How do I stop necklaces tangling in a suitcase?

Close every clasp, give each chain its own section and lay it flat. For fine chains, thread the chain through a drinking straw and close the clasp outside it, or wrap it around a folded piece of card before you put it in the case.

What size travel jewellery case do I need?

For a weekend, a small zip case around 11 x 8 cm with a ring roll is enough. For a week or a holiday with evening wear, choose a flat case around 17 x 12 cm with an earring panel, ring slots and compartments.

Can I leave jewellery in a hotel room safe?

Many travellers do. A safe is better than leaving jewellery out, but it is not risk free, so take only what you need and check whether your travel or home insurance covers jewellery away from home.

Should I take valuable jewellery on holiday at all?

Only if you will wear it. Leave pieces with great sentimental or financial value at home, and check your insurance before you travel with anything you could not easily replace.

Travel jewellery cases: how to choose one and pack it

Q: Should I pack jewellery in hand luggage or checked luggage?

In your hand luggage, or wear it. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) advises packing jewellery in your carry-on bag and keeping it with you rather than in checked luggage, and airlines generally limit their liability for valuables in checked bags.

Jewellery is easy to forget about until you unpack and find a knot of chains, a single earring and a ring rattling around the bottom of a washbag. A travel jewellery case solves that in a few square centimetres. This guide explains what to look for in a case, which size suits which trip, how to pack each type of jewellery, and how to keep it safe at the airport and in your hotel.

What a travel case does that a pouch does not

A soft pouch is better than nothing, but everything in it ends up in one pile. A proper travel case does three things a pouch cannot:

It keeps pieces apart. Each ring, pair of earrings and chain has its own place, so they do not scratch or tangle. GIA's travel advice is to separate each item so the pieces do not scratch one another.
It holds its shape. A case with a firm shell protects jewellery when your bag is squashed in an overhead locker or under a seat.
It shows you what you packed. Open the case and you can see at a glance whether everything is there before you check out.

Choosing a case

Size

Think about the length of the trip and what you will wear.

Trip	What you take	Case to choose
Weekend or overnight	a few rings, one or two pairs of earrings, a chain	small zip case, around 11 x 8 cm
A week or a holiday	everyday pieces plus something for evenings	flat case, around 17 x 12 cm, with panel and compartments
Wedding, event or long trip	several outfits' worth of jewellery	a larger case, or two small ones

Our mini zip travel jewellery case measures 11.5 x 8.5 x 5 cm. Our travel jewellery case with mirror measures 17 x 12 x 5 cm and lies flat in a suitcase.

Inside layout

Ring slots or a ring roll. Rings stay upright and do not roll into corners.
An earring panel with holes. Studs go through the panel in pairs and their backs go on from behind, so they cannot fall out.
Compartments or a long section for chains. One chain per section, clasp closed.
Snap tabs or loops in the lid. Useful for hanging a chain or a pair of drop earrings.
A mirror. Not essential, but handy in a hotel room where the only mirror is in the bathroom.

Closure

A zip that runs all the way round keeps everything inside even if the case opens in your bag. A snap tab is quicker to open and suits a case that lies flat in a suitcase. Whichever you choose, check that it closes firmly.

Outside material

Most travel cases are made of PU leather, a man-made material with a coated surface that wipes clean and does not mind a few knocks. Real leather is heavier and more expensive. A hard shell offers the most protection, but takes more space.

How to pack your jewellery

Necklaces and chains

Chains are the pieces most likely to tangle, so pack them first and with care:

Close the clasp.
Lay each chain in its own section, or hang it from a loop in the lid.
For very fine chains, thread one end through a drinking straw, then close the clasp outside the straw. The straw keeps the chain straight.
Alternatively, wrap the chain around a folded piece of card and tuck the ends in.

Earrings

Push studs through an earring panel in pairs and put the backs on. If your case has no panel, push studs through a small piece of felt or card instead. Hoops and drops go in a small compartment or hang from a loop.

Rings

Put rings in a ring roll or a ring slot. Do not leave them loose with other pieces: GIA notes that diamonds can scratch other gems, and metal can scratch softer stones.

Pearls

Pearls scratch easily. GIA puts pearl at 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and advises storing pearls in a soft pouch, away from hard and sharp objects. Give pearls their own soft pouch inside the case, and do not pack them in a plastic bag.

Watches

Watches are bulky and their glass scratches easily. If you travel with more than one, a separate watch roll keeps them apart on cushions. Our 3-slot travel watch roll holds up to three.

Before you leave home

Check clasps and settings. GIA recommends checking that settings and clasps are secure before you pack. A loose stone is easy to lose in transit.
Take only what you will wear. Plan your jewellery with your outfits, and leave irreplaceable pieces at home.
Photograph what you pack. A quick photo of the open case helps you check that everything comes home, and helps with an insurance claim if something goes missing.
Check your insurance. Some home insurance policies cover jewellery away from home only if you have added personal possessions cover. Check before you go.

At the airport

Keep your jewellery case in your hand luggage. GIA advises packing jewellery in your carry-on bag and keeping it with you rather than in checked luggage. Airlines generally limit their liability for valuables in checked bags, so a lost suitcase could mean losing your jewellery for good.

A few practical points for security:

A jewellery case is fine in hand luggage. Put it in your bag where it is easy to take out if security staff want to look inside.
Metal jewellery you are wearing may need to come off at the security scanner, depending on the airport. A small zip case is a quick place to put rings and bracelets while you go through.
If your cabin bag is taken into the hold at the gate because the overhead lockers are full, take the jewellery case out first and keep it with you.

At the hotel

Unpack the case into a drawer, not onto a bathroom shelf, where steam and spray products settle on everything.
Use the room safe for anything you are not wearing, and keep the case closed when you are out.
Before you check out, open the case and check every compartment against your photo.

When you get home

Unpack your jewellery straight away. Wipe pieces with a soft cloth to remove sun cream, perfume and sea water, and let them dry before they go back into your jewellery box. Sun cream and salt water can leave a film on metal and stones, and silver stored damp tarnishes faster. Our guide on how to store jewellery explains why.

Give the travel case itself a quick wipe and leave it open for an hour so the lining is fully dry before you put it away.