A favorite of celebrities Sarah Jessica Parker and Heidi Klum, Jill Alberts’s jewelry retails around the world at Bergdorf Goodman and high-end boutiques. With such a reach, why, then, has the Highland Park native decided to open her own store? In part, to stay close to home—and her 15-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. “I was traveling so much with my trunk shows in New York and Los Angeles,” she says. “I wanted to cut that back.”

The space is true to her style, with a Hollywood vibe and a mix of sleek black and warm wood furniture, antique chandeliers, and white silk drapery. It’s the perfect backdrop for her graceful new line, the highlights of which are an 18-karat-gold chain necklace with five diamonds ($1,700) and handwoven earrings in the shape of a calla lily ($1,470). Everyday options include a champagne-tinted freshwater pearl bracelet ($85) and a Mischa Barton favorite: gold and leather bracelets with dangling ties ($335).

The show room—which is attached to Alberts’s design studio—offers a unique chance to meet the designer, who will happily explain the provenance of each piece of jewelry. Mixed in with her original creations are flea market finds that she updates. “I don’t change the patina, and I don’t take the pieces apart,” she says. “I want the pieces to keep their character and look old.” For instance, she dresses up vintage cocktail rings with tiny turquoise stones ($355) and repurposes broken pins and old lockets by putting them on delicate beaded chains. Other vintage finds include work from the 1920s jewelry designer Miriam Haskell and 1950s bangles ($50 to $250) that, like furniture, remind us that midcentury style is back. 469 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park, 847-681-1630, jillalberts.com

Photograph: Kendall Karmanian