How to Store Valuable and Fragile Items: The Do’s and Don’ts
Whether you’ve bought a brand-new collection of expensive wigs, a pricey Ralph Lauren suit or a registered Rolex watch, it’s important to know how to store your prized possessions once they’re in your hands. There’s nothing worse than tearing a wig or wearing a hole in a Gucci bag! If you’re wondering how to keep jewellery safe when traveling or how to store expensive watches, look no further than our handy guide on storing your valuables correctly.
How to Store Jewellery
Whether you’re setting aside a potential engagement ring or storing a necklace set with diamonds and sapphires, storing your jewellery safely is paramount to maintaining its integrity. Incorrect storage can cause corrosion in the metal, fade the colours of stones and tangle loose components together.
When you purchase an expensive item – especially a designer piece – you’ll be given a purpose-built box or a bag to keep it in. We recommend keeping your items in the original box where possible, unless its integrity has been compromised by mould, damp or damage. If you can’t use the original box, here are a few methods of storing necklaces, earrings and rings to keep them as safe as possible.
How to Store Necklaces
Necklaces are at a heightened risk of getting tangled. Storing them together – or even alone! – in a box or a bag could result in you spending hours trying to unknot delicate chains without breaking the fragile links. Necklaces should always be stored hanging, or with the chain threaded through a soft padded board. Never put your necklaces in the same box as other jewellery, or store them with the chain left loose.
How to Store Earrings
Earrings should be kept as stationary as possible to avoid being pulled, bent or broken in the box. You can buy special boxes with roll inserts to keep both drop earrings and studs from sliding around and getting damaged. Make sure to avoid shaking it around or stacking items on top of it, and open it carefully every time you need to. If your earrings are very valuable, you may want to consider storing them on their own rather than in a communal jewellery box.
How to Store Rings
An engagement ring is one of the most exciting purchases of your life, but it’s very rarely bought at the same time you give it! It’s more likely that you’ll be stashing it away in secret preparation ready for the big day. Luckily, it’s relatively easy to store a ring if you have the original box to hand. Simply make sure that it’s set aside away from foot traffic and nothing has been stacked on top of the box – you wouldn’t want the ring to bend!
How to Store Expensive Handbags
If you’ve splashed out for a Gucci, Balenciaga, Birkin or Valentino, you’ll want to protect them with your very life. The best way to do this is by storing them correctly – as long as you’re careful when you take them out on the town! Expensive handbags should be stored in a dust bag when they’re not in use, and shouldn’t be allowed to touch other bags or the wall for fear of leaving marks. Make sure that the humidity in the room isn’t too high, and keep good air flow moving through the area to avoid mould and damp building up – something that can happen in any home, no matter the price!
How to Store Expensive Clothes
All clothes are different. Between materials, weight and dye lot, you’ll have to pay close attention to what your individual pieces need before you try to store them. Light clothes should be hung in a wardrobe on plastic hangers, while heavy garments need to be folded and stored to avoid warping under their own weight. Wire hangers can damage and discolour clothes, while a lack of air flow can cause any storage to become mildewed and ruin fabric. Moths can be kept away with cedar and lavender pouches, or discouraged with purpose-made strips attached to the doors of your wardrobes.
How to Store Valuable Books
Climate control is vital to the safe storage of books. Damp, mould and insects can ruin fragile paper, and it can be difficult to rebind a book with damaged pages. Keep your books in a room with good airflow but no drafts, and avoid packing them in too tightly for fear of causing damage when you move or remove them from the shelf. Avoid pressing them against external walls, and keep an eye on the humidity of the room at all times to stop them from degrading in the wrong conditions.
How to Store Fragile Ornaments
You should store fragile ornaments the same way you’d ship them – very carefully! Pack them in with bubble wrap and cushioning materials like packing peanuts, kitchen roll and fabric. When you’re boxing them up, make sure to fill every nook and cranny with soft material, and avoid leaving wiggle room for the ornaments to jostle about. Pack them in firmly, but not too close together – if any two ornaments touch, they could smash when the box is jolted.
Finding Safe Storage for Valuable Items
When you’re storing valuable items, you’ll want to make sure they’re as safe and protected as possible. That includes keeping them out of harm’s way – especially if your home sees a lot of foot traffic! Sometimes the best option is to hire a storage unit to keep your items as safe and secure as possible.
Posted on 15th July 2022 by Attic Storage | Last updated on 16th April 2025
