Your Guide For Old Money Jewelry

What Is The Old Money Aesthetic? 

The old money aesthetic has become very popular in the last years, especially through social media. The aesthetic romanticizes the life of the rich that became wealthy through their family.

Travels in Italy, driving in a cabriolet, nights in fancy ball rooms, and shiny gems. The aesthetic is the counter trend to the New Money aesthetic which shows sports cars, big logos, fancy hotels, and yachts.

The old money fashion includes loose pants, wool sweaters, blue stripped collared shirts, and blowy hair. You will see no big logos, neutral colors, and pretty purses. The fashion has many parallels to preppy fashion and old school tennis fashion.

Old Money Jewelry

A dainty yet special gold necklace with a pearl as pendant as a good old money jewelry piece.

Dainty With A Twist

The main theme that you see in old money fashion jewelry trends are dainty jewelry pieces with a twist. When you look at old money outfits, you’ll notice that a lot of the pieces are actually quite simple and basic. But somehow they manage to make something special about it and have the old money vibe.

The same thing works for jewelry. In this guide, we will see that a lot of simple necklaces and bracelets are being worn. But the jewelry still often has something that makes them look elegant and classy, while not bragging about it.

A simple hanging earrings, but connected with a little detail such as a diamond, gemstone, pearl, or metal pendant. The detail of the jewelry piece can be either small or big and they are seen as a statement piece. One material that you will see through the whole old money aesthetic is the pearl.

Pearls are actually simple because of their white color and their round or oval shape. Still, they have value, financially and socially, and always make your look a bit more elegant and classy. They are simple yet special. The perfect jewelry material for seeming to be rich but not bragging about it in the old money aesthetic.

You don’t have enough from pearls? Check out our guide on wearing pearls elegantly or casually – matching your favorite style.

Two gold necklace and one with emerald gemstones as good old money jewelry pieces.

Silver & Gold, Neutral Or No Colors

In old money fashion, the looks are elegant and classy. That’s why you will mostly see gold or silver jewelry pieces and not colored pieces, for example, beaded necklaces made of plastic. In this aesthetic, gold is more popular than silver but you can still wear both. White gold pieces work also great if you don’t like the typical gold color.

Just as old money fashion, old money jewelry pieces don’t include bright colors or any much color at all. If you do see colors, then tiny details in jewelry such as gemstones for example. Possible colors are dark red (ruby), green (emerald), black, or blue. Make sure that if you add a colored jewelry piece to your outfit, it matches well the colors in your outfit. 

An earring and a ring with th same pearls shaped as a rhombus as a good old money jewelry set.

Matching Jewelry

Old money fashion is pretty clean and all well put together. People in this aesthetic think well about what they wear, including their clothes and their jewelry. That’s why you should wear matching jewelry.

First, the pieces should match each other, for example through a matching jewelry set, but your jewelry can also match through the same colors, stones, materials, or symbols. We made clear that you should go to gold or silver jewelry. But choose one of them for your outfit and don’t mix the two metals.

To complete your outfit fully and create a perfectly fitted look, your jewelry should also fit your outfit. Look for the same style in your pieces and your clothes, as well as the colors play an important role.

Small silver hoops and a simple silver chain necklace as good old money jewelry pieces.

Few Jewelry Pieces

To continue with the thoughtful and clean old money look, the amount of jewelry has to fit, as well. In fact, the amount of jewelry should be rather low. Don’t wear too many jewelry pieces at once and overload your outfit with several different jewelry pieces. Balance is important here.

If you wear statement jewelry pieces, don’t wear many other pieces. With more simple jewelry pieces, you can wear a bit more different pieces to your outfit. Therefore we can say, the higher amount of jewelry or the bigger the statement piece, the simpler the rest of the jewelry. 

Old Money Necklaces

A pearl necklaceas a good old money necklace.

Pearl Necklace

 A pearl necklace is probably the most essential piece for your old money fashion wardrobe. You can wear bigger pearl necklaces, smaller pearl necklaces, a single pearl necklace, or layered pearl necklaces.

