Jewelry serves its owners in a variety of ways: As a status symbol, as wearable art, as self-expression. But it also does something else that organizer Marie Kondo says so well in that it sparks joy in the person who  wears it as well as shares it.

Perhaps that is why jewelry is having a moment with nostalgia. No matter what generation you’re in, be it boomer or Gen Z, you’ve got images and characters that center you back in your childlike state or reminds you of home.

Part of this resurgence of whimsy relates to the pandemic and the extreme stress it caused. But part of it also feels like a desire to celebrate, to honor life, to look at the world through those proverbial rose-colored glasses. And who can blame us as jewelry lovers or jewelers as creative forces for wanting a spark of joy.

“In such challenging times in our world, I feel creating jewelry that is personal or nostalgic on some level touches people. It can remind one of cherished memories or bring them back to their inner self. It can help one connect with their heart and with love,” says jewelry designer Serena Van Rensselaer.

“In a society that is so busy, one in which we are all quite tied to technology, something about holding and wearing a piece of jewelry inspired by a book or an era from the past feels soulful,” Van Rensselaer adds. “It feels like it helps us connect with ourselves.”

Here are four pieces that are giving this Gen X kid at heart lots of…