Curating your jewellery collection

For Step 2 in our four-part strategy on how to organize your jewellery, we put on our curators hat. We’ll look at all of the pieces you would like to keep for yourself and will need to be organized. This includes any cherished pieces you would like to repair or replace.

Did you miss the earlier steps? Follow this link for Step One – Out with the old

Organizing jewellery that needs some tender loving care:

You will undoubtedly have items you’d like to wear, but that need repair. Or maybe you’ve lost an earring or other favourite piece that you’d like to replace so you can enjoy it again. 

Contact us to find out how we can help blow new life into your jewellery:

• For repairs, book an appointment to drop in your pieces. Once we see the pieces we’ll be able to advise you on the work required and any costs.
• For lost items, send us an image and any other details you may have about the piece. If we can identify the piece, we can contact the maker to make you a new one. 

We’ll give you a quote for each item, so that you can decide how you would like to proceed.

Scheduling your repairs & replacements

Now, If you have multiple pieces to work on or replace, you can of course decide to spread out the jobs. (When you’re ready to go ahead just remember to get an updated quote, as market fluctuations in precious metals and gems may affect the original quote). 

TIP: Consider putting a repair on a wish-list for Mother’s day (or similar occasion) – a loved one might be only delighted to reunite you with a cherished piece.

Here are a few ideas for how to work through your repairs or replacements: 

1. Store your deferred repairs/replacements separately in a small ziplock bag along with the quote for repair.
    
2. Now, make sure you don’t forget about them:
   • Make yourself a schedule and work through the repairs/replacements in a sequence that suits you and your budget. Your electronic calendar is your friend here – schedule an appointment for your repair and pop in a reminder to book an appointment with DesignYard for your jewellery repair.  
     
     OR
   • Make a complete to-do list with all items to replace/repair and their estimates. As and when your budget allows, book in with DesignYard for your jewellery repair.

Whether you prefer the structured scheduled approach or the freedom of the to-do list, you won’t forget these important pieces of jewellery.

Continue reading for our suggestions on organizing your jewellery.

Organizing your curated collection

Now that you have a good overview of all the pieces that will make up your new jewellery wardrobe, it is time for the fun part – organising your curated collection!

Have a little think about how you use your jewellery. Are you more of a mix-and-matcher? Or do you prefer to wear suites of matching jewellery? If you like to mix it up, it makes sense to store your jewellery categorised by item. For example a tray of rings, a tray of earrings, and a tray of necklaces. If matched sets are more your style you will want to group your jewellery by suites.

Also take a look at how much jewellery you have to organize. Remember to allow for any items you plan to replace or repair and also for a little growth of your collection in the future.  

Selecting your storage solution

If you wear most of your jewellery all the time or you have a moderate collection, we recommend clear acrylic jewellery boxes. Just because we think you are more likely to wear your jewellery if you can see what you have at a glance. Muji has lovely solutions with dedicated jewellery inserts, but have a look for similar items on amazon and similar. 

TIP:  get a small tray or box for your bedside locker or dressing table where you can place your jewellery before showering or bed time. We like these pretty handmade boxes and bowls by Mark Hanvey and this exquisite box by Ian Hawthrone.

For you lucky ladies with an extensive collection you might want to look at a slim drawer (or 2) similar to this Ikea pull out tray. Use it with Ikea’s inserts pictured here, or choose professional jewellery inserts. We like this everything-at-a-glance solution, but a good alternative are these easy access stacking trays with your choice of flat or sectioned jewellery inserts.

A few other things to think about when selecting your storage solutions:

• Rings, earrings and bracelets are easy to store in small sectioned trays. Keeping your jewellery separate protects the precious metals and gems from knocks and dings and keeps them looking pristine for longer. 
• For fine chains that tend to tangle, or bigger items like fashion necklaces consider hanging storage like these jewellery racks.
• Your wire necklaces and large bead necklaces will appreciate flat storage which will extend the life of your piece. If you find you have a lot of this style, we’d recommend dedicating a flat shelf, or investing in a unit like this.

While you’re waiting for your preferred storage solutions to arrive, let’s look at finding a new home for some of the jewellery you no longer want in Step 3 – Clearing the decks.