The other evening I was showing my youngest daughter some of my mothers jewelry that I had set aside for her years ago. My mother passed in 2001, and so I had carefully gone through everything with the idea that I would pass on the best to my children to remember their grandmother. My mother and grandmother were of a generation that loved jewelry, and when I cleared things out after my mothers passing, I found that I had more than enough for both daughters. Therefore, I established three mental buckets for all the jewelry. The best, and smallest category of all, went into the safety deposit box. Then there was the fun or costume jewelry that was reserved for the girls when they had a need for a quick and casual piece. And then the middling grade of things, but not sterling or gold. It was the latter that I was showing to Mary around the kitchen table. She loved the pieces and tried many of them on. My mother and grandmother were both small women, so at 11, Mary could wear most of it, with some pieces starting to get a bit tight. About three quarters of the way through the boxes, she looked up and asked me if anyone would care about all of this jewelry in 20 years. It caused me great pause when she said that because I was not sure of my answer. I think that good style will always remain in style. A blue blazer or a black cocktail dress will not go out of fashion ever. Or will it? I struggle with the seemingly constant race today to be as casual and tacky as we possibly can when it comes to our attire. I just got an invitation to an event that has the clothing description as being smart fall casual. So ever the anti-modernist, I went online to look it up. What I found was that as long as I did not wear a tee shirt and sandals, I was okay to wear almost anything since smart fall casual was a state of mind. I raise all of this in my column because antique jewelry, in my opinion, never goes out of style. A Zuni bracelet or a great piece of costume Trifari jewelry will always look good, regardless of where you are. But that is my curmudgeonly view, and perhaps in 20 years, only giant earrings and Apple watches will be all that remains of jewelry. That sure sounds depressing, and my guess is that these fads will pass just as quickly as they arrived. Fine jewelry will always have a place, and fun retro jewelry will be the go-to for the newly chic. So yes, my daughter, there will always be room for antique and collectible jewelry. Born to collect should be the motto of Peter Seiberts family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seiberts writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years worth of antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.