How to Store Jewellery to Prevent Scratches

Why the way you store your jewellery matters

Handcrafted gemstone jewellery is made to be worn, but the hours it spends off your wrist or out of your ears matter just as much as the hours it spends on them. Most of the scratches, dulled facets and cloudy stones we come across have nothing to do with everyday wear. They come from a drawer, a shared jewellery box or a windowsill where pieces have been quietly knocking against one another for months.

Two forces do most of the damage. The first is abrasion: harder materials score softer ones, and the difference does not have to be dramatic. A diamond (10 on the Mohs scale) will scratch a sapphire (9), a sapphire will scratch a quartz (7), and quartz will happily mark a pearl, an opal or a piece of amber. The second is chemistry. Sterling silver and gold tarnish more quickly in humid air, and the sulphur compounds found in rubber bands, some plastics and everyday cosmetics accelerate the process considerably.

The good news is that prevention is simple, cheap and takes about ninety seconds a week.

The golden rule: separate, line and lay flat

If you remember one thing, remember this: one piece, one home. Jewellery should never be piled together, however carefully. Each item needs its own soft pouch or its own compartment, and those compartments need to be lined with something gentler than the metal or stone they hold.

• Use individual pouches — cotton, velvet or anti-tarnish lined — for rings, earrings and pendants.
• Choose a box with deep, lined compartments rather than a flat tray with shallow grooves. A ring should sit below the level of the divider, not on top of it.
• Line wooden drawers with acid-free tissue or felt. Bare wood can release acids and tannins over time, particularly if it is oak or cedar.
• Lay flat rather than stacking. Stacking puts weight on the piece underneath and grinds settings against stone.

An old jewellery box with velvet-lined sections can be perfectly good — just make sure nothing shares a slot. If a compartment is too large, line it with a small offcut of felt or a folded cotton handkerchief to stop the piece sliding about.

Chains, clasps and the tangle problem

Chains are the exception to the lay-flat rule in one respect: they need to be fastened before they are stored. An open clasp is a hook waiting to catch a neighbouring chain, and once two fine chains have knotted themselves together, the damage is usually done long before you have untangled them.

• Close the clasp so the chain forms a continuous loop.
• Lay the loop flat in a pouch or a long, shallow compartment. Avoid hanging fine chains from a single hook, where they can swing and rub against one another.
• For travel, thread one end of the chain through a short piece of drinking straw, then fasten the clasp. The straw keeps the loop rigid and tangle-free.
• Store heavy chains separately from delicate ones. Weight, not just hardness, causes wear.

Gemstones that need a little extra care

• Pearls and opals are soft — roughly 2.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale — and can be scratched by almost anything. Keep them in their own soft pouch, never in an airtight container, and never next to metal. Pearls benefit from the natural oils on your skin, so wear them often rather than saving them for best.
• Turquoise, amber, lapis lazuli and malachite are porous. Keep them away from water, perfume and hairspray, and store them in a dry, ventilated box rather than a sealed one.
• Amethyst, rose quartz and citrine hold their colour best out of direct sunlight. A sunny windowsill is one of the worst places for them.
• Emeralds are brittle despite their beauty, so a dedicated compartment is essential. Never let one roll loose among harder stones.

Habits that keep a collection pristine

Storage is only half of it. The other half is a short routine that soon becomes second nature.

• Put jewellery on last, after perfume, hairspray and moisturiser have dried. Take it off first at night.
• Wipe each piece with a soft, dry cloth before it goes back in its pouch. Removing skin oils and cosmetics stops tarnish before it starts.
• Add a silica gel sachet to the box if you live in a humid area, and replace it every few months.
• Keep the box out of the bathroom, away from radiators and out of the loft. Stable temperature and low humidity do more good than any product on the shelf.
• Check clasps and settings every few months. A loose stone is far easier to tighten than to replace.
• For travel, use a soft roll with individual slots, pack it in hand luggage, and never leave it in a hot car.

None of this requires an expensive cabinet or a specialist system. It requires separation, a soft surface to rest on, and the small discipline of putting each piece back where it belongs. Do that, and a handcrafted piece will keep the finish it had the day you first fastened it.