Jewelry Organization

Author | Morgan Paixao

I am a jewelry minimalist in every sense. I have my wedding band and engagement ring, a small handful of necklaces I wear regularly (my most worn being this simple brass necklace from Little Paper Crane), and occasionally I’ll rock the gold watch my grandmother gave me when I was a tween. Which is why, I was so excited by the suggestion from one of my Instagram followers to shed some light on jewelry organization! It’s something I don’t often think about which made it all the more fun to put together this blog post!

Though I am currently a jewelry minimalist, there was a time not too too long ago when I would say the opposite. In my college years I wore bold and layered necklaces, mismatched earrings and often had a bracelet tide to my wrist. I actually remember telling my mom (she’ll get a kick out of this) that I didn’t think my style would ever change, that I would love this bold style forever. She kind of laughed it off, knowing better - not that you can't rock a bold statement necklace, just that your style evolves over time. I still have some of those necklaces from my late teens and early twenties, not because I’m planning to wear them anytime soon, but they hold special memories from traveling to other countries. They live in a wooden box on top of my dresser.

Though my current collection of jewelry is small, I can see it expanding in the future. There are so many amazing local and regional makers here in Harrisonburg and Virginia that I can’t wait to treat myself down the road while simultaneously getting to support them.

A list of awesome Virginia makers

Okay enough about the jewelry itself, let's dive into the juicy stuff!

Boxes

High End

Left (KonMari) Middle (The Container Store) Right (West Elm)

Budget-Friendly

Left (Amazon) Middle (Target) Right (Anthropologie)

The first thing that comes to mind (at least for me) when it comes to jewelry organization is the ever so classic, jewelry box. Who else had a musical one growing up as a kid with the spring loaded ballerina in it? Well we're all grown up now and have a wide range of beautiful, sleek, modern designs to choose from. Since this is an item intended to sit on top of your dresser, make sure it goes well with the rest of your room's aesthetic. You can either go two routes, wanting it to stand out as a statement piece or choose something more subtle that will blend seamlessly with your other furniture fixtures.

Displaying

Left (Target) Middle (Target) Right (Urban Outfitters)

If you’re someone who opts for showing off your jewelry, there are so many beautiful and unique ways of displaying them. Find something that adds to the design and aesthetic of your space! That being said, I would definitely caution you to use some editing and have only select, everyday pieces on display - the ones you grab for again and again. Why? In large doses jewelry can start to look cluttered very quickly. To avoid this, minimally display your favorites and have the others that aren’t as frequented tucked away. You can always rotate items out when you find yourself gravitating towards different pieces.

Drawer Organizers

Mebbay Jewelry Trays (Variety of sizes) Amazon

To me, drawer organizers are the most exciting way to store jewelry. It's a way of seeing everything at a glance (you can stack too though if needed) and you will totally feel like you are at your own special jewelry boutique. How fun is that?? And if dedicating a whole drawer to jewelry doesn't seem feasible with your current wardrobe, you can always dedicate half of a drawer to the jewelry and the other half to, say, your undergarments (ooh la la what a sexy drawer that would be!). Simply use a divider to segment the space.

Drawer organizers are also very affordable and come in a variety of compartments, shapes, and sizes. Here's a quick step-by-step for making sure you order exactly what you need:

Take stock at what you have - do you have a whole bunch of rings but fewer necklaces? This will help determine which compartment types you will need.
Measure your drawer.
Cut out pieces of paper (or tape paper together, depending on the size) in the size of the organizers you plan to order. Try out different configurations to makes sure they will all securely fit in your drawer!

Then sit back and enjoy your newly organized jewelry collection!