When it comes to displaying my jewelry, I love having everything out in the open. This makes choosing what to accessorize with easier and it helps me to appreciate more of what I have. This past weekend I did a quick inventory of my necklaces, bracelets, and rings. I separated them into three categories: things I wear regularly, items I rarely wear, and tarnished or broken pieces. For the weathered items, I invested time in trying to clean or fix them and if it didn’t work I ended up taking the jewelry apart and saving the charms, or tossing the pieces all together. For the items I don’t wear often, I asked myself “do I really need this?” Then I either moved it to the “keep” section or decided between selling or giving it away. Once I was finished, the area where I display my favorite possessions looked a lot more appealing and better organized. I never realized how much jewelry I actually had and how some of it isn’t even my style anymore. Below, I outlined the straightforward and simple steps that I took to create my Impressive jewelry display.
Get rid of what you no longer wear.
Whether your jewelry is out on display or neatly tucked away in a drawer, the first step is to go through it all and toss anything that’s damaged beyond repair. Then, set aside anything you no longer wear and decide if you want to keep those pieces (like the ones with sentimental value) or donate or sell them.
Tip: when I have a broken necklace or bracelet I’ll try to get it fixed professionally and then there are times where I’ll save the charms, chain, or clasps and use them to create a new piece.
Clean anything that’s tarnished.
Under my bathroom sink, I keep a universal cleaning solution that can be applied to gold, silver, and platinum. I also have a jewelry cleaning cloth that eliminates discoloration and buffs and shines. It’s ideal for when I’m in a hurry and need a quick fix or for when I’m traveling, since I can toss it in my suitcase. When no amount of cleaning or buffing will restore an item back to its original state, that’s when it’s time to throw it away.
Cleaning tips:
- Some materials aren’t meant to come in contact with jewelry cleaning products, like opals, emeralds, pearls, and colored diamonds. These gems shouldn’t be subjected to harsh chemicals; use a mild soap instead.
- For the jewelry you wear daily, clean it once a week.
- Diamonds are durable, and they can handle being submerged in a cleaning solution often.
Group into sections.
After I decide what I’m going to keep, I separate my rings from my earrings and my necklaces from my bracelets. Not only does it look nicer and more organized, but it makes it easier to find what I’m looking for. For the gems that I wear daily, I love using trinket dishes. This makes getting ready a lot easier since I can grab my most treasured pieces on my way out the door.
Invest in jewelry boxes.
One of my favorite gifts that I’ve ever received was my Henri Bendel x Megan Hess jewelry box. (Sadly, Bendel’s closed, but sometimes the same jewelry box pops up on secondhand sites like Poshmark and Mercari). I also came upon a few similar options, one by The White Company and another by Jonathan Adler. Since my lacquer box has a lock and key, it holds my more expensive pieces and anything with sentimental value.
I’ve also invested in a few acrylic cases and love the sleek aesthetic they give. Since they’re clear, you can see what’s inside and my jewels are protected. Two of my cases are divided into 12 squares; I use those to hold my rings, stud earrings, loose charms, and pins. Then I have one with drawers and I display more earrings and some of my lesser worn bracelets.
Find an innovative way to show off your jewelry.
A few years ago I was in the home goods section of a store and fell in love with a silver two-tiered cupcake stand. I brought it home and noticed how it matched my dresser and decided to use it in my bedroom rather than my kitchen. This is where I display my bracelets, cuffs, and a variety of vintage pieces. I keep it organized by grouping my items into sections, like stacking my bangles together by size and color. The top tier is mixed with random pieces of funky costume jewelry and vintage objects like a rhinestone-studded cat pin and a mink pin which were both gifted to my mom in the 1960s. For the record, I’m against buying and wearing real fur and this is the only piece I own (but never actually worn).
Mix in small accents that have meaning.
I look at my jewelry area as a part of my bedroom decor. Sure, it serves as a place where I neatly organize some of my favorite possessions, but it’s also one of the first things you see upon entering the room. Here is where I can display knick-knacks with sentimental meaning, or things I use regularly, like my perfumes or my favorite candle, Voluspa’s Champagne Rose (here’s a similar scent). Some other treasures I showoff are trinkets I purchased years ago when I visited Patricia Field’s store on Bowery Street in NYC, like a water bottle that I turned into a vase, a tiny bottle of pearls, and a crystal cigarette holder. I also display a Tarina Tarantino eyeshadow palette (it’s just too pretty to be thrown in my purse). I like to keep my metallic Beis cosmetic case here which complements the Voluspa metallic rose hue candle. And lastly, a crown from a childhood beauty pageant that goes perfectly with a skull figurine wearing a sparkly silver crown.
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