A signet ring kept in a drawer is not an heirloom. It is an artefact. The distinction matters: heirlooms are made by use, not preservation.
Wear the watch. Have it serviced every five years by someone who knows the movement. A patina is the only finish a piece like this should acquire.
Wear the pearls — yes, in daylight. Cultured pearls of any age soften with skin contact; locked in a velvet box, they dull.
The pieces that survive us survive because they were loved, not because they were spared.
