storage: jewelry favorites

IMG_1345I like to keep my frequently worn jewelry on little plates or salvers on my dresser, readily accessible and just as easily deposited at the end of the day. I mean daily or weekly favored pieces, which I cannot be bothered (and often do not wish) to put in a box or drawer.

I may have a few little trays going, one by the bed, one on the dresser – anyplace I find I would otherwise leave a pile. The selection of featured jewelry varies with my mood, what I aspire to wear, what I habitually wear*, and any number of mysterious factors. The plates, too, get switched out according to my whims, as any little tray or plate-like thing (saucers and more elaborate coasters can work well) will do. I find I like them to have a balance of plainness, such that the jewelry can be quickly discerned and picked out, and luxury, such that they are in themselves objects of beauty, but they may be any material,** and a range of sizes can serve.

*and other little items sneak in; safety pins, perfume vials, rogue buttons

**I’ve been absently browsing for a rectangular stainless steel tray to serve the purpose, as I like that look. Nothing strikes my fancy yet, though.

IMG_1344Here’s the plate of the hour, a beautifully glazed ceramic appetizer plate. In my eyes it was destined from the start to be a jewelry repository. I’m always wondering what other strategies people employ for such tasks. How are you solving the question of what to do with frequently used jewelry? Are you dutifully putting them away in their rightful places? For me that is so unrealistic as to be inconceivable.