Guides · March 14, 2026 · By June Park
Packing jewelry for travel without the tangles
The straw-through-the-clasp trick, and other things that actually work.
Chains knot because the ends find each other in transit. The fix is embarrassingly simple: thread the chain through a short straw or a piece of cardboard, clasp it shut. Immobilised ends cannot tangle.
Rings and studs travel best on something — a ring roll, a folded piece of felt with slits cut in it, or the buttonholes of a spare shirt cuff in a pinch. Loose in a pouch means scratched; threaded through something means safe.
Decide before you pack: five pieces maximum for a week. Studs, one chain, one ring, one earring with intent, and one wild card. Every trip teaches the same lesson — you wear half of what you bring.
Keep everything in your personal item, never in checked luggage. Not because of theft statistics but because a lost bag without your daily pieces feels worse than it should, and a flat case weighs almost nothing.
On arrival, hang the chain immediately and lay the rest out. Five minutes of unpacking saves the morning hunt.
