Comments on: A Jewelry Care Tip for Your Customers (Video)

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:21:10 +0000

In reply to Sue E Wells. Sue, I love jewelry storage ideas where the storage system itself is also artistic and interesting! Thanks for sharing this great idea. :)

By: Sue E Wells

Sue E Wells — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:08:45 +0000

I have a wall in my bedroom of different size thin shadow boxes that open from the front. I hang all of my jewelry using small u-shaped pins. All pieces of jewelry hang over the pins. I also put pieces of chalk in each box. Makes a beautiful, decorative wall and easy to find pieces. I have 6 various sizes and colors framed boxes.

By: Betsy (Yindala Designs)

Betsy (Yindala Designs) — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 22:19:42 +0000

Hi Rena and others. Firstly I want to tell you how lovely I think your jewelry is in this photo. The colors are something that go so well together and I’m always surprised at how so many can’t figure that out – they just know it looks wonderful.
Secondly, I’m very curious as to the darkened pieces you often use. I find them interesting and it never occurred to me. Can you please tell what they are and how they are darkened. (This may seem inane, but I just don’t know.)

Thirdly, right now my jewelry is scattered (after a horrid move trying to get three households into one small house. There are still boxes everywhere. But as far as storing jewelry, I’ve kept this practice up for decades and it works, oddly enough.

When I put ss in a tight container, I add a piece of chalk. Twenty years later it looks like new. I suppose the chalk absorbs the moisture.
I did put a lot of ss wire into a cardboard box with chalk but the box didn’t close well. The pieces all tarnished.
When I do shows again, my plan is to write up a small instructions card to put into the bag or box explaining this fact. Along with it I will give them each a small piece of chalk (one in half) with a small blue ribbon around it. It’s a nice little gift, cost little, and will help them. But the main thing is to use a contained that snap/closes tightly.
I hope this is helpful to even one person.
Cheers,
Betsy

By: Pamela Dudrow

Pamela Dudrow — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 02:19:07 +0000

If you don’ have the anti tarnish strips,think about using those little dessicant packets that come with new shoes and many other items to prevent moisture from damaging the article they’re packed with. I’ve found these to be effective and suggest these to my customers too.

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:03:30 +0000

In reply to Nancy G. Thank you, Nancy! That's so lovely to hear. And thanks for the comments you post here the JMJ community. Wishing you all the best as you continue on your jewelry journey! :)

By: Nancy G

Nancy G — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 22:57:03 +0000

I have every book of Rena’s and e-books she offers. She’s the best and helps me keep my chin up. Thank you. Rena and everyone’s great sharing.

By: Susan Turner

Susan Turner — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 17:24:27 +0000

I have a wonderful large mirrored cabinet on a stand in my bedroom, it is coated on the inside with a black material which is to protect my jewelry, it has separate compartments for individual items, necklaces, ear rings, rings etc. It has been wonderful, no tarnished items. On making my own jewelry I have notice in time that some of the silver plated has tarnished even though I have placed anti tarnish squares with them in the pockets, realising that it is my hands that might be causing the tarnish, lesson learnt. So this is an indication also for telling my customers to keep the items clean. Great tips from the ladies above. Thank you.

By: Barbara Herndon

Barbara Herndon — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 02:36:26 +0000

I’ve had for many years, a little plastic parts cabinet with only nine little pull-out drawers. It holds my earrings by color group and is always handy in my bedroom. Necklaces are stored in one of those standing jewelry boxes my children gave me years ago.

By: Tina Jensen

Tina Jensen — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 00:55:29 +0000

I too am guilty of keeping my jewellery in the bathroom where it is most convenient, but I go to some lengths to protect it. Each piece or set is in its own mini ziplock bag (found at dollar stores), and then stored in one of those shallow plastic drawer sets, inside which I placed plastic divided boxes (also at dollar stores or Walmart) with the lids removed, to create compartments in the drawers. Sterling pieces also have a square of anti-tarnish paper in their zippy, and my earrings are organized by colour in the drawers. (Yeah, I’m a little OCD, but I also hate having to clean my jewellery, and I’ve made so many earrings now that keeping them organized is crucial if I ever want to find them.) I always put on my jewellery last, long after the hairspray and perfume have dissipated (I do those early in my routine, with the exhaust fan on, to help with that). Finally, I only hang fine gold chains which tend to get tangled -on a cuphook inside my medicine cabinet.
As a caution, I tell all my friends and customers to beware of mixing sterling silver and chlorinated water – a lesson I learned myself a few years ago, when my new sterling “slipper” (flip-flop) charm turned black in the hottub on my Hawaiian cruise!

By: Arlene

Arlene — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 17:27:36 +0000

I frequently give my customers their purchases in a plastic zip bag. I tell them to keep a small amount of air in it to act as a cushion for other jewelry to bump against without chipping or scratching the just purchased piece…which protects it completely. Yes, it takes up a little more room, but the jewelry stays protected and undamaged.

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 04:18:21 +0000

I store my jewelry in the bedroom which works great for me when I’m getting ready to go out. I can choose a piece that looks great with my outfit. I also made my jewelry a great display on the wall. I bought a wooden fold out hanger that comes with 6-8 pegs. I painted it a color that goes in my room and put it on a wall where I can see it all the time. It makes me happy to see my beautiful creations hanging up. ( the cats can’t get it here either!)

By: Karen Watson

Karen Watson — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 01:00:59 +0000

I keep some of my earrings and rings in a 7 day plastic medicine container. I also have flat plastic containers that were made for paper projects for people who make cards. They are acid-free, and therefore will keep the jewelry from tarnishing as quickly.

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 18:44:33 +0000

To me it is only common sense that you wouldn’t store jewelry in the bathroom, but obviously this isn’t so.
Along with the reasons Rena pointed out there is even a bigger reason in my opinion. Germs, the bathroom is contaminated with germs and nasty bacteria, now do you want that ear wire coated with bacteria going into your ear?

We tend to handle our jewelry even after putting it on and that spreads the “nasties” to more surfaces. Transferring it to our babies and others as we go through our day.

I include care instructions with all my pieces and recommend they store each piece separately in the zip lock bag I have placed it in in the gift box. I rarely hang my necklaces because of the stress it places on the necklace or bracelet, why hang a piece in an unnatural way?

Plus I don’t want to have to clean a piece again before I can wear it. I clean them when I take them off then place in baggie ready to wear again.

By: Felicia

Felicia — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:40:57 +0000

I am always telling people that the bathroom is the worst place to leave your jewelry and yet it is where I find a lot of my jewelry ending up. So I found a lovely glass container with a nice tight lid and now I at least throw my jewelry in there. I try my best to keep it in my bedroom but at least having a way to cover it keeps it from getting any perfume or hairspray on it which are some of the most damaging products that jewelry encounters on a daily basis.

I am often surprised by how little people know about jewelry care and cleaning. On top of running my business I work at a large jewelry retailer and I am constantly having to teach people things I thought everyone knew, like pearls can not be worn while showering and that opal and emeralds are very soft stones and are prone to breaking. I feel that everyone who sells jewelry should offer up some kind of care info, whether it be a printed card with instructions on how to clean and care for jewelry or just simply word of mouth cautions to be careful with your hair products and perfume around jewelry. Warning customers also lets them know that it is now their responsibility to maintain the jewelry, which can keep people from coming back and complaining that they “only wore the piece once and now its all yucky and tarnished”