5 Best Methods to Store Jewellery to Keep It From Tarnishing

There’s nothing that can ruin your favorite jewellery pieces more than tarnish, especially since constantly having to clean tarnished jewellery can be such a hassle. The way you store your jewellery can have a great effect on how fast your jewellery tarnishes, which is why it’s important to know what tarnish is and how to prevent it.

What is tarnish?

Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that occurs to metals as a result of exposure to air or moisture. Tarnish occurs on jewellery when the surface of the piece interacts with sulfur from the air or humidity, as well as other outside substances such as lotions, body oils, sunblock, makeup, sweat, and perfume.

Tarnish can vary in degree from making your jewellery pieces look slightly dull to completely dulling them. Either way, tarnish can really ruin the look of a great piece, and here are some effective jewellery storage ideas in order to avoid tarnish from happening. But before that, it’s also important to know how not to store it:

1. Do not use display racks.

Display racks may make it more convenient to grab your jewellery as well as add decoration to your room, but they won’t do your pieces any favors in the long run. Display racks expose your jewellery to the outside air as well as humidity from your room, making it faster for them to tarnish.

2. Invest in good jewellery boxes instead.

What you want are jewellery boxes that close properly and are airtight, leaving no room for outside air to potentially get in. This will prevent tarnish from happening as it will prevent your jewellery from interacting with outside substances. It will also keep your jewellery in a cool dry place, therefore prevent moisture.

3. Store your boxes with chalk or silica gel packets.

If you want extra protection for your jewellery pieces, or if your jewellery box isn’t the most airtight, chalk or silica gel packets will absorb the moisture and help keep the box cool and dry. You’ll want to change your chalk piece every month or so in order to keep it fresh and working. This is how to keep jewellery from tarnishing in your jewellery box.

4. Use ziploc bags for on-the-go storage.

Ziploc bags are small, light, and portable, making them perfect for storing your jewellery when you’re traveling or going outside. This is especially true if you’re visiting a tropical place or living in one since the heat makes your jewellery much more at risk of moisture. Ziploc bags keep your pieces stored airtight as long as you remember to push the air out when you close them.

5. Separate your jewellery by metal.

This is why it’s important you have more than one jewellery box. There should be separate boxes for fine jewellery, costume jewellery, and silver jewellery. This will help prevent the metals from tarnishing when they interact with one another. Now that you know the best ways to store your jewellery, you’re ready to invest in high-quality jewellery because you know how to make them last a long time. Opals are some of the best jewellery pieces you can own and Vollé Jewellery is the best opal shop in Sydney. Call 02 9269 0898 to learn more.