HOW TO STORE & PROTECT YOUR FINE JEWELRY
Preserving expensive, precious jewelry pieces starts with how the accessories are organized and stored. Improper storage can tarnish, tangle, and even ruin fine pieces.
Smaller jewelry, such as earrings and
rings, are especially prone to getting lost due to disorganized storage.
Taking care to properly organize jewelry can prolong its life and make it wearable for years to come.
There are many ways to organize jewelry so that all the pieces are neatly displayed, protected, and ready-to-wear.
WHERE TO STORE JEWELRY
Store jewelry away from direct or harsh sunlight as certain
gems and precious stones such as opals, amethysts, and sapphires are damaged by UV-rays.
Extreme temperatures also negatively affect fine jewelry.
Too much moisture and humidity can cause discoloration and tarnishing. The perfect climate for storing fine jewelry is room temperature, low humidity, and indirect sunlight or no sunlight.
JEWELRY ORGANIZERS & JEWELRY DRAWERS
To prevent smaller or delicate jewelry pieces from going missing, it may be helpful to use a jewelry organizer. Jewelry organizers can easily be found in stores and online to suit your stylistic preferences.
TYPES OF JEWELRY ORGANIZERS
Depending on the types of pieces stored, certain jewelry organizers may be better than others.
For those with a lot of rings and
earrings, shallow trays with multiple dividers that compartmentalize each piece are most suitable.
Someone with a collection of
bracelets may find a bracelet bar holder or a box with larger compartments and dividers to be suitable.
Necklace-wearers, however, may want to consider a tiered stand with hooks and bars to easily hang
necklaces without tangling or creating knots.
Stackable boxes or tiered-tray jewelry organizers can help to optimize limited countertop space.
HOW TO STORE JEWELRY IN A DRAWER
Household drawers can be converted into jewelry drawers. Shallow drawers work best to store jewelry as it allows for easier access of the pieces.
Installing dividers allows you to create compartments within the drawer so that each piece remains in its place.
The drawers and compartments should be outlined with natural fabrics like cotton to protect the jewelry.
Alternatively, for those interested in upcycling, silverware dividers and flatware organizers can double as jewelry organizers for drawers.
Silverware dividers work best for chains, chain bracelets, tennis bracelets, and small
timepieces.
USE NATURAL FABRICS TO PROTECT JEWELRY
For fine jewelry, it is imperative that compartments be lined with a soft, natural fabric to protect
precious metals and stones from wear-and-tear. Hard plastics and surfaces can harm fine jewelry.
Natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, and wool are best. These materials can provide cushioning for the fine jewelry without causing discoloration.
But there are fabrics that are not recommended.
Leather, felt, and most synthetic fabrics are not recommended as the chemicals used to create the fabric can harm the precious metals.
ORGANIZE JEWELRY BY TYPE
Organizing and storing jewelry by metal and gem type helps to keep the pieces clean, polished, and scratch-free.
Discoloration and tarnishing are a result of oxidation caused by moisture and other environmental factors.
To prevent chemical reactions from ruining
fine jewelry, store pieces together based on metal type.
Precious metals such as silver, copper, and rose gold are more sensitive than pure gold. These sensitive metals can tarnish and discolor other jewelry if stored together.
Silver jewelry should be stored together in a clean, dry, and cotton-lined compartment.
Gold jewelry pieces, whether they are pure gold, white gold, or platinum should all be stored separate from each other in soft cloth bags or high quality tissue paper.
This prevents the pieces from scratching against each other.
Storing jewelry by metal type can help to keep the pieces lustrous.
Certain gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, are incredibly hard and can scratch softer gemstone like pearls and calcites.
The
Mohs Hardness Scale measures scratch-resistance for select gemstones. Organizing and storing gemstones based on hardness or by gem type is ideal.
This level of organization helps to keep gemstones smooth and sparkling for years to come.
KEEP FINE JEWELRY PRISTINE WITH HANNOUSH JEWELERS
Maintaining cherished jewelry pieces is made simple with Hannoush Jewelers.
As a premier jeweler in the Capital Region, Hannoush Jewelers offers expert
repair and maintenance services to keep jewelry looking brand new.
For more information about protecting your fine pieces of jewelry,
contact us today.
Or you can visit our showrooms in Albany, New York or Clifton Park and an associate will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
