Your precious jewelry not only includes your most delicate possessions, but presumably includes some of your most expensive ones as well, and certainly, many of your pieces of jewelry are sentimental and important to you for one reason or another. In fact, some pieces of jewelry are family heirlooms that are irreplaceable. Therefore, moving them is never as easy as tossing them in box because you could damage them during transit, as moving trucks can make for a bumpy ride. Our following guide provides you with the solutions you need to safely pack your rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

Protecting Your Earrings from Damage When Packing for a Move

Earrings get tangled and hooked together during a move if you do not take precautions. To avoid damaged earrings while moving here are some suggestions to keep them safe:

Pill organizers are perfect for storing or packing you earrings. Place one pair of earrings in each of the separated slots, and then thoroughly wrap the pill organizer in bubble wrap or packing paper. This method works for smaller earrings and studs.

When you purchased your earrings, they were probably attached to a plastic or paper card to protect them during transportation to the store. We assume you did not keep your earring cards, but you can recreate them with cardboard. Cut out cards from a cardboard box, and use a pin to poke two holes in the card. Then, attach a pair of earrings to the card and tape the hooks to the card so the earrings and hooks do not become displaced. You can also use business cards instead of cardboard. This is a good approach to take for long and dangly earrings.

Once your earrings are stable and protected on a card, organize them in your jewelry box. If you do not have a jewelry box, place each set of earrings in a Ziploc bag and securely place them in a small padded box, such as a shoebox, before wrapping the box with bubble wrap or packing paper.

Protecting Your Rings from Damage When Packing for a Move

You might not think rings need special treatment, but stones and gems can fall out if you are not careful. Here are a few approaches to take to protect your rings and ensure they do not get lost:

A pill organizer works in the same way for earrings as it does for finger-rings.

An egg carton is a great place to place your rings for safe transportation. Use a clean and sturdy carton, and put one ring in each individual cup. After placing rings in each cup, fill the rest of the space with packing paper or cotton, close the box, tape it closed, and wrap the entire carton with bubble wrap or packing paper to secure and protect it. This method also works for earrings.

Do you have a hard sunglasses case? It is the perfect size to transport your ring collection. Wrap each ring in packing paper, place the rings inside the sunglasses case, place additional packing paper in the empty areas of the case, tape the case closed, and wrap it with bubble wrap or packing paper for additional cushioning.

Protecting Your Bracelets and Necklaces from Damage When Packing for a Move

Bracelets and necklaces present the biggest problem of all jewelry because chains become tangled easily on themselves or with other jewelry. The untangling process is difficult, and it often becomes impossible, as the chain breaks, ruining the necklace or bracelet. Here are some tips for keeping your bracelets and necklaces safe during your move:

Use drinking straws to safely secure your bracelets and necklaces and keep them from getting tangled. Take a regular drinking straw and cut it if needed for bracelets or short necklaces. Slide the chain through the straw and clasp the end, so that the necklace or chain stays straight when it is packed.

For thick necklaces and bracelets that do not fit in drinking straws, use toilet paper rolls.

Use bubble wrap, packing paper, or plastic wrap to wrap each necklace or bracelet to cushion the piece against any impact. Do not use newspaper on any piece of jewelry because the paper’s ink can transfer onto the jewelry and stain it.

After wrapping your necklaces and bracelets, secure them gently with elastic rubber bands, so they stay together during the move.

Organize, Sell, and Donate Your Jewelry Before Moving

The process of packing your jewelry truly begins with a proper organization of your entire collection. Begin sorting your jewelry by laying out large sheets of paper on a table or the floor, and putting them in groups according to the above sections. In other words, each type of jewelry is packed in a unique way, so it is important to group your earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

You might even consider selling a few of your seldom-used jewelry pieces that do not have any sentimental value. There are many options for selling your seldom-used jewelry in the Internet age, and you can make a nice chunk of change that you can use to help with your moving expenses.

The first thing you will want to do is appraise the jewelry that you are selling. Consignment jewelry shops and boutiques can handle this for you. They are experts at evaluating the worth of your jewelry, so assign them the task, and they will give you a portion of the selling price when one of their customers makes a purchase. If you do not want to deal with a jewelry store or a consignment store, use one of the many selling apps that are available. Some popular places for selling jewelry include the following:

Craigslist
Amazon Marketplace
Facebook buy and sell groups
eBay
Etsy
Letgo
OfferUp

A garage sale or yard sale is another good option if you live in a house and the choice is available. You can set prices, barter with people on the spot, not worry about shipping costs, or scheduling times for pickups, and there are no commission fees. Along with your jewelry, you can sell all of your unwanted or seldom used clothing, furniture, and electronics.

