Tips for organizing your jewelry collection

Are there jewelry pieces you haven't worn in years? Do most of your necklaces sit in a pile? If your items aren't organized, you may forget you have them. Plan a strategy to store your custom jewelry pieces in a creative way that gets you wearing them. The right display will lay out everything you have so that your entire collection is easy to see. Once your pieces are organized, you'll find you wear jewelry more often.

Bring everything together

Gather all of your jewelry from around the house and place it in one location. If you have several places to store your pieces, it's easy to loose track of one item. A gorgeous Cushion Bezel Pendant from the Brian Gavin team might go perfectly with the outfit you want to wear to that party. However, if it's shoved in a drawer somewhere away from your other pieces, you might not think to wear it.

The process of bringing your pieces together also allows you to see what you have. As you grab jewelry, you are reacquainting yourself with your collection. You may find that you start thinking things like, "Oh, that's where that was!" or "I thought I'd lost that."

Declutter your jewelry

Now that you've gathered all the jewelry you own, it's time to get rid of the items you don't like or don't wear. The costume necklace you got in the '80s may not be your style anymore. By giving away the pieces you never use, you'll make room for the beautiful diamond jewelry you do wear.

Clean and repair

Your collection now only includes the jewelry you truly love. Take care of those items by repairing broken chains and cleaning each piece. You can't really see the diamond clarity on your favorite pendant if it's all dusty.

One way to clean your diamond piece is to place it in a detergent bath. Pour a small amount of detergent in warm water. Be sure the cleaner doesn't contain chlorine. Use a gentle brush to clean the jewelry. Don't scrub very hard. Rinse the item then dry it with a lint-free cloth. Be sure to put a strainer in your sink so that you don't lose the piece if you drop it in the sink.

Organize and display

First, sort your jewelry by type. For example, keep rings in one place and necklaces in another. Store all your pieces in a nice box, such as a Wolf case. This will keep your jewelry in good condition and make it easy to access. Hang your necklaces to prevent them from tangling. Separate delicate pieces - such as pearls - from harsher materials like chains.