Storing and Protecting Jewelry and Gemstones

The most important and basic rule: Each Item of jewelry should be isolated from each other .If not possible to isolate each jewel the item should be immobilised so they do not rub against each other.

Simple Solutions

Properly storing jewelry does not need to be expensive .Som jewelry comes in boxes or pouches , which you can continue to use. You can find other reasonable solutions with a little creativity

Since the idea is to sepearte each jewelry from the other an easy and effective solution would be to wrap each piece in layers of acid free tissue paper, untreated cotton or raw silk.. If you sew you might try creating individual , acid free bags for this purpose. If sewing is'nt one of your talents then each piece in cotton or raw silk bags will work

Brooches earrings or stickpins can be stuck onto a board or a cushion . The board or cushion may then be placed into a soft padded bag for storage.

Neckchains may be stored on wooden fabric covered hooks or draped across cushions and stored covered in a drawer. You can also use a long box or folder in which the neckchain or necklace was delivered by the jeweler.

Bracelets and knotted necklaces are best stored laid flat

The disadvantage of storing in wraps or bags is that the jewels are hidden from view . This is'nt allways a bad thing (some stones and materials can fade with prolonged exposure to light). But as your collection grows larger it is more convinient to locate items by sight. Some people take great pleasure in arranging teir gems and even a small neatly aranged jewelry arrangement can be an impressive sight.

Storage Cases

There are various type of storage cases which you can also purchase for your collection or for an individual item

Jewelry Boxes

The traditional jewelry box can be suitable for a collection . However some jewelry boxes are collectable on their own and not designed to hold very many pieces. When looking for a jewelry box make sure that the materials used to line and construct the box are suitable for jewelry . Examine the box for screws,nails,locks and other projecting objects which might scratch the jewelry.

Count your jewelry pieces make sure your box contains enough compartments to isolate pieces from one another. If the box features a ring holder or insert, is it large enough to hold the number of rings you need to store? Some boxes also contain necklace hooks, pockets, earring holders, and other features, which you may find worthwhile.

A larger compartment can be useful for holding individually wrapped items that on't fit elsewhere.

You should probably also allow for extra compartments . Your collection may expand through future acquisitions .gifts etc.

Travel Cases

These are usually jewelry boxes contained in hard-sided cases. They often sport handles and a lock, though neither is usually necessary or effective. For a travel case, it is more important that the compartments have pads to keep the contents from shifting about as the case is jostled about. If the case does not come with fitted pads, then you can substitute rolled up cotton wool or fabric. And, since most people do not travel with extensive collections, these are usually best when smaller, and designed to fit into a handbag or carry-on luggage.

Alternative travel solutions are roll-ups. These are leather or cloth strips, which contain pouches for individual pieces. The strip is rolled and either snapped or tied to secure it closed. A variation would be the folding or hanging soft-sided organizers. 

Roll-ups should be made of material, which is heavy enough so that there is no chance that a piece would pierce a pouch and scratch other items being stored in adjacent pouches. For some jewelry, a hard-sided case usually offers more protection than a roll-up. However, the roll-up has the benefit of being easier to pack. With either type, space is limited and you need to determine the number and type of items you are going to carry.