How to Pack Jewelry for Moving in 4 Easy Steps

Preparing to pack up jewelry for moving

The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $10-15

Packing up your jewelry can be a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating moving task: there are lots of little pieces to keep organized, chains to keep untangled, and delicate items to keep safe. And moving is already a massive chore, so it's crucial to make packing as easy and efficient as possible.

Thankfully, packing your jewelry can be just as organized and foolproof as any other moving task. Keep reading to learn how to best pack each item of jewelry, and what to consider before you get started.

Before You Begin

Before you begin packing up your jewelry and getting it ready to move, take some time to do two things: first, make sure your jewelry is clean and clean it if it's not. This ensures you're not making dirty jewelry any dirtier throughout the process of the move, and it also means you'll get to unpack some sparkly-clean bracelets and necklaces when you get where you're going.

Second, take note of all the pieces you have and keep it somewhere safe, like in a list app on your phone or on a document in a safety deposit box. This ensures that, should something happen on your move, like stolen or damaged moving boxes, you'll know what you're missing.

how to pack jewelry for moving

Getty Images / Oscar Wong

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Travel jewelry case
  • Plastic shoe box

Materials

  • Hardshell glasses case
  • Cardboard
  • Thin foam or paper towels
  • Plastic wrap
  • Plastic bags in various sizes
  • Straws and toilet paper tubes (optional)

Instructions

Materials for packing jewelry for a move

The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

How to Pack Jewelry for Moving

  1. Gather Your Valuables

    First, gather up all of your extra-valuable and heirloom pieces. If possible, you'll want to keep these pieces very close to you at all times. This keeps them safe and easy to track down while you're moving. To do this, keep these special pieces in a travel jewelry case in a bag or compartment you'll be near more often than not. If you go into a hotel or restaurant along the way, take this bag with you.

    If you just have a few pieces, consider keeping them in a zippered pouch that can be hidden on the inside of your clothing, out of sight.

    Gathering up valuable pieces of jewelry

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  2. Pack Your Rings

    Start by packing the easiest jewelry first, which are your rings. Unless they're especially fragile or delicate (in which case, you'd want to store them on or close to you), you can keep your rings in an empty, hardshell glasses case. Keep this glasses case in a plastic shoe box, where you'll be storing the rest of your jewelry too.

    Packing up rings in a glasses case

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  3. Store Your Earrings

    Next, grab a thin sheet of cardboard. Pierce your earrings through one side of the cardboard, and secure them with their fasteners on the other side of the cardboard. Store larger hoop earrings towards the bottom of the sheet, and consider taping down any dangling earrings to ensure they don't get crushed, tangled, or torn out.

    Finally, wrap the cardboard in multiple sheets of paper towels followed by plastic wrap, or with several thin foam sheets. Place the bundled earrings inside the plastic shoe box.

    Piercing earrings into a piece of cardboard

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  4. Pack Your Bracelets and Necklaces

    Packing bracelets and necklaces is one of the more time-consuming ordeals of moving your jewelry. There are two ways you can go about it. Make sure your bracelets and necklaces are securely clasped before you get started.

    Option one: you can place individual bracelets and necklaces inside their own snack-sized plastic bags. They can then go inside a larger gallon-sized bag to ensure they don't get lost. This is a great option for less delicate pieces (or if you don't have the time for the second option).

    Option two: Unclasp your necklaces and bracelets and slide their chains through a straw or paper towel tube, depending on the thickness of the chain. Once the chains are through, re-clasp your jewelry and place each piece inside a plastic bag. This ensures delicate chains can't tangle or break, but it requires a little extra work.

    Once all of your necklaces and bracelets have been secured, place them inside the plastic shoe box.

    Packing bracelets in zip log bags

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

Tips For Long-Term Storage

If you need to keep your jewelry stored while you wait to move in (or to move), don't keep it in a storage unit. Most storage units aren't temperature controlled, they can be targets for break-ins, and it's easy to lose track of a small box inside a big unit. Instead, keep your jewelry in a safety deposit box, either at your destination, if you're waiting to move in, or in the area you're moving from, if you're waiting to move.