Tips for Safe Shipping of Jewelry

Shipping jewelry, gemstones, or high value items is a specialized shipping scenario. Considerations include insurance limitations by shipping companies, and theft.

Do you know how best to protect your jewelry during shipping?

Tina Pint of Jeweler's Mutual Insurance Company offers great information about shipping jewelry in her presentation below. This presentation was originally given during the SNAG Professional Development Seminar 2012.  Presentations about shipping and information from the past seven years is also available on my web site.

TIPS for SHIPPING JEWELRY:

1) Double or triple box your work.
     This prevents "slitting" the box to steal the contents.

 

2 ) Never label your box "jewelry" even if this is part of the name of your company or the shipping destination.

• Using the words jewelry, gemstones, diamonds just makes your box a target for theives.

 

3) Don't ship a tiny box.

• Tiny boxes scream "jewelry inside, steal me".

4) Check the shipping & insurance policies of the shipper.

• Many shipping companies limit insurance for shipping jewelry.

 

5) USPS Registered Mail was the preferred shipper in most cases.

• Insurance should cover the amount of money you would receive in payment.    
• If selling wholesale, insure for wholesale.
• If selling retail, insure for retail.

 

6) Declare full value to avoid fraud.

• Fraud is a Federal offense if using USPS. (Listen to the Q & A at the end of Tina Pint's lecture for an explanation of this issue.)

7) Always include a Inventory Record or Invoice.

• Document the contents of your box (e.g with photos).

 

 

 

 

This is an informative presentation by Tina Pint of Jeweler's Mutual Insurance Company:

 

 

Insurance Considerations for Safe Shipping of Jewelry from Tina Pint of Jeweler's Mutual Insurance
View additional  presentations from  Harriete Estel Berman

Other ASK Harriete posts about shipping:

PLAN PACKING for SHIPPING Art & Craft

Shipping Planning vs. Sh*t Happening

Shipping Boxes for Art or Craft Should Include Instructions

PACKING YOUR WORK FOR EXHIBITIONS
(tip sheet)

Shipping Comparisons: Shipping Cost & Insurance with Common Carriers

Compare USPS to Fed Ex; Outrageous Difference

Conditions Report from the Professional Guidelines

Claims for Damaged Work  from the Professional Guidelines

DAMN! Damaged boxes! Claims for Damaged Work.

 

Preservation, Conservation - Design for Repair

 

 

Prestige, Value and Identity Bracelets by Harriete Estel Berman
Photo Credit: Philip Cohen