Modern and Contemporary – If you are a gal who loves modern home décor (think black, white, chrome and bold “accent walls”), then there is certainly a jewelry organizer that will suit you.  Look for modern materials including faux leather, and soft, subdued appearances that include lots of right angles (squares and rectangles) as opposed to ornately carved woods, for example.  The Delaney Jewelry Box is a great choice.  It packs a punch in terms of capacity, with a tray for every type of jewelry, and when closed, it looks like an attaché, the perfect complement to your European style furnishings. 

Traditional and Classic – If you are more into the antique style, then you can stick with woods, which can stand out easily on your dresser or counter top.  Choose from a variety of finishes and wooden carvings, and extras that include mirrors, music boxes, velvet interiors, and more.  One of my favorite ways to get this traditional look are with the jewelry boxes that look like tiny pieces of furniture.  For example, a little dresser style box, complete with metal drawer pulls, or the adorable armoire style jewelry boxes that look like a little closet, such as the Layla Jewelry Box.  Whatever your preferred style is, don’t settle - keep looking until you find the right box to match your home décor!

Happy New Year!  Ahead of us we have a whole year of fun.  Fun traveling, fun with jewelry and much more.  Many of us like to polish our jewelry.  What can I say?  It’s just fun to watch it get a little brighter, shinier and more beautiful every time!  And it’s certainly more gratifying than most other types of cleaning.  For travel, there are many options for jewelry cleaners on the go.  Obviously you don’t want to bring a big jar of paste or (worse) liquid and have it spill all over your suitcase or car, so what can you do to make sure that your jewelry looks its best anywhere you go?  Here are some tips and great products for achieving this: 

1.  Polishing Cloths – this is a great one to keep in your purse or in the glove box.  Next time you are in a waiting room, or picking up the kids from school, you can whip out this cloth and shine your rings, for a start.  It’s hard to believe how well these actually work until you give it a try – it is truly phenomenal when you see the tarnish on the cloth after using it on what you thought were your clean rings.  Note:  since these cloths are coated with a cleaner, you will want to put them in a ziplock bag before sticking them in your purse. 

 2.  Gel and Brush Jewelry Cleaner – This one is great for travel, not so much for the purse, though, as it requires rinsing.  You can polish many jewelry pieces with the handy cleaner and brush set, and then rinse to perfection.  The cap screws on tight, but I would recommend putting this in a ziplock bag just in case.

You’ve all heard me rave about Jewelry Trees, I’ve blogged about them at least once before.  This is a new take (actually not new at all, but definitely a come back piece) on the jewelry tree.  Instead of a tree, it is a beautiful Victorian lady. Her name is Cherie, and she is an elegant choice for a jewelry organizer.  These jewelry stands have been around forever, a favorite during Victorian times and ever since.  She looks like a porcelain doll (actually resin) and has your choice of two different colored dresses, pale blue and tan.  Eight metal hooks hold necklaces, bracelets, watches, rings and some hanging earrings - that’s right, pretty much all types of jewelry!  The best thing about a jewelry stand is that is that it’s a great alternative to jewelry boxes and drawer jewelry dividers in some cases.  One benefit to a jewelry stand is that it keeps necklaces and chains from tangling and breaking.  When they are hanging, as opposed to coiled in a little divided box, they simply can’t get tangled with themselves  or other pieces.  But, the reason that I like jewelry stands the most is that you can keep some of your favorite everyday pieces handy and ready to go at a moment’s notice.  If you’re like me, you don’t have time to look through a jewelry box every morning, night, etc.  I’m very busy, so the only hope for me to accessorize myself is to have everything laid out, easy to see and easy to access, tangle free and just enough choices to take me through the week.  So give this beautiful lady, Cherie the Victorian Lady Jewelry Stand a try!  She just might convince you to look your best every day!

A jewelry organizer doesn’t have to be fancy!  In fact, most of us find that while we go through life we are accumulating so much jewelry that, by the time we are adults, we probably have more than one jewelry organizer anyway!  It’s nice to have a really nice jewelry box for special items.  This is the kind of investment piece jewelry organizer that you will spend a good amount of money on probably.  Some people like an ornate, hardwood box with carved details.  Some like the little armoire type glass jewelry boxes for with lights for displaying jewelry on the dresser top.  But, for everyday jewelry, a great place to start is with a simple box on the counter of the bathroom.  Keeping a small selection of jewelry in the bathroom where you get ready is a great way to remember to accessorize your outfits properly.  I know that if I don’t see the jewelry staring me in the face, (by that I mean reminding me that it’s there), I simply will forget or feel to lazy to put any on.  My life is so busy that I’ve found that keeping two or three pairs of earrings, two necklaces and a bracelet or anklet right on the counter, with the box open, is easy enough for me to accomplish a finished look when I leave the house.  Every couple of months, I switch up the selection of what is in there to so that I’m not over wearing the same pieces.  Any type of box can serve this purpose.  These Faux Leather Boxes make a great jewelry organizer.  I actually have a folding box that I got at Christmas with an array of Victoria’s Secret perfumes – I simply put a square piece of cotton in there to protect the jewelry.  But, I’m thinking of upgrading…

