Learn the best practices for displaying, storing and packing your fine jewelry with private jeweler Hannah Florman and Jessica Moynihan of NEAT Method.
Wondering how to organize your fine jewelry at home, and also travel with safely with your beloved earrings, necklaces, bracelets and valuable rings? Jessica Moynihan is a master personal home organizer with NEAT Method, and is based in Boston. Naturally, her expertise and knowledge seemed perfectly suited for my clients - enjoy our conversation!
Q: When displaying jewelry at home, what are some best practices for taking a very messy drawer or tray to something that feels inviting and organized?
A: As with any space, we always sort items by type so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. We want the process of getting dressed and choosing accessories to be a seamless experience - you will never be able to decide what to accessorize with, if everything is either in a knotted pile on your dresser or buried tangled in a jewelry pouch. Whether you store jewelry in a dedicated drawer or top of a dresser, the biggest impact on storage is keeping items in separate compartments. Our NEAT Method Acacia trays are a perfect option for storing all types of jewelry. The trays are lined with linen to protect your pieces from getting tangled or scratched.
Q: Many of my clients have heirloom pieces of jewelry or accessories that they love but don’t wear often. Any advice on how to honor your heirlooms or pieces of jewelry that have been passed down without creating clutter?
A: There are a few options when it comes to heirloom jewelry. If you truly cannot part with the pieces but don’t want to take up space in your closet, we recommend properly storing the jewelry and keeping it with other memorabilia in a box. However, I am a firm believer that just because an item was a gift or an heirloom, doesn’t mean you have to keep it if it doesn’t serve a purpose in your life. There are so many ways to take heirloom jewelry and transform it into a piece that you absolutely love. Working with a jeweler to modernize pieces is the perfect way to honor your family heirlooms.
Q: Some of us don’t have massive closets if we live in the city (hello, Bostonians!). Do you have a favorite product that can help us organize jewelry and smaller, more delicate accessories?
A: Absolutely! A lot of our clients don’t have dedicated drawer space for their jewelry. If you are tight on space and need to store your jewelry in either a nightstand or bathroom drawer, or even on the top of a dresser then I would recommend using Stackers from The Container Store. These come in a variety of sizes to fit any sized drawer and finishes that look great on display.
Q: I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity when it comes to jewelry and fashion. Sometimes when we think of organizing a space like a closet it can get overwhelming because of the variations in seasons, occasions, everyday wear, etc…Can you share with us some tips to displaying your pieces in a way that doesn’t cause overwhelm?
A: We recommend setting up your space in zones - whether you have a walk-in closet or reach-in closet the prime real estate should be dedicated to your everyday wear (which for a lot of people has changed in the past two years with WFH!). Keeping items in clear categories then further micro-sorting will allow you to find exactly what you’re looking for and makes putting laundry away a breeze. For accessories, we like to display our client’s favorite pieces, you’re far more likely to use them if you can see everything you have. If space is limited, we recommend swapping items out seasonally. Even if that means swapping out winter hats & gloves for swimsuits and cover ups, the items within reach should be what you’re wearing daily.
Bonus travel tip from Hannah: When traveling with fine jewelry, a jewelry roll can be a lifesaver for safekeeping. Mini mini ziplock bags are the best things for necklaces that you don’t want getting tangled (where the bottom of the necklace hangs in, chain hangs out) and also soft pouches for rings are great to have on hand. My clients can always request these from me!
Excited to spend some more time with Jessica Moynihan, NEAT Method owner in Boston? Contact Jessica and her team below and get started with a fresh, organized and efficient system that will have you truly enjoying your belongings! Instagram: @bostonneat
And, if you're ready to design a custom piece of jewelry, let's connect!
