How to Pack Jewellery for Moving

Packing jewellery when moving home centres on not only protecting your jewels from damage but also ensuring that they do not become tangled or that the backings from earrings get lost.

If you own a jewellery box, then the packing process is easy and you can just skip to that section.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a jewellery box, there are lots of items found around the home that we can use as cheap packing alternatives.

But before we get into the packing process, I would urge you to read the section on security and insurance which contains some vital information that you need to know.

Throughout this article, we will refer to Bubble Wrap® (the trademark of Sealed Air Corporation) and the name by which most people refer to air-filled plastic packaging.

Security and Insurance When Moving Jewellery to Your New Home

Even if your jewellery collection has little monetary value, it is likely to have sentimental value.

For that reason, you should take every precaution to ensure that nothing untoward happens during their relocation.

Here are some essential things to do when moving jewellery to your new home:

#1 Always pack jewellery yourself

Even if you have hired professional packers, pack your jewellery yourself.

Whilst your packing team will be trustworthy and it is extremely rare that anything gets stolen or misplaced during the packing, it is not worth the risk.

It is also worth mentioning that there are items that a removal company cannot move for health and safety or insurance purposes, jewellery being one of the items.

#2 Never mark moving boxes as containing valuables

Of course, you want to know where you packed your jewels, but never label a moving box as containing anything of value.

If you really must label the box, then use a code word that you understand as being your jewellery but nobody else will.

#3 Jewellery must go in your moving day essentials box

Never allow your jewellery to be placed on the removal van.

It is best to pack your jewellery into your moving day essentials box and never let that box out of your sight.

If you are travelling to your new home by car, then ensure that the box that contains your jewellery is well hidden as you are likely to want to take a rest stop on the way there.

If at all possible, never leave your car unattended when it is parked.

#4 Check your insurance

It is essential that you check your insurance policies very carefully.

You should check that you are covered for goods in transit, which means that your jewellery is covered while it is being transported to your new home.

Finally, you should ensure that your jewels are not underinsured.

This is a very common mistake, so if you have any particularly valuable jewels then you might want to get them properly appraised and valued to ensure you have the right level of cover in place.

You may also like to read: Home Moving Insurance – Do I Need It? Not having adequate insurance in place or not understanding the insurance cover that the removal company offers is a common problem for people moving home. In this guide, we share all you need to know about insuring your home move properly.

What to Know and Do Before Packing Your Jewellery for Moving

The first thing you should remember when packing jewellery is that you can’t just throw your valuable pieces into a moving box and expect things to be just fine.

Jewellery pieces are relatively small, extremely fragile, and characteristically delicate, so proper preparation for their safe relocation is always a must.

Luckily for you, we will give you various standard and unusual jewellery packing tips, protective measures, and moving options, so that you can decide for yourself which packing method will best work in your case.

But before we move on to the actual jewellery packing advice, here are a couple of preparation steps that will get you ready for the safe and efficient packing procedure ahead.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Antiques and Collectibles. If you have some antique jewellery you will find this guide useful. It includes advice about getting your antique jewellery properly appraised and also how to pack fragile and valuable antique jewellery.

Declutter your jewellery

Before you get down to packing up your jewellery for moving, go through jewellery and see if there are any pieces that are not really worth packing.

When it comes to packing and protecting such small possessions, it’s not really about the space they will take but rather about the time you will spend on their proper organisation and preparation.

Place a large clean sheet of paper on a flat, hard surface and arrange all your favorite pieces on it. To facilitate the packing process later on, sort out the jewellery you own by type and size.

Sort through your collection by removing any broken pieces with no sentimental value or cheap ones that you will never wear again for various reasons – fashion trends, changes in taste and preferences, etc.

Consider giving away to family or friends any jewellery that’s still in good condition but you have no plans whatsoever to use again.

Gather your packing materials

Of course, you won’t be able to pack your jewellery safely without the necessary packing supplies.

Some of the protective materials are pretty standard while others are strikingly unusual but still easy to find.

#1 Soft packing paper

If you want to make sure your jewellery reaches your new home safe and sound, you’re going to need white packing paper much more often than you think.

Avoid newsprint as the ink can easily ruin a delicate piece of jewellery.

#2 Bubble wrap®

Probably the most useful packing material for your more fragile pieces as far as impact and shock protection are concerned.

#3 Plastic wrap

Also known as stretch tape, a single roll of plastic wrap can do miracles in keeping your jewellery pieces intact during the move.

#4 Jewellery box

If you own a high-quality jewellery box, then the packing process will be a breeze.

However, you’re still going to have to make sure that your valuables AND your protective box stay intact during transportation.

#5 Re-sealable plastic bags

These plastic containers will do a great job of keeping your smaller pieces together.

#6 Index cards/cardboard cards

Gather your no longer usable index cards or cut-out cardboard cards roughly the size of a bank card. Read on to learn what these cards can do for your precious earrings.

#7 Toilet paper rolls

Empty and clean paper rolls are very easy to obtain and surprisingly useful when protecting larger necklaces and bracelets on the move.

#8 Drinking straws

Straws present a truly innovative way of keeping your long-chained jewellery pieces untangled during the house move. See more details below.

#9 Egg cartons

Yes, using egg cartons is a very interesting jewellery transportation idea that has been proven to keep larger rings and earrings pretty safe while they are being transported from one home to another.

#10 Sunglasses cases

It’s best if you have one or two hard sunglasses cases to protect your most fragile pieces, but it’s perfectly fine if you don’t either because of the other good ways to pack jewellery for shipping.

