Storing Pearls and Other Fine Jewelry

Cultured pearls are soft and require special attention. They should be stored in a special chamois or velvet pouch and cleaned and dried prior to storage.

While pearls should not be allowed to get soaking wet, they do still need moisture, or they will become brittle and crack. They should never be stored in direct sunlight or extreme heat. Sealed plastic bags are also not a good idea, as they do not allow moisture in. Safe deposit boxes and plastic boxes are also usually dry, so if you store your pearls in one, be sure to take them out periodically and expose them to moisture.

Do:

• Consider purchasing a "false-bottom container" to protect your precious jewelery items. Remember to keep these containers in realistic places in your house, and make sure they are not mistakenly thrown away if they appear to be empty.
• Consider installing a secure home safe. A safe that can be permanently mounted in your home, in concrete, provides better protection than a small movable safe and can be hooked to alarm system.
• When traveling, always use a hotel or ship safe or security vault for your expensive jewelery items.
• Carry expensive items with you on board planes, ships or trains. Do not put them in checked luggage.
• Place jewelery that you don't wear often in a bank vault. The insurance savings can be substantial.

Don't:

• Keep precious jewelery items in your bedroom. Master bedrooms are always the first place burglars go after breaking in to a home.
• Keep jewelry in your freezer. A lot of theives are wise to this trick too.
• Keep your most expensive jewelery items in a jewelery box. Once in the bedroom, it's the first place they look. Keep only inexpensive and costume jewelery items there.
• Pack jewelery in your luggage - ever.
• Wear or carry valuables at the pool or on the beach.
• Use pockets in your clothes to hide your rings.