How to Pack Jewelry for Moving: 9 Tips & Tricks

Jewelry is one of moving’s greatest frustrations. On the one hand, you’re worried about breaking it or someone stealing it and dealing with the emotional fallout of losing your valuables. If it does show up intact, you now have to deal with a tangled mess because you didn’t pack your necklaces correctly!

It’s a lot to manage, but some simple tricks can make getting your jewelry from point A to point B much more efficient. Make your next relocation a little less aggravating by using these tips to pack your jewelry for moving.

The 9 Tips & Tricks for Packing Jewelry

1. Invest in a Jewelry Roll

Jewelry rolls are perhaps the most efficient tool for moving jewelry because they’re specifically designed for it. These handy travel companions feature separate compartments for secure, separated, and tangle-free storage for necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and more.

A quality jewelry roll typically costs less than $20. You can find many that roll up and clasp, while others feature a folio style.

2. Thread Necklaces Through Straws to Prevent Tangles

Save yourself from frustration and use straws to keep necklaces from becoming tangled. Thread your necklace through a straw and clasp it, cutting the straw down to size as necessary to fit it. Use a paper towel or aluminum foil tube to move larger jewelry pieces.

If you need to store multiple necklaces, you can use a washcloth as a makeshift jewelry roll. Put the straws with the necklaces evenly spaced in a line across the washcloth. Roll it up, wrapping the washcloth around each straw to prevent any jewelry or straws from touching. Hold the rolled-up cloth in place with a rubber band.

3. Use Egg Cartons

Egg cartons are another handy item to store necklaces without worrying about tangles. Thread them through the holes in the top of the carton and clasp them.

You can keep several necklaces neatly organized on one egg carton. Best of all, you can open the egg carton and use the cups to separate small items like rings, bracelets, and earrings.

Fill an egg carton with your valuables, topping off each cup with a wad of paper or a cotton ball to keep them from shifting out of place. Clearly label the container, and communicate with your family members as needed to ensure they don’t accidentally throw it away.

4. Store Earrings in Pieces of Foam or Buttons

A small sheet of rigid foam can effectively store all of your earrings, keeping them from mixing and tangling or from getting away from their partner. A foam plate will also work fine, as will a piece of cardboard.

Alternatively, you can keep earrings together by hooking them through the holes of loose buttons. After arranging your earrings on the foam board or buttons, wrap them in packing paper and store them in a moving box or bag.

5. Use a Pill Case for Small Jewelry

A repurposed pill case is the perfect tool for storing and organizing small valuables like rings and earrings. They are more secure than egg cartons and will last much longer for multiple uses.

6. Use Ziploc Bags to Avoid Mixed Jewelry

Use snack-size plastic Ziploc bags to easily store your necklaces or any other small piece of jewelry. You’ll prevent items from shifting during transport and becoming tangled in or scratching one another. They also ensure paired pieces such as earrings don’t separate. Place all your jewelry bags in a larger bag to keep them together.

7. Take an Inventory

Before moving, write a list of all your jewelry and take pictures of each item. When you get to the new home, check your valuables against your list to ensure everything arrived in good condition.

8. Try to Keep Valuables Close

Always keep your jewelry with you if you’re hiring a moving company or enlisting friends. Pack it yourself and move it in your car to the new home. When you can’t keep your jewelry with you, consider storing the jewelry in inconspicuous packaging and mislabeling the boxes to keep anyone from finding it.

9. Try to Get Moving Insurance

Whether you’re moving your jewelry by yourself or leaving it with your moving company, get moving insurance on it. Homeowner’s insurance may not cover it if you’re moving. With a one-time insurance plan, you can protect it from loss or damage while in transit or storage.

Moving companies offer valuations to cover the replacement value of goods, but you must be careful with jewelry. With their coverage, movers typically only cover jewelry to a maximum amount, which may be much less than what yours is worth. However, they may be able to set you up with a third-party insurer who can get you enhanced coverage on your valuables.

If you’re moving without hired help, you may also be able to get special trip-transit insurance to cover your valuables. Your current homeowner’s insurance company is an excellent place to start looking for moving insurance.

Final Thoughts

With the upheaval of a move, it’s easy for numerous items to break or go missing in the flurry of activity. The last thing anyone wants is for that lost item to be a family heirloom or expensive trinket. Follow these tips and tricks to pack jewelry for moving, and you can be confident your treasured items will arrive safe and sound.

• Related Read: How to Store Earrings: 13 Helpful Tips

Featured Image Credit: kropekk_pl, Pixabay