Organizing 101: Jewelry

Silver storage
"If you have silver and you don't wear it, it might tarnish," Michelle says, adding that you should hang on to the little velvety pouches you get when buying jewelry, as they come in handy for storing silver. "If you keep silver in the pouch, or wrapped up, that keeps it from tarnishing as fast," she adds. And you can use the pouch to polish the metal, too.

Keep it clean
You wouldn't store away a linen tablecloth when dirty -- the same goes for your jewels. "Make sure they're clean before you store them for a long time," Michelle adds. Birks jewelry can be cleaned for free at a Birks store near you (birks.com) she says. Many reputable jewelry stores and department stores offer the service for free if you've purchased from them, or charge a small fee.

Other tricks of the trade
When your collection grows to near-epic proportions, you'll need to expand your storage. Judy needs more than one jewelry box for her accessories. "I have four to five other jewelry boxes I've picked up at garage sales or thrift stores," she says, which helps her house a collection that also includes costume pieces. For trendy, inexpensive pieces she suggests a low-tech option: "I have a few cork boards that I hang necklaces on with push pins. This keeps them very organized."

Image courtesy of Pottery Barn

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