Need jewelry storage solution suggestions

June 14, 2018 3:15 PM

All of my late wife's jewelry is in a jewelry armoire similar to the one pictured. I'm looking for a better storage solution.

She had quite a bit of jewelry and the armoire is very full. I need all her jewelry to be in something more portable, something I could put on the back of a moving truck and not worry about the contents if it got turned upside down or dropped. Having a way to secure it would be a bonus, but not a deal breaker.

I'm guessing I need something similar to what someone who sells jewelry at a festival or con would transport all their loose pieces in, but what is that thing and where do I find it? Or am I looking for something else entirely? At the end of the day I want to put her jewelry in...something, and not worry that if it gets turned over that I won't be untangling necklaces for the next 20 years.

posted by ralan to Shopping (12 answers total)

You likely want something like a hanging jewellery organizer. This is one example (and I can't speak to it because I don't have one), but you can get them in pretty much every colour and pattern and style (and even size) imaginable.
posted by sardonyx at 3:18 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

And since we're trying to promote Amazon likes to give MeFi some of that affiliate referral cash, here's an Amazon link to a selection of similar items.
posted by sardonyx at 3:21 PM on June 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

I think you're on to something with the trade show idea. What about something like these travel cases? They are covered trays that fit into the cases to protect the jewelry and organize it.
posted by XtineHutch at 3:24 PM on June 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: For the longest time, my partner had her jewelry in a tackle box -- which is how it survived our move across the country.

Most of her jewelry wasn't super delicate, though, so YMMV
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 3:27 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

If you decide to go with tray cases you may need to buy pins ti hold down the jewelry to prevent them from shifting and tangling themselves.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 3:36 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I used to make and sell jewelry. I'd lay it out on a big sheet of velvet, roll it up, fold the roll in half, and tie a string around the ends. It was cheap and it worked, but my stuff was cheap and I was a college student.

Something like this with foam in the individual boxes would be a good bet.
posted by adamrice at 3:40 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I sold jewelry at shows for decades. The best system I ever came up with was to roll each neckace or bracelet up in a piece of fabric about the size of a dish towel, and then fold it in half, unless they were chunky, in which case I skipped the folding part. Then I stacked them in plastic shoeboxes. You could do this and then put the shoeboxes inside another box with some packing material around the perimeter. TBH, you could roll each one in a paper towel instead and they’d be fine. My earrings were on earring cards to display them for sale, but since earings generally don’t get tangled up, you could put several in each roll.

Anything that has hooks or involves hanging the jewelry is liable to leave you with a tangled mess. And professional jewelry cases are expensive and not really necessary.
posted by MexicanYenta at 3:47 PM on June 14, 2018 [5 favorites]

My jewelry is mostly silver which tarnishes quickly, so the best choice I made for myself in jewelry storage a few years ago was a bunch of anti-tarnish clear plastic boxes like this one.

I bought a few different sizes, polished up all my jewelry and stored it. The clear plastic would be useful if you need to be able to quickly identify what's in each box.

If not, there are other anti-tarnish jewelry storage solutions like this .
posted by Squeak Attack at 3:53 PM on June 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

I'm very sorry you lost your wife. I like the tackle box, or if you're planning to put the jewelry back where it was in the armoire after you relocate, you could get a series of smaller flat boxes and unload the armoire drawers into them and then put them all in a big sterilite tub. This Press and Seal idea might work, too. Scroll down for the magic.
posted by Don Pepino at 4:36 PM on June 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

When I moved to a tiny condo I had to get rid of my giant jewelry box. I opted for This hanging organizer (I bought two!) and it's AMAZING. I love being able to see everything when I look at it in the closet.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 7:30 AM on June 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Stacked tackle boxes that fit securely into a case may do the trick, like this one which would also allow you to store pieces that have their own boxes in the top section.
posted by carmicha at 12:36 PM on June 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The tackle box suggestions had me really confused until I looked at what was being recommended. In my mind, this is a tackle box. I hate fishing but I grew up around people who really loved to fish and everyone had a rusty metal tackle box full of fishing lures and hooks and whatnot.

I think I'll do a combination of tackle box and rolling up the necklaces in paper towels. I doubt that I'll ever unpack any of this again, it will just go to the nieces once I am able (emotionally) to give it to them.
posted by ralan at 4:07 PM on June 16, 2018 [2 favorites]