If you remember I blogged before about the benefits of a jewelry tree, a great idea but something that seems hard to find.  I even suggested making one, or using a mug tree instead.  Well now I’ve found a jewelry tree for purchase, as beautiful as its name, the Bijou Jewelry Organizer.  It’s not very expensive either.  A Jewelry Tree is a great choice for hanging necklaces, as it keeps them from getting tangled and broken.  These jewelry trees are great for beading enthusiasts, especially if you like to sell your jewelry at crafts fairs and flea markets.  At home, they are also a great choice for many reasons. First of all, they are pretty – by far the nicest way to display colorful jewelry.  You can really see what you have, making it impossible to “waste” jewelry that you have sitting around in drawers.  Second, they are practical.  The unique shape of the hooks means that you can hang necklaces, bracelets, and even hanging earrings on the pretty little hooks that are provided.  And, a tray at the bottom can hold other pieces, including rings, studs and watches.  This is a great way to keep a healthy selection of jewelry on hand, ready to go so that you aren’t ever tempted to lazily skip this important step of primping.  I think this would be great on the dresser, on the bathroom vanity (where there is a mirror to aid in dressing), or even on a hall or entryway table.  This one is made of stainless steel, a great complement to most jewelry pieces, and very affordable, a great all in one jewelry organizer!  Little girls would love this item too, perfect for playing dress up and starting their own little collections of gems.  Give her a few of your old pieces to start with to cherish forever.

What is a large jewelry collection, anyway?  The Max Jewelry Organizer holds up to 825 pieces of jewelry, and I’m calling that large!  However, even though this great jewelry organizer holds so much jewelry, at least it doesn’t take up a LARGE amount of space on your countertop.  At just over 15” wide, this jewelry box can easily fit on any dresser, in the closet or on the bathroom countertop, while still holding literally an entire collection of jewelry.  This is perfect for jewelry hoarders like myself, or really anyone.  Even if you don’t have a large collection of jewelry yet, just think what it might grow to in ten, twenty or thirty years!  You can use this jewelry organizer forever, literally.  A Breakdown of Benefits:
Size:  15 x 9 is the perfect size for counters and dresser tops.
Style:  The faux black leather is not only elegant, but a sure fit for whatever decor you already have in your bathroom or bedroom.  The little gold drawer pulls are a nice complement to the elegant black leather look.
Capacity:  The five drawer version holds up to 500 pairs of jewelry plus rings, while the twelve drawer version holds up to 825 pieces of jewelry in all.
Versatility:  Hold earrings, rings and more trinkets all in one jewelry organizer! 
Safe and sound:  The foam inserts are soft, reducing scratches and dings to your favorite gems and metal pieces.  Keeping your jewelry in this one container means a clean countertop in the bathroom, and rest assured that you can always find the jewelry piece you are looking for!
This Jewelry Organizer has been designed to hold the most amount of jewelry possible in the smallest amount of space = space efficient jewelry storage, my favorite kind.

I found the cutest new Jewelry Organizer, the Swing Away Jewelry Armoire, and I just had to share!  I love the design of this jewelry organizer.  It reminds me of many smaller versions of this that I have seen, usually wooden jewelry boxes or acrylic models, where it’s a tall cylinder, and each level swings out to the side to open, revealing jewelry storage and dividers inside. This is basically the same concept as those, just a lot bigger, which means it can hold a lot more (big is good, right?) 

My thoughts on jewelry armoires are this:  If you have a lot of jewelry, a jewelry armoire is an investment.  It may seem like an expensive purchase, like buying a new couch or something, but it’s not like you will ever need to buy another one.  And, even if you are just getting started on a jewelry collection early in life, you are sure to fill a jewelry armoire in the years to come.  Another thing I like about them is that they are almost like a piece of furniture in themselves, a great accent piece, if you will.  Place a jewelry armoire in your bedroom, next to a walk in closet, or near the vanity (if you are lucky enough to have one). 

