Most losses in jewellery shipments happen through pilferage, where a few pieces or a whole inner box go missing between packing and delivery. You prevent it with plain outer cartons that do not say what is inside, tamper-evident sealing, carton weights recorded at packing, and a tracked chain of handovers from the workshop to your door.
None of these measures costs much. Together they make theft harder and make any loss easy to prove.
Packing that does not advertise
- Plain brown outer cartons with no brand names, no "jewellery" wording and no product photos.
- Carton marks that use codes, such as your PO number and carton number, rather than descriptions.
- Inner boxes or poly bags counted and listed per carton on the packing list.
- Tamper-evident tape or numbered security seals across every opening, photographed after sealing.
- Strapping on heavier cartons, so they cannot be opened and re-taped neatly.
Weigh and record everything
Weigh each sealed carton at packing and write the weight on the packing list. A carton that arrives lighter than it left is the clearest evidence of pilferage, and it tells you where to look. Ask your forwarder or courier to record weights at pick-up too.
Photograph the open carton with its inner boxes, then the sealed carton with its label and seal number. These photos take a minute and settle most disputes.
Choose the route and the handovers
Every handover is a chance for loss. Fewer, tracked handovers are better than a cheap route with several unmarked transfers. For small orders, an international express courier with door-to-door tracking is usually safer than consolidated cargo. For larger air shipments, a forwarder that collects directly from the workshop and delivers to the airport is better than a local transporter followed by a second pick-up.
For valuable orders, splitting the goods across two shipments limits the damage if one goes missing.
On arrival
Check seals and weights before you sign for delivery. If a seal is broken or a carton is light, write it on the delivery note, photograph it and open the carton in front of the driver if you can. Then count against the packing list and report any shortage to the carrier and the insurer in writing the same day.
What this means for a buyer
Put the packing and sealing rules in your purchase order so the maker plans for them; see what a jewellery purchase order should include. Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing. We count, seal, weigh and photograph each carton in Rajkot and hand it to the carrier ourselves. Start with a free sourcing review.