Have you lost the count of the jewelry pieces that you own? Moving will present you with the perfect opportunity to go through your jewelry and visit all those lovely memories you made with each of the pieces. But you wouldn’t want all these jewelry pieces to get damaged or lost during the move now, would you?

Packing your jewelry is not as simple as packing your clothes for a move. These pieces are more valuable and delicate than any other items in your house as a result of which you need to be careful while packing them. Tighten your seatbelts because it is time to get creative and learn about some useful hacks on how to pack jewelry for moving.

Things to do Before you Start Packing Jewelry

Always remember that jewelry pieces have to be handled by you and only you. They are valuable to you and no one else will handle them with the same amount of care as you do. After all, you don’t want them to be broken beyond repairs or tangled in a way that gives you nightmares. Before you start packing your jewelry, you have to do some things that will make your packing job easy. What are these things? Well, let us find out!

1. Sorting Out your Jewelry:

There is a high possibility that you might have accumulated a lot of jewelry pieces over the years. While you might have used some pieces over and over again, some pieces might be damaged or broken. You wouldn’t want to spend your time packing up such items so it is advisable to sort out your jewelry before you move. In this way, you can get rid of the stuff that you aren’t going to use after you move into your new place.

For this, lay out a clean piece of cloth or paper on a flat surface and place all your jewelry on it. Create categories within which each piece will be placed. For instance, the categories could be ‘broken and to be thrown away’, ‘to be packed for the move’, or ‘to be given away’. Go through each piece of jewelry and place them into the respective categories.

Once you have the pieces that are broken, you can dispose them of or send them for repair. How you get rid of these items depends on how valuable they are. There might be some pieces that you never wear. Maybe your fashion sense has changed or maybe you never liked that piece. All these items can either be donated or given to your family members or friends. If you want to make money from them, you can also choose to sell these pieces online.

Coming to the pile of jewelry that you do want to pack, sort it out further. Keep earrings, necklaces, anklets, bracelets, rings, etc., in separate groups. Do you know why we are telling you to segregate these pieces? It is because different items have to be stored in different ways in order to ensure that they remain undamaged during the move. Sorting them out will only make your work easier.

2. Time to make an Inventory:

Now is the time to count and create a physical record of all the jewelry pieces you own. Misplacing an item while moving is quite easy because jewelry pieces are generally very small. Creating an inventory will help you to list down your stuff and keep track of what is placed where. While you list down your items, make sure that you include a small description of the item besides its name.

You will agree to the fact that creating a list will help you to make sure that you are not leaving anything behind. Later on, the inventory can also be used to check whether all the items have arrived safely at your new house.

You know what’s the best way to inventory jewelry? You simply have to take pictures of each and every item and store them in a folder on your computer or on some cloud (like Google Drive). In this way, you will know what exactly you own. Additionally, if you do end up losing something, you will be able to quickly point out what you lost.

3. Find Out its Value:

Jewelry is expensive, we can’t emphasize this enough. If you own gold, silver, or diamond jewelry, you should be aware of the fact that the price of these items tends to fluctuate.

Before you start packing your items, you need to get your items appraised so that you know how much they currently cost. This will be useful in case your item gets lost and the mover has to replace or reimburse you for it. Before you move, make sure that you know the value of each and every item that you are moving.

4. Getting it Insured:

Everyone talks about purchasing insurance when they move. Do you know why insurance should be purchased during your move? It is because you need to safeguard your belongings, especially your valuables like your jewelry.

The first thing to do before moving is to get your valuables insured. You might not know this but your homeowners’ and renters’ insurance does cover your moves, so check those policies before purchasing extra insurance. If the coverage offered by those policies isn’t enough, be prepared to purchase additional insurance. After all, you can’t predict unfortunate incidents and accidents, right?

Also Read: Importance of Moving Insurance

5. Collecting Packing Supplies:

You will need different types of packing supplies to ensure that your jewelry stays safe during the move. Confused about which supplies you might need? Here is a list of packing supplies required to pack jewelry.

  • Wrapping Paper: Make sure that this paper is white (don’t use printed paper) and acid-free
  • Plastic Wrap: This is ideal when you need to pack tiny items.
  • Bubble Wrap: As you already know, your jewelry pieces might be delicate. Bubble wrap will protect your stuff from getting damaged.
  • Cardboard: You can find this at any stationery store.
  • Small Plastic Bags: Small Ziplocs can be used to store your jewelry categorically.
  • Rubber Bands: These can be used to bundle items like necklaces or bracelets together.
  • Cases/Boxes (Small or Big): It is better to store jewelry inside sturdy cases.
  • Packing Tape: This has to be used while you are wrapping some protective layers around your jewelry.

