How to Store Jewelry
A guide to storing jewelry so that it is protected and easy to find.
Jan 6, 2007
If you design or collect jewelry you more than likely have a lot of jewelry, partially finished jewelry and jewelry components in your house and studio. Without a simple storage system it would take forever to find what piece of jewelry you are looking for. Additionally, without careful storage procedures your costume, bridge and fine jewelry can be needlessly damaged.
To follow is a very simple method for storing jewelry - purchase a cheap, plastic three-drawer organizer for your sterling silver and gold filled (rolled gold) jewelry. They cost about US$2 at one of those discount stores like Big Lots. And, they seem to last forever. For more expensive jewelry consider luxe jewelry boxes or custom closet arrangements.
Organizing Jewelry:
One drawer is used for storing necklaces, one for bracelets and one for charms and rings. Each individual piece of jewelry is then stored in it's own small plastic Ziploc bag with an anti-tarnish strip. The plastic bag serves to both protect the piece of jewelry and retard tarnishing. You can buy plastic jewelry bags with the anti-tarnish strip built in.
It's just a whole lot cheaper to make your own anti-tarnish bag. First, buy small plastic bags in the crafts department of a store like Wal-Mart. You can buy anti-tarnish strips from Fire Mountain Gems, cut them into individual pieces and just throw them in the bag with the jewelry. Every nine months replace all the anti-tarnish strips and you wilI have no problem with maintaining your sterling silver jewelry.
If you are fond of earrings store all your earrings (karated gold, gold filled and sterling silver) in another three-drawer organizer dividing the earrings between drawers according to type. Karated gold chains can be hung on pegs to keep them from kinking. Karated gold does not tarnish so it is not necessary to store karated gold in plastic bags.
Caring for Jewelry:
After wearing make sure every piece of jewelry is wiped off with a damp cotton cloth and allowed to dry prior to being put back into it's plastic bag - or in the case of karated gold chains hung back on the peg.
Two to three times a year use silver glaze on the sterling jewelry and jeweler's rouge on the gold filled and karated gold. Take care that you do not get any silver glaze or jeweler's rouge on any gemstones, pearls or coral that is a part of the piece of jewelry.
