Velvet Jewelry Trays For Drawers
If you love your jewelry, you'll want it to look like new for years. The best way to preserve its beauty is to protect it from scratches, not only when you're wearing it, but also when you store it. Placing it in bare wooden drawers is asking for trouble, because most jewelry metal is soft and just being next to a hard surface can easily leave miniscule scratches. Put enough of these minor scratches together over time and they begin to make your jewelry seem worn and old. Instead place your jewelry in velvet lined trays and place the tray in your drawer.
Metal Hardness
- Silver - 2.5 hardness on the Mohs Scale
- 24k Gold - 2.5 hardness
- 18k Gold - 2.75 hardness
- 14k Gold - 3-4 hardness
- Platinum - 3.5 hardness
- Stainless Steel - 6.5 hardness
Compare the hardness of traditional jewelry metals, silver, gold and platinum to the hardness of stainless steel. We use stainless steel to make items we handle with very little regard like the interior of a sink, kitchen utensils and flatware. With a hardness of 6.5, we do not have to worry about damaging stainless steel items. However jewelry is generally less than half as hard and must be treated with far more care.
Consequently, when storing jewelry, a lined drawer is far better than a bare wooden drawer. The lining will protect the surface of your jewelry if it is soft enough. The lining should not be made of wool or some cotton and polyester blends. Both of these fibers can become hardened over time. Look for fibers that have a very soft hand.
It helps if the lining also has a nap, like a velvet. Velvet lined jewelry boxes have been in existence for decades because it’s a known fact that such a surface extends the flaw-free appearance of a piece of jewelry, the softer the velvet, the better. Select velvets with a high nap and made from soft fibers. If you store your jewelry in a chest you can buy velvet lined jewelry trays to fit inside.
Velvet lined jewelry trays can be stored in a multitude of locations and your jewelry will always be protected. Place the trays inside a drawer or a safe. If you have very valuable jewelry, it should be kept under lock and key to protect it from theft. Still, if it gets damaged while being stored it will begin to lose its value. Using the velvet lined trays will add the protection your jewelry needs no matter where you store it.