It may seem like an unimportant afterthought, but how jewelry is stored not only affects one’s peace of mind, but the level of enjoyment your jewelry collection affords you based on how easily you can access items when dressing. We can all identify with the frustration of wasted time searching for the perfect earrings that are nowhere to be found. Also, how you care for your jewelry in storage is an important factor on whether or not your jewelry will endure. Philippe Medawar cautions clients to make properly storing jewelry a daily habit and it will soon become second nature.

  • If you’re always in a hurry and quickly drop your diamond earrings into a jewelry box or drawer, please consider that diamond scratches diamond and everything else. All diamond jewelry should be stored independent of each other.
  • Setting jewelry on stone countertops or tossing items into your coin purse will scratch gemstones and metals.
  • If you find yourself taking off heavy earrings for the commute home, carry a soft-sided jewelry pouch, with separate compartments, inside your zippered purse to transport jewelry safely home.
  • Organic gem material such as amber, pearl, coral and ivory are easily scratched and cannot endure a dry, hot environment. Store organic jewelry in soft-sided, separate compartments and never in a safety deposit box or near a heat source. For pearl care information, click here.
  • Opals cannot endure hot, dry environments and sudden temperature changes can cause crazing (minute fractures). Do not store opals in airtight containers or safety deposit boxes. Opals are easily scratched and cannot withstand rough handling. For additional information on caring for opals, click here.
  • Promise yourself, right now, that you will never, ever wrap a jewelry item in a facial tissue until you get home and can put it away - as it will invariably get thrown away.
  • Have you seen the “I Love Lucy” episode when Lucy leaves her diamond ring on the kitchen’s window ledge and Ricky hides it to “titch her a lesson?” Though the ensuing adventure to recover Lucy’s “lost” diamond ring was funny, if you’ve ever lost or misplaced a beloved jewelry item you know, it’s not funny. It’s true that those who remove jewelry before cooking in the kitchen or when washing hands in a powder room are most apt to misplace and lose jewelry. When you create a habit of placing your fine jewelry safely in storage you will never again experience the dread and worry that accompanies the search for misplaced jewelry.
  • Soft-sided containers with separate compartments for each piece of jewelry are recommended. It’s helpful to store all like jewelry items together so that when dressing you can better access desired styles.
  • If storing your jewelry in dresser drawers, make sure your dresser isn’t sitting near a heat source.
  • Ugh. Tarnished silver is icky. Store your sterling silver jewelry in airtight, anti-tarnish bags.
  • Clasp your necklaces and bracelets before storing to prevent tangling. Specially designed rolled storage pads feature clips to hold necklaces and bracelets in place. Bangle bracelets may be stored flat in separate compartments or multiples may be stored on a soft, pillow-like roll with a protective case.

Philippe Medawar is passionate about helping clients take excellent care of their jewelry and welcomes inquiries in Grand Rapids by telephone or email about how to better store jewelry collections. Cheers!