Easy Techniques to Pack Jewelry for Moving

To be honest, packing jewelry for moving is a pretty simple job. It is more of creative work rather than an organizational challenge. You might wonder, what are the easiest ways to pack your jewelry for moving? Well, if you ask us, the simplest thing to do to keep your jewelry safe during a move is to purchase a jewelry box.

A jewelry box is generally designed to make the storage of jewelry pieces easy. The outer body of the box is sturdy because it is made out of wood or metal. However, the inside of the box is exactly the opposite. It is divided into several compartments and is equipped with soft padding. This ensures that your items don’t break even if the box falls down or is tossed around by someone.

If you have a jewelry box, all you have to do is place your jewelry pieces in different compartments. For instance, you can place all the rings into one compartment, all the earrings in another, and so on. Once you do that, add extra padding if there is space remaining in any of the compartments. This will ensure that the piece will not shift and break during the move.

Once you are done packing it, you close the box and lock it. Even though the box is sturdy from the outside, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need extra protection. Use two layers of bubble wrap to secure the box. This will ensure that it remains untouched by moisture and dirt. Voila! You are done!

Now, the sheer number of items you own might lead you to buy multiple jewelry boxes. You should know one thing. These boxes aren’t that cheap. You can’t just go on a buying spree, especially if you are concerned about your moving budget. So, what do you do in such a situation? Well, this is where you can use all the creativity that is oozing from your brains. Let us have a look at how different kinds of jewelry pieces can be packed for moving.

1. Be the Lord of the Rings:

It is a well-known fact that rings are the easiest to pack. They don’t tangle at all and they don’t even break easily. All you have to do is find suitable containers to put your rings in and that’s it! Let us look at the different types of containers that will hold your rings during the move.

2. Spectacle/Sunglass Cases:

These cases are generally sturdy and hard. They don’t even open easily so you don’t have to worry about your rings falling off. All you have to do is wrap up each of your rings in wrapping paper or plastic wrap. Then you simply have to place as many rings as you can in each of your cases.

3. Egg Carton:

This might seem a little bit weird or even funny but egg cartons work really well for storing items like rings and earrings. This is because you can add padding as well as compartmentalize your jewelry. Just place some padding or some wrapping paper at the bottom of each egg compartment. Then, place your rings in it.

Once that is done, just cover each compartment with some padding or wrapping paper again and close the lid. Lastly, wrap the entire carton with wrapping paper/plastic wrap and bubble wrap. That’s it, you are good to go!

4. Pill Organizer:

You can even use your pill organizer to store your rings. These containers are smaller and work perfectly if you own only a few rings. Place your rings inside the container, and shut it securely. Then wrap the entire container so that it does not open even if it moves or falls down during the move.

3. Creating the Earring Station:

Earrings are very easy to misplace, don’t you agree? The most annoying part about it is that you might lose one earring from each pair and then you can’t even use whatever is left with you. What if we told you that you can move without losing even one piece of an earring? Well, it’s possible and let’s see how.

4. Buttons:

Did you ever think that buttons could be used to store your earrings? In fact, buttons work out really well if you want to store smaller earrings or studs. If you have noticed, buttons generally have small holes on them. Just stick your earrings in these holes and place the earring screw from the other side. These buttons can then be gathered together wrapped in plastic wrap and bubble wraps. After this, you can stuff these packs in a bag or place them in a Ziploc bag.

5. Cardboard or Business Cards:

Nothing can get simpler than punching tiny holes in cardboard or business cards and sticking your earrings on them. You can use something like a safety pin to poke these holes. While the cardboard can be used to stick bigger earring with hooks, business cards can be used to stick smaller earring and studs which have screws.

Once you are done sticking your earrings to the cardboards, apply some tape from the other side to secure the hooks in place. Then wrap the entire board in plastic wrap/wrapping paper and bubble wrap. Similarly, stack up all your business cards and wrap them up together with wrapping paper and bubble wrap.

6. Pill Organizer:

Pill organizers are the best kind of containers to store your earrings. They have compartments that can be used to store different types of earrings. However, you will have to use these pill organizers to store the tinier earrings as the bigger ones might not fit in them. Once you fill-up the organizer with your earrings, you can simply wrap up the container in wrapping paper and bubble wrap.

