When you love a piece of jewelry, you might find yourself wearing it as much as possible. Unfortunately, over time, all of that use can be hard on your delicate items, and damage like loose prongs, broken links, or general tarnish can result. Your pieces are at an even higher risk of injury as you wait for repairs, since it can be difficult to avoid losing pieces you aren't wearing regularly. Here are three ways to keep jewelry safe while you wait for your repair appointment.   

1. Take It Off

While you might not worry too much about a slightly loose diamond or a bracelet link that seems bent, it is important to take jewelry off and store it while you wait for your repair date. Removing damaged jewelry can help you to avoid losing the pieces, since damaged items are at a higher risk for being knocked loose off of your body. 

Consider storing damaged jewelry in a jewelry box or another safe space in your home. If the pieces are high-value items, you could even stash them in your safe deposit box or a locked file cabinet until the day you need to bring them to the jeweler. 

2. Keep Pieces Together

If the jewelry item has broken into multiple parts, keep them all together in a zip-top plastic bag to prevent loss. While you might be tempted to store things like chains and pendants in separate places, keeping items together makes it much easier to grab jewelry when you do head off to the jeweler, and keeps you from accidentally losing parts of your jewelry piece prior to their repair. 

3. Watch for Environmental Hazards

Every home has a different list of hazards, especially when it comes to protecting jewelry. While small kids and pets could raise your risk of misplacing items, leaving your jewelry around water sources like toilets and sinks could also pose problems, since water can cause tarnish and discoloration. When you store items awaiting repair, try to keep them in a cool, dry, dark place to prevent rust, tarnish, and staining. 

Remember, professional repairs are crucial for keeping jewelry safe in the long run, since well-repaired jewelry will stay in better shape. When you meet with a jewelry repair professional, talk with them about what they will be using as repair components and how they will keep the issue from happening again. By working with an expert, you can rest assured that your jewelry will stay beautiful and functional.