How to Choose Jewelry You’ll Want to Wear Forever

Jewelry — unlike a blouse, coat, bag, or pair of shoes — does not come with an expiration date. And even more relevant to today’s fashion discourse: Jewelry is often “seasonless,” a term popularized by the see-now, buy-now trend sweeping the fashion industry. To clarify, we’re not talking about ostentatious jewelry one might wear at a costume party or evening gala but the more classical, understated jewelry a woman will wear throughout her lifetime.

Jewelry is foremost an investment. Its lifespan can span generations. A prime example is Caroline Vreeland, the great granddaughter of the legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland. A keepsake she received from her great-grandmother is a stunning serpentine bracelet she still wears to this day. Although not everyone can be related to a fashion legend, you can still invest in worthwhile jewelry by keeping in mind a few tips before taking the plunge to purchase.

To get more perspective on the subject, we spoke to jewelry expert Marion Fasel, founder and editorial director of the Adventurine, a site dedicated to well-curated jewelry stories in connection with celebrity and pop culture.

“When I put four figures into a piece of jewelry, I do something like the old Starbucks equation of dollar-cost averaging,” Fasel tells us. “For example, if a piece costs $3,500, that’s about a grande latte every day for two years. In reality, the cost per day goes down significantly over time. I have been wearing my Cartier Juste un Clou bracelet almost every day for five years. I love it and don’t think I will stop wearing it any time soon,” says Fasel.

Click ahead to see more of Marion Fasel’s tips and our guide to how to shop the future’s best investment jewelry now.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.