After the initial excitement of moving to a new place wears off, there are so many things to consider when moving. Unfortunately, what many people tend to overlook in their preparation is how to best take care of their special valuables and jewelry.
Jewelry is one of the most commonly stolen items, with or without a move. Add the chaos that comes with packing boxes, hiring movers and loading the moving truck and it’s the perfect recipe for jewelry loss, damage and theft.
We want to make sure your jewelry is safe during a move. Read these tips on how to best pack jewelry when moving.
How to Pack Jewelry for a Move
- Keep valuable jewelry with you at all times when moving, not in a moving box left with movers. If you’re moving locally, keep your items in a safety deposit box at a local bank.
- Never put your jewelry in storage. Too often it gets lost with other belongings or worse, stolen.
- Remove jewelry when you’re doing heavy lifting to prevent such damages as bent and scratched bands or chipped stones.
- Be careful with packing earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Pack jewelry items in separate compartments to avoid tangling and scratches.
- Account for your items. Take pictures of each piece and make a detailed list of the description including the serial number if there is one. Make two copies; one to carry with you and store the other in a separate safe location, such as a safety deposit box.
- Get your items re-evaluated or reappraised to determine their current values and replacement costs. Then have your insurance coverage adjusted accordingly. Copy the appraisals and receipts and keep one set with your personal documentation and another in a safety deposit box.
- Make sure your jewelry is properly insured. When it comes to your homeowners or rental policy, jewelry typically is insured only up to about $1,000. Plus, these policies often do not cover disappearance - the most commonly reported cause of jewelry loss.
Once your jewelry is all packed, there are a few different ways it can be safely moved to your new residence or destination.
How to Transport Expensive Jewelry:
1. Do It Yourself
You know the saying “If you want something done right, do it yourself?” This sentiment can apply to moving your jewelry, especially if you’re only going across town.
If you have only a few items to move, consider wearing the more valuable pieces. Stash smaller or less valuable items in a zipped compartment on the inside of a piece of clothing and wear that for transport. This dual method avoids attracting attention from visibly wearing layers of jewelry!
If you have a larger collection, pack your jewelry properly and transport the box yourself.
2. Use an Armored Courier Service
Using services such as Malca Amit or Brinks to move your jewelry is the safest third-party option available.
You can drop your packaged jewelry off at the distribution center nearest you and they will store, insure and ship it for you. You can either have the package delivered right to your new home or to a local distribution center for you to pick up.
3. Ship via Registered Mail
Shipping your jewelry to your new address via USPS Registered Mail is also an option. When doing so, we suggest the following safeguards:
- Request a return receipt with your shipment.
- Limit the value of each package to less than $25,000.
- Buy package insurance through USPS.
- Time your delivery so it isn’t sitting at your new local Post Office waiting for you.
4. Send Your Jewelry to a Jeweler
With either shipment option, you can choose to send your collection to a trusted local jeweler, who can hold it for you until you arrive. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the security measures they use to protect their inventory are in effect for your jewelry as well.
Don't forget to update us with your new address information (it could affect your coverage) in your online account or call us at 888-884-2424. While you can take considerable steps to stop your jewelry from disappearing while moving to your new destination, nothing can give you complete security.
With the proper precautions in place, we wish you safe, happy travels to your new home! If you don't have jewelry insurance and are interested in checking your rate, click the button below.
