Think you don’t need to organize your jewelry? Regardless of how many different pairs of earrings or necklaces you have, if you can not find them they might as well be lost. It is like out of sight, out of mind. At some point, you are going to forget about the expensive bracelet your grandmother passed down to you. Each piece of jewelry that you have probably possesses a different meaning to you. This can make it difficult to consolidate your jewelry collection, and can make for an unorganized mess.
Jewelry is not just an accessory, but it’s also an investment, which is why it’s important to take proper care of it. One of the most critical factors in maintaining the quality and longevity of your jewelry is how you store it. There are many different ways to store jewelry, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Why It Is So Important To Store Your Jewelry Properly
Finding the best way to store your jewelry is up to you, and there are many different ways to go about it. It is all based on your preferences, but storing it properly is critical to keeping it in the condition you wish. Keeping your jewelry in a cool and dry place is important in keeping it in perfect shape for as long as possible. A low humidity spot is crucial, as any sort of moisture locked in where the jewelry is being stored could cause it to tarnish or degrade at a faster pace. One major tip is to never store your jewelry near heat or any direct sunlight. Sunlight and heat can wear down your pieces much faster than you’d like.
Ensuring your treasures are clean before putting them away is important so that the next time you go to pick out that piece, it is clean and shiny. Properly cleaning your jewelry is actually easier to do at home than you might think. Each piece is going to be slightly different, but the general rule for cleaning jewelry at home is with warm water and some soap. You will be able to tell when a diamond needs to be cleaned. A diamond typically sparkles in the light, and you will notice there is less shine to it. Cleaning different pieces is going to have a slightly different technique and tip to it. According to Rogers and Hollands, you can mix 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of warm water, and add in half a teaspoon of household glass cleaner such as Windex. Soak your special piece in the solution for about 5 minutes and follow by scrubbing gently with a soft, clean toothbrush. For drying purposes, air dry or use a clean cloth to dry. Check out Rogers and Hollands for tips on specific pieces and hard-to-reach spots. While a jewelry box is probably among the most common way to store your valuable pieces, let’s think outside the jewelry box for other ways to store your precious pieces.
Hanging Organizers
New jewelry storage ideas have been quite a trending topic in recent years. Typically, jewelry was always stored in a box, but more people are using hanging organizers for easier access and visibility of their timepieces. One major benefit of hanging jewelry in an organized fashion is avoiding a tangled mess. The majority of women have fought a pair of tangled dangly earrings, or a necklace that got all knotted up.
Hanging jewelry ensures that each piece has its own spot. Each earring is next to its partner, so you are never left with only one. Your necklaces that are hung are guaranteed to not get tangled and leave you untangling for an hour before an event. Another great benefit of hanging your jewelry is it can be wall mounted in a spot that is either open to be used as a decoration, or stored on a more private wall. You can make it as big or as little as you desire, depending on the density of your jewelry collection.
Reuse Thrift Finds
If you are someone who loves to go thrifting and reuse good finds, this could be the perfect way to store your jewelry, as it is affordable. Oftentimes, there are vintage bowls or frames at a thrift store, and these both make for great ways to get crafty with storing your pieces. Perhaps you found a vintage frame you love, this could be an amazing way to hang earrings or necklaces. You can purchase a mesh screen and fit it in the frame. Add a few push pins and you have hangers for your jewelry in a cute, do-it-yourself way.
Looking at the kitchenware section of a thrift store, you can possibly find some really cute teacups, trays, or bowls to store your jewelry. Tiny bowls are a safe way to store rings. Not only is it safe, but storing your jewelry this way is also adding decoration to your space. Maybe you found a knick-knack, such as a hand that you can place all rings on, or a neck to stack necklaces on. Reusing good finds to repurpose is a unique way of storing valuable pieces and keeping them safe.
Create a Jewelry Drawer
Maybe you prefer to keep your jewelry away in a more private drawer. This is safe as long as you keep it organized and tidy. A shallow drawer will typically work best for the easiest access. You can purchase a jewelry drawer organizer that contains multiple compartments of different sizes for different pieces. Separate your jewelry by rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more with separate departments. If you have extra room and need more storage, you can stack another organizer on top of the other.
Utilizing a jewelry drawer has a few different benefits. One is that all your jewelry is in the same place, and easy to locate when you go to pack. Another benefit is that a jewelry drawer makes all your pieces extremely accessible whenever you need them. It also saves countertop space by having your jewelry tucked away in a drawer. One potential downfall of a jewelry drawer is you may need many compartments. This is because you will want to keep each piece or pair of something in its own compartment so that nothing gets tangled. If you keep more than one necklace or bracelet in a compartment, it is more likely to get tangled. Using a jewelry drawer correctly is a helpful way to store jewelry privately.
Organization Tips
As with many projects, it all starts with organization. For some people, organization comes very naturally. For others, it can be much more challenging. One of the main reasons storing jewelry becomes challenging for people, is that it comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Unlike organizing all t-shirts or all sweatshirts that are similar, jewelry is usually all different. Luckily, there are some ways to make the organizing process easier for you when working on getting your jewelry collection in order, as well as different options for which suits you the best.
Before beginning the organization process, going through old items is a smart idea. There may be pieces that have no meaning to you anymore, got damaged, or you just do not wear anymore. It may be time to get rid of those pieces and focus on organizing the ones you love the most. This is also a good time to clean all of your jewelry, so they are polished and ready to be worn before they are stored away. Organizing by type of jewelry can be helpful in the organization process. If you wear different types of metals such as silver, gold, or white gold, it may be wise to keep them paired by type of metal. If you are a strict wearer of one type, organizing by metal type should not be a concern for you. How you choose to organize your jewelry is up to you, but it should be accessible and easy to find.
Jewelry is meant to be a fun and memorable item in our lives. If you are lacking a strong jewelry storage solution, it may become difficult to enjoy all the pieces you own. Jewelry is meant to be accessible when you need it, and beautiful to view when it is not being worn. All of these different methods to store jewelry are great, depending on your preference. Check out Markman’s Diamonds to find a large selection of both modern and traditional pieces. You are sure to find something that fits your style. With two convenient locations in Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, someone will assist you in adding to your beautiful jewelry collection.