I didn’t grow up with a grandmother, so I envy friends who had the pleasure of raiding their granny’s jewelry boxes. Nearly all the baubles that would emerge from their grandma’s house fell into one very specific vibe: deliciously gaudy. You know costume jewelry when you see it. It’s the absurdly oversize rings encrusted with colorful rhinestones, necklaces strung with chunky beads the size of ping-pong balls, and massive chain-link bracelets sagging from the weight of meticulously detailed charms. The Nora Ephron-esque coastal grandma aesthetic may be having its leisurely moment in the sun, but to me, the senior style that’s more aspirational is cosmopolitan grandma, dripping in all her big-ass jewels. Ahead, find 16 pieces of costume jewelry inspired by the most bedazzled g-mas.
