Most people who love jewelry - and who doesn't - have a collection that is a mixture of precious pieces -their diamond engagement ring, precious gemstone pieces like fabulous emerald earrings, or fancy colored diamond bracelets, and costume jewelry that compliments their moods and styles.
All of this jewelry has to be stored safely and securely when you are not wearing it, but what is the best way to do that to help ensure it all remains as beautiful as it should? That is what we are going to take a closer look at here.
Extremes in temperature and humidity should be avoided.
Keep your jewelry away from direct sunlight and at room temperature. To minimize premature tarnishing and discoloration, choose a place with consistent low humidity. That means no damp basement and certainly nowhere near the kitchen or bathroom. Different kinds of jewelry are more vulnerable to temperature and humidity damage than others. For example, to avoid cracking and crazing, opals and cameos require more moisture in the air.
There are many hard plastic and wooden jewelry organizers available, but fine jewelry should be stored in something with a soft fabric inside. You won't risk damaging your precious jewels or metals if you drop your jewelry in quickly at the end of the day, if you ensure you always make use of one of these.
Make sure the jewelry box you purchase has enough compartments to keep all of your pieces separated. Sorting through clumps of jewelry is a nightmare and untangling it can lead to broken chains, loose stones, scratches and more.
This advice applies to all jewelry, but it's especially important for costume, silver, and gold-filled pieces. The last thing you want to do is mix your grandmother's precious locket or your precious emerald cut diamond ring with a green rusted piece of copper jewelry you found at a garage sale. This musty, rusted odor could not only spread to your other jewelry, but it could also cause it to tarnish faster and even become corroded.
Even if your jewelry is spotless, if you store it in a dirty, dusty metal box, it is likely to absorb the odors and griminess of its surroundings. Make sure your jewelry box is clean, dry, and smelling good by brushing it out.
Most jewelry armoires have hooks on both sides of the doors where necklaces can be hung. It's critical to hang your necklaces vertically to avoid kinking and knotting. Try a DIY alternative if you don't have a jewelry armoire. Combine an old frame with a cork board. To hang your necklaces and tennis bracelets, use push-pins as "hooks." If you use a jewelry stand, be sure it's tall enough to keep your necklaces from touching the ground.
An amazing diamond ring
Storing and Protecting Your Diamonds and Precious Gemstones
Diamonds have a Mohs hardness of ten, making them the hardest gemstone available. This means that diamonds can scratch any material with a lower Mohs hardness.
Other precious gemstone jewelry should be treated the same way too. Make sure your sapphires, which have a Mohs hardness of 9, are kept apart from diamonds as those could scratch them, and other materials with a lower hardness which could be scratched by them.
Simply put, your gemstone jewelry should not be heaped in with other jewelry in a drawer, or even in a jewelry box, but rather placed neatly and securely on a tray or other divider.
Securing and Storing Your Silver
When it comes to preventing silver jewelry from tarnishing, the most important thing to remember is to keep it dry and away from other deteriorating jewelry. Because silver jewelry isn't particularly pricey, it's occasionally best to be resourceful.
Wrap your cleaned silver jewelry loosely to allow for airflow while also protecting it. Put this jewelry in a drawer with a couple of the silica packets that come with new shoes. If you're feeling crafty, you can create tiny pouches out of felt or cotton, so you can see what's inside immediately.
Solving the Most Common jewelry Storage Dilemma
It might be difficult to keep your most valuable pieces like your diamond rings in a way that prevents both damage and theft. On the one hand, you want to keep your valuables in a safe, dry, and organized location, where you have easy access to them and they look pretty as a part of your decor, but your sensible side thinks it should probably be hidden in a safe.
To utilize a sensible compromise here, keep your most expensive diamonds and gemstones in velvet-lined drawers in a secure, out-of-the-way area. And always make sure all of your costly jewelry is covered by jewelry insurance.
Perfect diamond rings