However, the pearls should be white or cream white. A pearl necklace is a perfect accessory for your simple or your more exciting outfit. Just make sure that more than one pearl necklace is more of a statement piece, so you have to step down a bit with the rest of your jewelry.

For a more modern look, you can combine a very simple chain necklace with your pearl necklace. This layered combination gives you a bit more texture and dresses down your pearls, so it’s a great fit for a casual old money look.

Simple Necklace

Next to the classic pearl necklace, a simple necklace is a common accessory in old money fashion, as well. A simple gold or silver necklace is often quite thin and can have a cute pendant. A coin, a small symbol, a gemstone, a diamond, or a pearl are cute pendants in the old money aesthetic. Remember that your pendant shouldn’t be too big or too long.

There are also many chain necklaces out there that have a more special chain and texture. They can look for example like ropes or thin ribbons but are made of gold or silver. For an authentic old money look, don’t layer your necklaces too often.

There are exceptions, for example for layering with a pearl necklace, and also some outfits or necklaces allow a great layering look. In most cases, however, a very simple and clean necklace looks best all alone. ​

Old Money Bracelets

A pearl bracelet as a good old money bracelet.

Pearl Bracelet

A pearl bracelet is a typical old money jewelry piece. The pearls should not be colored and can be for example freshwater pearls, saltwater pearls, or pearls out of glass. They can be big or smaller around your wrist. Those pearls have mostly a really good quality and a white or cream-white color.

Pearl bracelets are so popular in the old money aesthetic because of the pearls’ meaning and social value but also because they match really well with the popular pearl necklaces.

Tennis Bracelet And Thin Bracelet

Tennis bracelets are silver or gold thin bracelets that are covered on the outside with diamonds or rhinestones. They look dainty and simple at first but are also special and elegant because of their shiny cover – a perfect bracelet for your old money look.

Their expensive look is great in the old money aesthetic as well. You should combine your tennis bracelet with other simple jewelry pieces that have small diamonds or rhinestones in them as well. Don’t wear them together with pearls since it looks too much or braggy quickly, which we don’t want in this aesthetic.

Thin bracelets just in metal are a good alternative to tennis bracelets. Simple bracelets in silver or gold can be a pretty addition to the rest of your jewelry set and just round off your look.

A simple bracelet with a brand logo at the front as a good old money bracelet.

Simple Yet Special Bracelet

 In old money fashion, we look for pieces that are simple at first but have something special and elegant if you look closer. Bracelets are good pieces that give you that vibe. First, they’re mostly not as dominant in your outfit as necklaces are for example.

Second, many silver or gold bracelets have special detail on their chain. This can be a stone, a twist in the chain, or a symbol. Bracelets from luxury brands that have their logo included ​in their design are very popular. In the old money aesthetic, you see a lot of bracelets from Cartier, Van Cleef, or Chanel.

But be careful here. Don’t wear too many logos or too eccentric bracelets because quickly you can go into the new money aesthetic.

Old Money Earrings

A gold earring with rhinestones and a hanging bigger stone as good old money earrings.

Hanging Earrings

You can see many hanging earrings in the old money aesthetic. The gold or silver earrings have a pearl, a gemstone, or diamonds hanging on their stud. The earrings shouldn’t be too long. Rather short hanging earrings create an elegant touch to your outfit while not being too present and still simple.

For an elegant and classy look, hanging earrings are a perfect choice. They look great in an elegant dress or a chic blazer. But hanging earrings can also dress up your actual casual outfit by making it more elegant and special.

Small gold earrings as good old money earrings.

Small Hoops

Although hoops aren’t the typical old money earrings, you still see them often in the old money aesthetic. The hoops are often gold and rather pretty small. Don’t wear big and wide hoops since they don’t look so classy.

Because they became so popular in the last years, small hoops give you a more modern look of old money fashion.

A gold shining bigger stud earring as good old money earrings.