This jewelry organizer has a very cool design – the white painted wood and the round body almost have a retro feel to them, but work just as well in modern styled homes, as well as country chic.  This armoire has a storage space for everything, and a mirror on the upper portion for applying makeup and trying out your favorite gems.  The felt lined interior is a great, affordable way to keep jewelry safe and clean, free of tarnish, scratches and the dividers keep your longer pieces tangle free!

When choosing a jewelry box or jewelry organizer, the wealth of choices can be welcomed, but also a tad overwhelming!  How to choose depends on what you need, where you are going to put it, what your style is, how much jewelry you have, and on and on.  Check out my tips and reviews of different types of jewelry organizers below to find out which one will work best for you (or your significant other, if you are gift shopping).  Wooden Jewelry Boxes – These are the more traditional form of jewelry organizing, been around for centuries and centuries, keeping jewelry safe, neat and tidy.  Choose a hardwood box for long term jewelry storage.  A wooden jewelry box can come in any shape or form, from traditional square and rectangular models to round and half moons.  A box that incorporates glass doors or see through tops gives the most visual appeal.  A box with a mirror is nice, both storing your gems and helping you put them on!  And, for girls from 5 to 85, a musical jewelry box simply can’t be beat.  Choose a theme song that represents your life, or simply puts a smile on your face!  Fabric and Leather Jewelry Boxes – These are a great alternative to wood, perfect for the bathroom counter or dresser top for your most frequently used jewelry!  And the possibilities are endless with these, including pinks, blacks, greens and more.  Choose from large chocolate brown leather boxes and small open boxes.   Travel Jewelry Organizers – on the go, keep your most precious gems safe from loss and tangles with a great travel jewelry organizers.  These are available in every size and material, from small leather wallet size jewelry cases to full size organizers for most of your collection!

I just came across a great idea for a jewelry organizer – something new, fresh and easy to get!  Remember my blog about a jewelry tree – this seemed like a great idea at the time – you can display your jewelry and organize it at the same time on a little tree.  Very pretty and very useful for countertop jewelry.  Well, another great idea for this is to use a mug tree.  A mug tree is usually made of wood or plastic and allows you to hang mugs, china and cups by the little arms or “branches”.  Another great use for these is as a jewelry tree.  Simply take a mug tree and hang your necklaces, bracelets and watches from it for both decorative and functional jewelry storage.  This is probably not the place to put your most expensive, precious gems, but for everyday pieces it is a great idea.  I like the idea of having one branch for each type of jewelry.  For example, a ring organizer branch (this is easy since rings have a hole in the middle so you can just slide them on the arm), a necklace branch and a bracelet branch.  If you wanted to do earrings, too, you could have a little DIY project by covering one of the branches in some kind of thick material like felt, that way you can stick pierced earrings, including studs and hanging earrings right on the rack!  Either way this is a fun way to make your jewelry stand out.  I like the idea of keeping this organizer out on the counter in the bathroom, or on top of the dresser.  Choose a wooden or metal mug tree, just make sure the branches are far enough apart so that you know you are going to be able to hang necklaces and bracelets safely.

To get your jewelry to your destination safely and in one piece, consider one of these hidden safe cans, or faux product safes.  You’ve probably seen them before, and maybe just didn’t even know it.  They are available in all different types of common products that you see everyday, and are so discrete that you don’t even know what’s in them.  Some examples include 7 up cans, flat fix cans and more.  I’ve even seen Aquafina water bottles with hidden storage in the middle and water on the outside, and I am totally serious when I say that you can’t even tell that there is a hidden compartment inside.  I’ve also seen shaving cream type safes that actually spray, you guessed it, shaving cream out of the top!  Anyway, this is a really safe way to travel with jewelry, especially car travel. 

So keep one of these hidden safes next to your jewelry organizer.  All of them work equally well, and they are very small, just like the real products they are modeling, so you can stuff them into your suitcase.  Note: Airport security will definitely know what they are, but that’s fine, as long as no thief does!  The next time you are going on a trip, whether it is down the street or over the ocean, you will be thankful to have this nifty travel jewelry organizer with you.  There are other products specifically designed for traveling with jewelry, but I like these, as I said, because no one will know what they are.  If you have the 7 up can in your hotel room, even if someone comes into rummage through your luggage, there is no way they are going to think to look in a can of soda – brilliant!  Safe travels for you and your jewelry!