7. Untangled with Necklaces and Bracelets:

If you pack your necklaces and bracelets properly, you can assume that you have already conquered the battle. What we mean by this is that if you don’t pack these items properly, they will probably get lost or worst tangled, and getting them untangled might seem impossible sometimes. However, if you pack them properly, you can sit back and relax while you unpack them in your new home. Here are some ways in which you can pack necklaces.

8. Toilet Paper Rolls:

You simply have to take an empty toilet paper roll, some of your larger necklaces, and bracelets that have longer chains. Slip the chains and the necklaces through the roll and then clasp the ends securely. This will ensure that the necklaces and bracelets don’t get tangled.

See Also: Top 10 Things People Forget To Pack When Moving | How To Pack Lamps and Lampshades For Moving

9. Straws:

These can be used for smaller lockets and bracelets. You simply have to slip a necklace through the straw and then clasp the ends securely. In this way, you can use several straws to store each necklace and bracelet separately.

10. Wrapping it up:

Now assume that you have put your jewelry around the straws and the toilet paper roll. Are you just going to throw them in a box just like that after this? No, the process isn’t over yet. Now you have to bunch up the straws and wrap them up in (non-acidic and plain) wrapping paper or plastic wrap. You have to wrap up each of the toilet paper rolls as well. This ensures that they all remain firm and don’t move much. Now, you have to wrap the whole thing with bubble wrap. This ensures that your jewelry stays away from any kind of harm.

11. Packing Tapes and Rubber Bands:

Once you wrap your jewelry, use packing tapes or rubber bands to hold the wrapping paper and bubble wrap around your jewelry. You need to maintain the integrity of the structure of the packet so that the jewelry inside the pack doesn’t start moving.

12. Plastic Bags:

You can now use Ziploc bags to store these jewelry packets. If you have several small bags, you could also wrap up each piece separately and put them into individual Ziploc bags.

Packing Jewelry for Moving: Useful Tips

1. Label Everything:

If you don’t label your stuff, you might forget what items are kept in what box. However, don’t label the box as ‘jewelry’ or ‘valuables’. We know that you might trust your movers, but you shouldn’t risk your jewelry getting stolen. Don’t announce the location of your jewelry to the world.

You can label your jewelry box with a code word such as ‘pantry’ or ‘kitchen cabinet’, etc., instead. This would throw people off and they wouldn’t be able to steal your valuables even if they wanted to.

2. Being Careful:

Even if you get full-service movers, you will have to move around a thing or two yourself because you are the only one who knows the perfect place for each of your belongings. Don’t wear any jewelry on yourself while you do things like lifting up your objects. Some items might get stuck and break during the process.

3. Keep Everything with you:

It would be ideal if you don’t pack your jewelry and send it with your movers. You should know which jewelry is inexpensive and which one is really valuable (price-wise and emotionally as well). Keep all the valuables with you at all times. Pack them into your handbag or suitcases if you want. Moreover, don’t put jewelry into storage as well. The reason behind that is so that you can avoid the possibility of it getting stolen or lost from there.

4. DIY is Important:

Even if you hire full-service movers, don’t let them pack your jewelry. Sometimes it’s better to do things by yourself. Pack all your jewelry before they arrive at your house so that they don’t have any idea about where and how you have stored your jewelry.

Final Thoughts

Planning meticulously is key to have a successful move. When it comes to jewelry, your ultimate goal is to make sure that your jewelry reaches your house safely without getting stolen, broken, or misplaced. Your planning and perfect execution will not only keep your jewelry safe but will also save you from hours of anger, irritation, and eventual sadness. So, make sure that you give yourself time to plan everything well!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do with old jewelry you don’t want?

You stop using certain jewelry pieces either because they are old and outdated (fashion-wise) or they might be broken. If these pieces are studded with real gems, you could take them to a jeweler. The jeweler will then use the pieces to construct another piece of jewelry or string the gemstones into a bracelet or a necklace.

On the other hand, if your old jewelry does not have any real gemstones or valuable metals, it is probably super inexpensive. You could either send it for recycling or toss it out in the trash depending on the material used to make it.

How do you pack jewelry for donation?

The way you pack jewelry for donation is pretty similar to packing jewelry for a move. Firstly, store different pieces in the appropriate container. For instance, necklaces go around toilet paper rolls, earrings go on cardboard or into pill organizers and rings go into sunglass cases or egg cartons. Make sure you wrap all the individual pieces with wrapping paper and wrap the containers in bubble wrap. Lastly, these packs can be placed into a box that has to be sent for donation.

Also Read: Top National Moving Companies in U.S.