Good quality jewelry is quite costly. Given the price you have to pay to acquire it, it would be a shame if you aren’t able to enjoy them for a long time. While great quality means that it should last for generations to come, there some factors that play a role in this as well.
One factor is storage. How you choose to store your jewelry will determine how long you get to keep it.
Aside from durability, burglary is another reason to store your expensive jewelry properly. So, how can you do this? In this post, we have come up with a list of useful tips you can use when it comes to storing your valuables.
How to Store Gold Jewelry at Home?
There are many different ways to store your jewelry. While it can be a matter of preference, there are specific factors to consider when it comes to each type of jewelry. How you store your metals may differ slightly from how you store your gems. In the same way, how you store bracelets may differ from how you store earrings. The following are some of the best tips when it comes to storing your jewelry at home:
Tip1: Pick a Proper Location to Store your Jewelry.
To properly store your jewelry, certain conditions must be met. Pearls and precious stones, for example, tend to fade and discolor when exposed to heat or strong light for a long time. Metals also tend to tarnish faster when kept in a humid area.
For these reasons, it is important to pick a dark cool, and dry area at home, to keep your jewelry. The place should have low humidity and a consistent temperature if you hope to maintain your jewelry for a long time. A great location is in your closet.
Another thing to consider is how often you wear jewelry. You should keep jewelry you wear often, somewhere in sight. This helps you remember them and reduces the time you’ll spend searching for them, especially in a morning rush. A good example is your engagement or wedding ring. You can store them somewhere on your nightstand. That way they’re easy to retrieve and store when you wake up and go to bed.
Tip 2: Choose the Appropriate Method of Storing Your Jewelry.
As mentioned, each type of jewelry has a special way in which it should be stored. Metals like silver and gold should be wrapped in a felt or cotton cloth before storing. This prevents tarnish by absorbing all moisture and helps maintain their luster. For the same reason, you should wrap pearls in a soft cloth to maintain their shine.
If possible, you should store the jewelry in the same box they came in. This is because the box you buy the jewelry in is specially designed to protect it. Therefore, do not discard the boxes. You could also buy a jewelry box. They are lined with felt or soft clothe and have compartments that ensure your jewelry don’t touch. Another option is a jewelry cabinet armoire. Aside from being lined with a soft cloth, this compartment is designed to store different types of jewelry in one place. It comes with hooks where you can hang your necklaces to avoid twists and kinks. You also have slots for your rings and an area to hook your earrings.
Tip 3: Make an Inventory of All Your Jewelry.
Before storing your jewelry, it is good to have an account of all the jewelry you have. You can have a different list for your metal and studded pieces, as well as, fine and costume jewelry. That way you will have a better idea of what jewelry you have and how to store them.
The inventory may also come in handy in case of theft. The police may ask for it while investigating. In case of loss or damage due to natural disasters like fire or flooding, it will help the insurance company to either reimburse or replace the damaged jewelry.
Tip 4: Clean and Polish the Jewelry Before Storing.
It is important to ensure that every piece of jewelry is clean before storage. Storing dirty or tarnished jewelry ends up worsening the state of the jewelry. Also, ensure that you do not keep clean jewelry with tarnished ones, or in dirty storage space. This is because the clean pieces will also begin to tarnish.
You can clean the jewelry using warm water and mild soap as well as a soft brush or cloth. Ensure that the jewelry piece is completely dry before storing, to avoid tarnishing due to moisture. Pay extra attention when cleaning pieces with stones on them. Wetting such jewelry could loosen the glue holding the stones intact, especially for costume jewelry.
Also, ensure you polish your jewelry every once in a while, to remove any tarnishing. Be careful not to overdo the polishing to avoid any damages. You can take it to the jeweler to do it every once a year or so. Alternatively, you could do it yourself from the comfort of your home using a soft brush and things like lemon juice or nitric acid.
Tip 5: Store the Jewelry Separately.
Never store your jewelry in one place altogether. Doing so will lead to scratches, dents, and tarnishing. Storing things like necklaces and earrings together may also lead to them being tangled. Therefore, while storing your jewelry, they should never touch each other.
Costume jewelry, for example, should never be mixed with fine jewelry. Since costume jewelry tends to tarnish, that may react with the fine jewelry and cause it to tarnish as well. Similarly, do not store studded jewelry with metal jewelry. The stones may scratch or dent the metals. You should also not place all your gemstones together in one place. Separate them according to their ranking on the Mohs scale that ranks from one to ten. That means hard stones like diamonds which rank closer to 10, should not be kept together with soft stones that rank closer to one.
That is why it is recommended to use a compartmentalized jewelry box. The compartments keep the jewelry separate and avoid scratches or possible tarnishing. In the absence of a jewelry box, ensure you leave some space in between the jewelry when storing them. You could also store them in individual boxes like the ones they came in.
Tip 6: Know When to Remove and Wear Your Jewelry.
While you bought your jewelry to adorn them, there are some cases where you will be required to remove them. Doing this goes a long way in maintaining the jewelry over a long period, especially for costume pieces.
One instance in which you should remove your jewelry is while sleeping. Doing this reduces risks like hurting yourself by scratching, or denting the jewelry. Another instance where you should remove your jewelry is when washing your hands or cleaning dishes. This, especially, applies to delicate jewelry, because the soap or detergent your using may be too harsh. Additionally, avoid wearing your jewelry when doing strenuous activities. This reduces the likelihood of them getting, scratches, dents, or damages.
As you get ready, ensure you put on your jewelry last. That is after applying your cosmetics and perfume, which may otherwise damage the delicate pieces of jewelry. When getting ready for bed, start by taking off the jewelry and storing them in the appropriate places before you remover anything else.
Tip 7: Place Your Fine Jewelry in a Safe.
Fine jewelry is like an investment, especially gold pieces. Their high value could come in handy when you require money. You could decide to sell or pawn them for money. You could also use them as assets when taking out a loan.
It is, therefore, important to safeguard such jewelry from theft, as well as young children or pets. Using jewelry boxes is not enough. It is advisable to place them in a safe either in your house or at the bank. The bank may be more suitable, especially for family heirlooms that are rarely worn. You can get a locker in a nationalized bank. It is more reliable than a small private bank.
At home, you’re prone to have many guests coming and going, that you need to be mindful of, hence not the safest place to keep them safe. You can, however, have a secret or underground volt at home that only you and trusted individuals know about. You can keep frequently worn expensive jewelry there.
Tip 8: Insure Your Jewelry.
It is important to insure your high-value jewelry. In as much as you may be careful and cautious about handling and storing such pieces, some unexpected events could occur. You may end up losing your jewelry due to theft, floods, or fire.
In such cases, have a policy taken against your jewelry may come in handy, especially if you kept pictures and an inventory of your pieces. Such jewelry policies can be included in homeowner or renters insurance policies. Other companies offer jewelry insurance as a separate policy. Speak to your insurance company to get guidance on the best policies regarding jewelry.
Conclusion
To get the most out of your jewelry, you need to properly maintain it, to ensure it lasts for a long period. Fine jewelry especially, is highly valuable and great investments that could come in handy in the future. Aside from proper storage and safekeeping, you should also consider taking up an insurance policy. That way, you won’t end up suffering a great loss from losing your jewelry.
Guys, read more useful tips here and here!
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