My beautiful jewelry armoir – stuffed to the brim with old necklaces, bracelets, extra watchbands and links, small jewelry boxes saved for gifting but still unused…basically a catch-all space for anything in this category.

Essentially, it’s a mess – and even worse, most of the contents I never even wear! Parting with jewelry was an odd and difficult task, but I did it and in doing so reaffirmed my own personal style. 

I started by going through each drawer and getting rid of things that really didn’t belong, such as old papers, small notepads and empty jewelry boxes/cases.

My next step was to take out all items and lay them out by category:

Necklaces
Watches
Bracelets
Earrings
Rings
Miscellaneous – pins, buttons, broaches, etc.

I had a lot of stuff – and more than half of it I hadn’t worn in over a year – at least. I knew it could find a better home elsewhere. Most of the items were costume, but there were a few sterling silver earrings and there was a Brighton necklace I ended up parting with, too.

The results:

• Less clutter in the armoire – a place for everything, and everything in its place
• Ability to take better care of the jewelry I kept – necklaces hung on hooks, earrings laid out instead of bunched together, pearls kept in cloth bags in a separate drawer, etc.
• A more defined sense of style – I know what I like and what looks good on me, and now everything I have is a go-to piece, so I don’t have to spend time sorting through so many options.
• A reminder that more is not always better, sometimes it’s just MORE