Pick the Royal Mail service that covers a ring or a gold coin, pack it so nothing rattles, and keep the proof you need if a claim comes.
Updated 6 October 2026
Before you start
Pick the Royal Mail service that covers a ring or a gold coin, pack it so nothing rattles, and keep the proof you need if a claim comes.
A silver chain weighs a few grams and fits in a Large Letter, which tempts you to drop it in the postbox with a stamp. If it goes missing, you need the right service: Royal Mail allows a compensation claim on jewellery only if you send it by Special Delivery Guaranteed, so a cheaper service leaves you with nothing to claim.
Rings, earrings and ornamental coins carry the same risk. Pack small pieces so they stay put, and keep the records that make a claim stand up.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical UK prices.
Small jewellery boxes, 50 pack
A foam insert holds the piece still in the box. The box fits in a padded envelope, so most orders still go as a Large Letter.
Typical price£8 to £14
See on Amazon
Rigid presentation boxes, 10 pack
A rigid presentation box keeps its corners square, so a higher-value piece arrives as you packed it. Put the presentation box inside a plain outer box.
Typical price£18 to £30
See on AmazonCoin capsules, assorted sizes, 100 pack
A fingerprint on a coin's surface can knock its value. Capsules show both faces on your stream and protect the coin in the post.
Typical price£8 to £14
See on AmazonKraft padded envelopes, D/1, 100 pack
Enough padding for a lipstick, a small figure or a sealed booster pack, with no box to fold.
Typical price£14 to £22
See on AmazonThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Use Special Delivery for anything valuable
Royal Mail’s jewellery guidance says to send jewellery, including ornamental coins, by Special Delivery Guaranteed if you want to be able to claim compensation. The guidance names no other service for a compensation claim on jewellery, tracked or not.
Choose the compensation level that matches the sale price, and check Royal Mail’s current Special Delivery page for the bands and the cost. Build that cost into your postage price before you list.
Low-value pieces and the trade-off
For costume jewellery or a pair of £8 earrings, you can use a tracked service and accept you cannot claim if it goes missing. Tracking still proves delivery when a buyer says nothing came.
Decide your cut-off once, for example any piece above a set price goes Special Delivery, and stick to it so you don't weigh up each order.
Hold the piece still
Seat rings in a slotted jewellery box and lay chains on a card insert, fastened, so they cannot knot. Earrings go through a backing card with the backs on.
Coins sit in a capsule sized to the coin. Wrap the box or capsule in one layer of bubble wrap so it cannot rattle against the envelope.
Keep the outside plain, the presentation inside
Anyone handling the parcel can see what is inside if it carries a branded jewellery bag or the word “silver”.
Save the presentation box and any thank-you card for inside, where only the buyer sees them.
Kit for this step
Envelope or box
A small jewellery box wrapped in bubble wrap often fits a padded envelope. Measure it closed: the thickness at the fattest point decides whether it still counts as a Large Letter.
A chunky bangle, a boxed watch or several pieces in one order travel better in a small single wall box. Fill it so nothing shifts when you shake it.
Records for a claim
Photograph the piece in its box, then the sealed parcel with the label visible. Keep the counter receipt from the Post Office and your sale record.
Royal Mail asks for proof of value and of posting when you claim. Keep those papers together under the order number until the buyer confirms they have it.
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Set a price above which you use Special Delivery
- 2Pick a compensation level that covers the sale price
- 3Fasten chains and seat rings in a slotted box
- 4Wrap the box so it cannot rattle
- 5Keep the outside plain, with no jewellery words
- 6Measure thickness before choosing Large Letter
- 7Photograph the piece and the sealed parcel
- 8File the counter receipt with the order
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
What is the safest way to post jewellery in the UK?
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, with a compensation level that covers the value. Royal Mail’s jewellery guidance names it as the service that allows a claim on jewellery.
Can I send jewellery by Tracked 48?
You can post it, but Royal Mail’s guidance says only Special Delivery Guaranteed lets you claim compensation for jewellery. Tracking proves delivery but pays nothing on loss.
Do the same rules apply to coins?
Royal Mail’s jewellery guidance includes ornamental coins. Check Royal Mail’s prohibited and restricted items pages for coins used as money.
Should I write “fragile” or “jewellery” on the parcel?
Leave the contents off the outside. A plain parcel draws less attention than one that says what is inside.
How do I stop a chain tangling in the post?
Fasten the clasp and lay the chain on a card insert or inside a small box with a slot. Loose chains in a bag knot in transit.
How much compensation can I get with Special Delivery?
It depends on the level you pay for. Check Royal Mail’s Special Delivery page for the current bands before you post.