You’ve spent a lifetime curating and collecting your precious jewelry, and you don’t want any unfortunate moving incidents to damage your jewels and sentimental baubles! Over the years with the experience that comes with many moves, we’ve finally figured out how to pack jewelry when moving… successfully. Here is the proper way.
Sort your jewelry – all of it
Using packing paper or other large sheets of light-colored paper, lay out all of your jewelry so you can see it. Match up any earrings that have gotten separated and identify any broken pieces or orphaned items. Then, decide how much of it you reallywant to keep. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you wore those bangles? Times have changed. You’ve changed. Take an honest look and decide what pieces you love and what pieces you may just be better off gifting to a friend.
From there, sort your jewelry into categories for easier packing: earrings together, necklaces, and so on.
Gather packing materials & get to it
Wondering how to pack jewelry so it doesn’t tangle or get those terrible kinks in the chain? Or how to keep your earrings from becoming a mess? Avoid one of the classic packing mistakes by using creative packing materials can help you keep things organized and intact.
- Plastic straws: Cut the straw to match the length of the chain when closed. Then thread the chain through the straw and clasp it shut, and voila! No tangles. Thicker chains may require toilet paper or paper towel rolls, which should be clean and can in some cases be used for multiple necklaces.
- Packing paper: Never use newspaper or print to pack your jewelry! It can tarnish fine metals. Use a soft, white or non-colored paper – for earrings, necklaces, everything.
- Plastic wrap: If you have a collection of longer earrings, consider using business cards as a backing and then wrapping each set in plastic wrap. Then, pack each little bundle into a Ziploc bag for safe keeping and organization.
- Egg cartons/pill boxes: These can serve as excellent containers for rings or stud earrings, first wrapping each ring or pair of earrings in packing paper. Once you’ve filled the carton, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap to keep anything from falling out.
- Corrugated cardboard: By poking small holes through the cardboard with earrings and either closing them with a backing or taping the backs in place, you can keep earrings organized easily! Afterward, wrap the whole piece of cardboard in plastic wrap, then in packing paper and…
- Bubble wrap: Of course this is a vital packing material, but even more so for delicate jewelry. Once you’ve packed everything using cardboard, straws, plastic wrap, and so on, pack each collectionin bubble wrap.
Once you’ve carefully packed each of your beloved items, secure them in a few smaller boxes carefully labeled FRAGILE to avoid having them crushed – especially if you’re hiring movers, you want them to know what is what.
Wondering how to pack jewelry for shipping? Follow the instructions above, and then add even more bubble wrap! Ensure the package correctly for what it is actually worth. Or? Keep your jewelry with you, rather than sending it with the movers.
