First, I would recommend gathering all of your jewelry into one spot.  Then, make sure all earrings have a matching pair.  Group together jewelry sets with their matching necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.  All fine jewelry should be separated out from less expensive jewelry to be properly cared for and stored.  Once you see how much jewelry you have in one place it will be easier to find the best storage solution.

There are several ways that you can store jewelry.  The most common solutions are in a drawer, in a jewelry box, on a shelf or in some kind of hanging jewelry organizer.  The best choice for you is going to depend on your space and how often you need to access the jewelry.

If you are working within a drawer or on a shelf, some sort of storage container will work best.  You might want to consider grouping sets in separate boxes to keep them together and easy to find.  Small cardboard jewelry boxes will work well for this.  Drawer dividers can also help separate pieces out.  Drawer dividers that are marketed to store socks can be a great solution for plastic, wooden and metal bangle bracelets.

One of my favorite product solutions for jewelry is the Jewelry Stax trays.  These trays stack on top of each other and slide back and forth.  The trays are lined with felt and are configured in different combinations to fit earrings, bracelets, pins and necklaces.  You can customize which trays you will need based on what type of jewelry you own.  They are only one inch high so you can stack several different trays on top of each other in either a drawer or on a shelf and save a lot of space.   Typically they range from $10.99-18.99 per tray (purchase at The Organized Lifestyle Store:  www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com).

Another great solution for necklaces is to hang them on small hooks in a closet or inside an armoire.  This way they will be visible and help prevent the necklaces from tangling.

Hopefully these tips will help you get a better handle on your jewelry so you can spend less time searching in your jewelry box and more time wearing your collection.

The author of this article is Kristin Mastromarino is a home organizer serving the Connecticut Shoreline and owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing (www.livablesolutions.com), the owner of The Organized Lifestyle retail store, located in Guilford, CT specializing in home organization products (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com) and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).  You can email her your questions at kristin@livablesolutions.com.