Keep Jewelry Untangled and Ready-to-Wear

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Published by
Jimmy at
August 29, 2017

What a Mess of Jewelry!
Tangled jewelry in a foam-lined tray. What a mess! And it's bad for the jewelry, too. | Source
Storing Your Jewelry

To make sure that your jewelry stays tangle-free in the first place, there are several things that I recommend: Fasten necklace and bracelet clasps before putting them away, down-size your jewelry collection, and right-size your jewelry box (or where ever you store your jewelry).

What's in your jewelry box?

Do you have a lot of jewelry but only wear a few pieces (or none) most of the time?
Yes
I don't have a lot of jewelry and I only wear a few pieces most of the time.
I have lots of jewelry and I really never wear much of it at all.
No, I have a reasonable amount of jewelry and I wear most of it regularly.
No, I have a TON of jewelry and I wear most of it regularly--I like variety.

9-2

Jewelry Tips

Keep your jewelry dry and clean and it will last many more years.
Include an anti-tarnish strip in a mostly airtight jewelry box. I put one in each drawer and change them out for new ones per the manufacturer's advice. I put extra-special pieces in two layers of plastic bags to ensure air-tightness. Anti-tarnish strips, and tiny plastic bags, are available at most stores that sell beads and other jewelry-making equipment.
Don't polish your jewelry unless you need to (every polish removes precious material), and make sure you're using the appropriate polishing method. Most jewelry store associates, especially during non-busy times, are happy to explain which method of cleaning and polishing or de-tarnishing is best for a particular piece you've brought in. If you'd prefer, I'm sure they would be happy to polish it for you for a small fee (or free in some stores, especially on slow business days, while you wander around and hopefully buy something).
Off-topic tip: Be sure to have jewelry with embedded precious and semi-precious stones inspected regularly--you don't want to lose that brilliant diamond or topaz because a prong came loose.
Fasten the Clasps

Always fasten the clasp of each necklace and bracelet before putting it away. Regardless of which type of jewelry box you are using, a clasped piece is one that is harder to get tangled than an unclasped one and, in some cases, a pendant can simply fall off of its chain if the chain is not clasped.

Down-Size Your Collection

Reduce the amount of jewelry you have. Take a hard look at the jewelry you have. Do you really need it all? Do you wear it? Is it clearly from a past decade and not "timeless"?

Perhaps that plastic-seashell necklace strung on fishing line, the one that your teenager gave you at four-years-old, can be donated to someone who will wear and appreciate it as much as you appreciated the thought of it. If you're hesitant to get rid of unnecessary jewelry for sentimental reasons, photograph it--then you can have your memory, and someone else can create a memory, too.
If it's expensive jewelry, photograph it and sell it--then you can have your memory and money in your pocket, too. (You saved the original receipt with your jewelry box, right?)
Have a jeweler re-work the good pieces you never wear into something you WILL wear. (Like that engagement ring your ex gave you...)
Ask yourself: is it time to hand down family heirlooms to your children? That's another way of reducing the amount of jewelry you have (and you can possibly borrow it back if you really need to).
Time for a garage sale! If you have extra jewelry to get rid of but not much else, find a neighbor who is having a garage sale and simply ask if they will sell your pieces, too. Consignment shops and pawn shops are other options. Note: Use caution when you see ads saying to send in your gold jewelry and you'll be paid top-dollar: have the piece appraised first, and assume such places are disingenuous: look to quality jewelry stores to appraise and give you a fair price for your jewelry. Remember, "If it sounds to be too good to be true, it probably is."