#11 Pill organisers

Day-of-the-week pill organisers can be easily transformed into jewellery organisers. Read on to find out how it’s done.

#12 Rubber bands

Inexpensive rubber bands will help you fasten your tiny wrapped-up bundles and keep them from opening up during transport.

#13 Packing tape

Just ensure that you don’t use tape directly onto jewellery pieces as that could damage their delicate surfaces.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Moving Day Essentials Box. As we mentioned earlier, your jewellery should be placed into your moving day essentials box. In this guide, we suggest things that you may wish to include in your open first box.

How to Pack Jewellery for Moving

When packing jewellery for moving, you need a good systematic approach that will ensure that your precious pieces stay perfectly safe regardless of how rough the actual transportation turns out to be.

Apply the main principles of our jewellery packing system to increase peace of mind.

You may also like to read: The Top 10 Most Common Packing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. In this guide, we reveal the top 10 most common packing mistakes and how to avoid making those mistakes yourself.

How to pack a jewellery box

If you have a padded, compartmentalised jewellery box, then it is very straightforward to pack.

#1 Ensure your jewellery is seated in its padded compartment

Ensure that each piece of jewellery is securely pushed into its padded section so that it cannot slip out during transportation.

#2 Insert padding

Once everything is securely in place, place a piece of folded bubble wrap® on the top before closing the lid.

This will ensure that nothing can move about even if the box were to be turned upside down.

#3 Wrap the box

Now wrap the entire box in bubble wrap® and seal with packing tape to create a tight bundle.

#4 Place inside your essentials box

Now all you have to do is place that package inside your moving day essentials box, ensuring that it cannot move about inside the box.

You may also like to read: The Top 10 Most Frequently Damaged Items During a Home Move. In this guide, we reveal the top most commonly damaged items during a home move and what you can do to prevent any damage during your home move.

How to pack necklaces and bracelets

The major concern when moving necklaces with long chains and chain bracelets is the possibility of entanglement and consequent breakage.

Needless to say, these two unfortunate scenarios should and can be avoided through proper jewellery packing techniques.

#1 Packing necklaces with straws

The very first step is to protect the chains of your favorite necklaces and bracelets. Simply take a standard drinking straw in your hand, cut it (if necessary) with scissors to match the length of the chain you’re about to protect, slip one half of the chain in question through the straw, and clasp it shut.

#2 Packing necklaces with empty toilet roll holders

For necklaces and bracelets with thicker chains that refuse to go through straws, use clean toilet/kitchen paper rolls.

#3 Fix in place

Now that the chain won’t get tangled, use plastic wrap to fix it in place, and then wrap the entire piece carefully with packing paper.

If the chained necklace or bracelet is extremely delicate, consider using bubble wrap® instead of thin plastic wrap.

You need to ensure that the wrapped bundles won’t open while on the road, so use tape over the packing paper or rubber bands to secure each individual package.

#4 Box

It’s best to arrange your protected pieces into a jewellery box, but if you don’t own one, small plastic re-sealable bags should do the trick as a final level of protection, including from moisture.

You may also like to read: How to Pack and Move Things Your Removal Company Can’t. Even if you have hired a removal company, there are certain things they cannot pack and move for insurance or health and safety reasons, jewellery being one of those items. In this guide, we explain what the prohibited items are and how you can pack and move them yourself.

How to pack earrings

Earrings are rather delicate and finding them entangled or hooked together will usually be the least of your worries.

The extra fragile stones and thin hooks are much more prone to damage when moving to another home, so safe jewellery packing steps are required.

#1 Secure earrings into a card

You can use bank card-sized cardboard pieces or ready index cards to safeguard your long earrings during the house move.

Using a pin or a needle, poke a couple of holes into the card, attach one pair of your earrings by inserting the hooks through the tiny openings, and tape the hooks on the back to keep them from falling off.

Use masking tape or low tack tape to secure them in place without damaging the finish of the earrings.

Then, wrap it with packing paper or bubble wrap®, tape it shut, and place it into a suitable carrier.

#2 Pack earrings in pill dispensers

Smaller earrings and stud earrings will be perfectly safe inside pill organisers, hard sunglasses cases, or re-sealable plastic bags.

However, individual paired packing is still a must before they can be placed in their final moving containers.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Bedroom for Moving. In this guide, we offer packing tips for every item commonly found in a bedroom.

How to pack rings

Some rings look totally indestructible while others can be extremely delicate and prone to damage (usually the ones with stones).

#1 Protect individually

Wrap each ring you own in extra soft packing paper or in a small patch of bubble wrap®.

#2 Secure the package

Tape well the small bundle to avoid its accidental opening during the move.

#3 You can also use an egg carton

Having made sure that the latter is totally clean and in good overall condition, place each bundled ring into an individual egg carton cup or place several smaller ones into one compartment.

When you’re done arranging your rings, lay some cotton or small pieces of packing paper on top of each cup and wrap the entire carton with plastic wrap to keep the jewellery pieces in place.

#4 Pack using hard cases for glasses

If you own a hard case from (sun)glasses and you don’t currently need it, then you can use it to pack your jewellery in.

Don’t forget to pack your pieces using steps 1 and 2 before placing them into the hard cover case.

#5 Pack using pill organisers

Pill organisers will also serve as a good ring carrier for you, especially for your smaller pieces. Again, make sure they are well protected with packing paper or bubble wrap®.

For more packing tips and advice to make your home move cheaper, easier, and safer, be sure to visit our home moving blog.

Good luck with your home move!