunt started cleaning out my grandmother’s room {she’s currently living in a nursing home for round the clock care}. While my aunt was ready to toss most of the stuff or just donate to the thrift store, I quickly stopped her. See the thing is, my grandmother loved to dress back in the day. And she really loved jewelry. I’m all for donating to the thrift store {obviously!} but I wanted to go through some of her beloved items to see what serious gems she had.
Let me tell you, I’m so glad I did and stopped my aunt before she just bagged everything up. Also, since I’m doing my Thrifty Threads 365 challenge {no new clothes for a year, only thrifted!}, I can use all of the accessories I can get.
Check out just a few of the amazing vintage jewelry I found in my grandmother’s closet.
The pieces ranged from purses that were hand beaded in France to pretty brooches to dainty bracelets and tons of clip-on earrings.
This is just a small portion of what I found so far and my grandma still has a ton of other drawers we have yet to go through.
Vintage Tip: I had no idea how painful clip-ons can be! A few weeks ago I wore a pair of the earrings and they pinched my ears so badly I had to take them off after a few hours. But some of you guys shared tips with me on Instagram and suggested wearing pads on the back or even applying a numbing agent to my lobes, the same stuff you use on teething babies.
I always suggest people raid their mother’s, grandmother’s, aunt’s, cousin’s, etc. closet to see what they might find. It’s so special when you can learn the history behind a garment or accessory. Since fashion is so cyclical, you’re bound to find something that may fit your modern style. Also, even though my grandmother and I are world’s apart size wise {she’s 5’8″ and I’m 5’2″}, jewelry is one size fits all.
Have you ever added a vintage piece to your closet courtesy of a family member? How do you know when a piece is worth keeping for yourself or donating? 
6 Comments
  • Jaime
    Posted at 17:17h, 21 June Reply

    Check out this post on how to DIY convert clip on earrings to posts! http://blog.caseybrowndesigns.com/2012/05/converting-earrings-diy/

  • Pingback:Half Way Mark of My Year Long Shopping Challenge | Looking Fly on a Dime
    Posted at 08:45h, 26 June Reply

    […] how to style a maxi dress six different ways. I even shopped my grandmother’s closet for her vintage accessories. So far this year my looks ranged from layers that made it easy to get dressed in […]

  • Carolyn
    Posted at 10:38h, 30 June Reply

    Pass on vintage costume jewelry when it has a distinct metallic odor or peeling beads. They will shed all over you. I often wear clip earrings in my hair, use a clear elastic ponytail holder, pull back you hair and attach the earring through the elastic. You will get so many compliments and no ear pain. I also do this with broaches.

    • Looking Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 20:41h, 30 June Reply

      Thanks for sharing!

  • Zadok Jewelers
    Posted at 06:29h, 19 July Reply

    These are some classy and elegant jewelry pieces!! Especially those necklaces – they look so beautiful and chic!!

  • Cindy Dunkley
    Posted at 09:03h, 29 January Reply

    I enjoyed seeing your grandmother’s beautiful jewelry! I’m so happy that you were able to save it from leaving the family. Hopefully you’ll be able to love it and wear it beautifully as I’m sure she did! I’d love to have heard some of her stories about where she wore each piece, the clothing she had on, the high heels she wore, and the magnificent handbags she chose to compliment each ensemble! I bet she even (may) have worn gloves! So, so elegant! I loved seeing your article/website and being able to view the incredible photos you have! Thanks for taking the time to do this and pay homage to a generation of ladies that defined EXACTLY what that term means!

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