Jewellery Organisation

With the wet and windy weather we’ve been having lately, I’ve been doing more indoor activities. Last week I tackled a few kitchen cupboards and this weekend I sat down for some, much needed, jewellery organisation. As I’ve accumulated a lot of jewellery over the years!

I had an obsession with rings and bracelets as a teenager and hung on to many of them. Even after they no longer fit me or my lifestyle… Like this child’s size snake ring. 🐍 It doesn’t even fit my thumb!

Whether this was due to sentimental value or because I didn’t want to feel like I’d wasted my money, I’m not sure. Probably a bit of both. The trouble is these pieces now take up valuable space in my jewellery box, unworn and unloved.

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My jewellery box (pictured below) was gifted to me by parents. They picked it up from Exeter Christmas market in 2005 and it’s been looking after my jewellery ever since. I simply love the design. It has a main compartment in the top and three drawers hidden behind the doors.

But sadly I no longer have no room to store the jewellery I actually wear. I figured it was time to bite the bullet, de-clutter my collection and get organised!

Jewellery Organisation Tips and Tricks

1. Take everything out

First I took everything out of my jewellery box and laid it on the largest available space – my bed.

2. Categorise

I sorted (and in some cases untangled!) each piece and put them into the following categories

• Pendants
• Chain necklaces
• Bracelets
• Rings
• Earrings
• Brooches
• Pins / badges
• Watches
• Other

Once they had been sorted I could easily see what pieces I had and found I had even more jewellery than I thought I did. Some pieces I’d long forgotten about, like a Star Wars ring!

3. Purge

I tried on the rings and bracelets and found that some didn’t fit me anymore, so those went straight into the donate pile. Anything that was visibly broken beyond repair went into a bin bag and everything else went into a maybe pile.

4. Assess your lifestyle

When I organised my clothes I found it very helpful to think about what activities I needed clothes for and used a similar method for my jewellery.

• Work: 5 days a week – smart casual
• Weekends: Socialising, running errands, home time – casual
• Special occasions / evenings out / date nights out: less frequent – usually smart casual or smart.

Based on this list I wanted to keep my jewellery simple for day to day wear at work. With a few statement pieces for special occasions or to spice up an outfit (like jeans and a t-shirt).

I went from 55 items (mostly bracelets!) to 20.

What about sentimental items?

There were items from both my Gran and my Nan in my jewellery box – a dolphin bracelet, gem stone rings, a spider brooch and a gold watch – I kept these. 😊 They bring happy memories when I look at them which I think is a perfectly good reason to hold on to them.

Other items I’d been holding onto included gifts from old friends or partners which I did donate. I feel that if you have any ill feelings or unhappy memories about an item then it doesn’t need to be kept. This is also true for any items you may keep out of guilt.

5. Get organised

You should now be left with a collection of jewellery pieces you love and suit your lifestyle. So it’s time to put them away. 🙂 There many options you can consider from hanging your jewellery from pin boards, to use pipes for bracelets. Mine went neatly back inside my jewellery box and a used small jewellery boxes to separate some of the items.

Jewellery wish list / shopping list

Since purging my jewellery collection and assessing my lifestyle there are a few gaps I’d like to fill.

• Velvet choker
• Silver Rose Quartz bracelet
• Silver chain bracelet
• Stackable pendant / necklace
• Celtic design silver ring

My biggest challenge will be finding pieces I’m not allergic to! I have a skin allergy to nickel or nickel plated metals (gold under 18 carat or silver plated). Which can make buying jewellery problematic.

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How do you store your jewellery? What is the favourite piece in your collection?