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Organizing Jewelry:

Tips, Maintenance, Storage & More


You clean out your closet every year, so why not your jewelry collection? This step-by-step guide can help you stay organized at home and on the go. 

Jewelry Organization Best Practices

  • Buy a jewelry box or other storage system if you don’t have one already.

  • Go through your jewelry and make a list of what you own. You may want to take pictures of more valuable pieces for insurance purposes.

  • Examine your jewelry for wear and tear. Set aside anything that needs to be repaired, and bring it to a KAY consultant for a free inspection. KAY also offers free jewelry cleaning.

  • Sort your jewelry by how often you wear it. Among the jewelry you don’t wear often, sort it by pieces for special occasions and those you won’t wear again.

  • Set aside sentimental or heirloom jewelry that you don’t use. Keep this jewelry in case a family member would rather have it. You can also speak to a KAY consultant about having the stones reset in something new.

  • Look at the jewelry you don’t want to keep. You might be able to sell pieces of value. You can also check with a local women’s shelter to see if they take gently used jewelry.

 

Tips for Traveling with Jewelry

  • Jewelry Case: Getting case specially designed to hold and protect your jewelry is a good idea if you travel often. They’re relatively inexpensive and don’t take up a lot of space in your luggage.

  • Plastic Straws: Keep necklaces untangled by running them through a plastic straw and then fastening the clasp. Skinny straws won’t work for bulkier chains, so use the same process with a paper towel tube. It’s best not to use bendy straws.

  • Index Cards: Simply pin earrings to an index card to avoid losing backs and getting earrings jostled together.

  • Buttons: Another way to organize your earrings is to pair them up with a button, slide them through the holes, and seal the backs. Place the buttons in a plastic bag or wrap them in a cloth or scarf to keep them together. 

  • Small Plastic Bags: When a shirt or jacket comes with an extra button, it often comes in a small plastic bag. Rather than throw these away, keep them for travel! Put one jewelry item in each bag to keep things organized. When everything is sealed up, place the small bags in a larger bag. If you don’t have these bags on-hand, you can find them at your local craft store.


When Not to Wear

It’s tempting to always wear your favorite jewelry, even when washing dishes, bathing, or sleeping. But this kind of wear can shorten its life or make it easy to lose.

  • Remove your jewelry when playing sports or at the gym. Similarly, don’t wear your jewelry in the pool, spa, or sauna.

  • Don’t wear jewelry when doing household chores. The cleaning solutions could damage it.

  • Put your jewelry on after finishing your hair and makeup to avoid spraying or getting product on it.

  • Don’t sleep in your jewelry. Small metal studs can be an exception to this, but you may lose the earring backs while sleeping.


Keep it Clean

The best way to make sure your jewelry stays beautiful is to keep it clean. KAY offers free jewelry cleaning in store and a collection safe jewelry cleaning products you can use at home!

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