I have been collecting costume jewellery for many years. Most of it is vintage, there are a few contemporary and just a very few antique pieces. And here is the defintion of vintage jewellery: For a piece of jewellery to be authentic vintage, it must be at least 20 to 25 years old. When defined as vintage in my listings, it means that piece is 20 years old or older. For the current time frame, jewellery of the 1980s can be classified as vintage as it falls between the 20 and 25 years old parameter. Jewellery from the 1990s or newer is not vintage yet and will be called contemporary. Antique jewellery must be 100 years or older.