Big Studs

Stud earrings are on the other hand typical old money jewelry pieces. They also belong to the rather special and statement pieces in the old money fashion. The studs can be a round or oval shape and have a big gemstone or diamond in the middle or just a gold or silver color. The gemstone should be black or white.

However, you probably see a big pearl as an earring stud the most often. They stick to the pearl theme in the old money aesthetic and add elegance to your outfit.

Old Money Rings

A gold ring with engraved details and a thin gold ring with diamonds as a good old money ring.

Simple Ring

Rings in the old money aesthetic are mostly simple rings. Rings generally round off your outfit with other matching jewelry pieces which are especially important for an old money look. The rings should be in silver or gold and thin or with a little detail in them.

The detail can be a small diamond or gemstone, a pearl, or a fun little metal detail. Wear 2-3 simple rings tops at once, depending on your outfit and the rest of your jewelry pieces.

Cocktail Ring

Next to simple rings, you can also wear bigger cocktail rings with colored gemstones in them or without. This gives you a bougie look and gives your outfit this special “I’m rich” vibe that we’re trying to recreate in the old money aesthetic. But since the old money people don’t brag about their wealth, don’t go too crazy with those cocktail rings.

You can combine a cocktail ring with a simple ring by wearing them on different hands for example. Make sure that they match together well and that the bigger the cocktail ring, the simpler the simple ring.

Old Money Accessories

Watch

Expensive watches are one of the main symbols of wealth – that’s why we can’t leave it out of this guide. A good watch in the old money aesthetic is a vintage-looking small watch with a leather strap.

You can wear them to a casual old money look or to a dress or elegant look to dress it down a bit. For some casual and more modern outfits, modern and shiny watches with diamonds or rhinestones are also very popular.

A hairband with white pearls as a typical old money accessory.

Hairband

One of the old money it girls showed us how to wear this accessory correctly: Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. Hair bands in a dark color or white are a classic old money accessory that gives off the preppy look. Add a color-matching hair band to your plaid skirt and your wool sweater and your outfit is saved.

A black hair bow with white points as a typical old money accessory.

Hair Bow

For a more girly vibe, hair bows can make a great addition to your old money aesthetic. With their calm colors, they add something special to your hair and make your hairstyle look more put together and just adorable. Hair bows work in the preppy and clean girl style as well.

Big sunglasses as a typical old money accessory.

Big Sunglasses

Big sunglasses are a typical diva essential and so just work great for an old money outfit. They add elegance but also a little bit of arrogance to your outfit. But let’s be honest, that doesn’t hurt your old money look.

Where To Buy Old Money Jewelry

To build a perfectly authentic old money outfit, luxury designer jewelry brands are the perfect choice. Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Van Cleef, Chanel, or Dior are just some old money jewelry brands.

And while a lot of their jewelry pieces have their logo on them, don‘t wear pieces that have a huge brand logo. Small details of the luxury brand give you that actual elegant old money aesthetic. 

For those of you who can’t afford a $ 2k necklace, you have two options to create an authentic old money outfit. The first option is getting your pieces vintage or second-hand. If you‘re lucky, you find gorgeous luxury brand jewelry in your nearest thrift-shop or specific vintage store.

You can also always ask your family members, neighbors, or friends if they have any pieces that have an old money vibe that they don’t wear anymore. Maybe you will find some hidden gems! 

The second option is to buy some new jewelry pieces from affordable jewelry brands. 

One online jewelry store for some cute and simple old money jewelry pieces is Uncommon James. The brand offers thin and elegant gold jewelry pieces that definitely have a old money vibe. I especially like their special yet simple gold rings.

Another jewelry brand for affordable pretty old money jewelry pieces is Gabi The Label. The brand offers some beautiful faux pearl necklaces. You can also find pretty and simple gold pieces with small gemstone details.

The last brand that I want to show you and that you might know already is Paul Valentine. Here, you find really elegant tennis bracelets and necklaces. They have a large offer of simple pieces that are covered with bigger and smaller stones and so make your look more classy.