Donating your jewelry is another option. Most charity organizations offer free curbside pickup if you have enough items to make it worthwhile to them, such as a piece of furniture, a few trash bags or boxes full of clothing, along with your jewelry items. Collect all of your donated items, schedule a pick-up, and save time on packing and moving them, as well as saving space in your new home. Also, remember to get a donation voucher from the charity and deduct your donation’s estimated value from your yearly taxes.

How to Pack Your Jewelry in Your Jewelry Box

Jewelry boxes are designed to protect your jewelry, so if you have one you have an advantage over those who do not. Jewelry boxes have two layers of protection. The first line of defense is on the inside, which is lined with thick felt or other cloth that is also soft. Second, the outside is protected by wood, metal, or some other durable material. Therefore, if your jewelry is properly organized within the box, it is pretty safe, though transporting it does create a higher degree of danger. When using your jewelry box to transport your jewelry during a move, follow these steps:

Jewelry boxes have separate compartment for your jewelry, so use the separate sections correctly and do not overfill them with pieces of jewelry that can tangle or clank together.

It is still important to cushion pieces in the same compartment with packing paper or to protect your fragile or diminutive pieces.

Fill empty spaces with bubble wrap or packing paper to ensure that NOTHING is moving around in the box while it is being transported.

Close the box and tape any drawers and lids with tape that will not damage the surface. Painter’s tape is a good option. Then, wrap the entire box with packing paper or bubble wrap.

Finally, place that puppy in your personal vehicle. No one else should touch this prized possession.

Transporting Your Jewelry to Your New Residence

If you hire a professional moving company like Royal Moving Co., you have very little to worry about because pro moving companies are equipped to keep your possessions safe and secure, and they provide their customers with moving insurance. In other words, Royal protects you against any damage that might occur during the transport of your belongings.

Royal also has the proper equipment, big trucks, experienced moving crews, and packing supplies, which all come with one simple flat rate. If you are in one of Royal Moving’s service areas, which are up and down the West Coast from Washington state to San Diego, California, they can help with loading and unloading your belongings, as well as packing and moving. Whatever your moving needs, Royal will supply them.

However, while we encourage you to find a professional moving company to move your belongings, we also suggest that you transport your jewelry yourself. In fact, most moving companies suggest that you keep your jewelry with you. That way, your jewelry is not lost in the shuffle of boxes moving out of your old residence and into your new home, and they will receive a much more gentle ride in your personal vehicle or in your carry-on bag if you are moving across the United States. Therefore, keep your jewelry separate from other less-valuable items and give them first class treatment.

Unpacking Your Jewelry after a Move

If you miss a few pieces of jewelry from proper packing, and they become tangled, you can attempt to untangle them with the help of a few pins. If you can’t do it, or do not want to risk it, a jeweler might be your only option.

Also, give your jewelry a nice cleaning at the end of their trip. Soap, lotion, and dirt can really take the glow from the precious metals and stones on your jewelry. Sterling silver can be cleaned and polished with sterling silver cleaner and a soft cloth. In addition, there are many jewelry cleaners that just require a good soaking for the night. Here are some other tips for cleaning your jewelry with common household products after your move:

Discolored, filmy, and dull silver jewelry can be transformed to nearly new by using liquid dishwashing soap with warm water. Dip your tarnished silver in the solution, rub with a soft cloth, rinse in cold water, and buff with a dry cloth.
For heavily-tarnished silver jewelry, mix one part water and three parts baking soda, dampen the silver, and apply the baking soda mixture with a soft cloth. Allow the paste to work into every crevice of the jewelry, rinse, and then buff.
You can clean your gold jewelry with a few drops of mild dish soap and sodium-free club soda or seltzer water mixed in a small bowl. First, place your jewelry in a small strainer, and then submerge the jewelry in the liquid mixture for five minutes while moving the strainer around. Afterwards, pull out each piece of jewelry and brush with a soft toothbrush, return the jewelry to the strainer, rinse under running water, and dry with a soft cloth.
Pearls and turquoise lose their luster quickly because they are porous. Therefore, clean this type of jewelry frequently to keep them shining, but do not soak them. Lay the strands on a soft cloth, and then, dip a CLEAN makeup brush into a mixture of a bit of shampoo and warm water. Go over each pearl or piece of turquoise with the solution, and rinse with a soft, clean cloth that is slightly damp. To ensure that the necklace or bracelet string does not stretch, lay the strand flat to dry.

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