Lord of the Rings joke goes here

December 21, 2007 11:51 AM

What is the best way to get a diamond ring across the country?

I'm looking to propose to the S.O. soon-ish. My mom has offered me the diamond from her engagement ring (she doesn't wear it anymore for various reasons). PROBLEM: My mom is in San Diego, and I am in Chicago. I don't even come close to trusting the USPS with not screwing up (they've lost a lot of my mail in the past), and I'm unsure about FedEx, UPS, and the rest. I will probably be going to San Diego in February, but was hoping to have done this thing before then.

posted by shakespeherian to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total)

The Hope Diamond was sent via USPS registered mail once, and I'm guessing it was slightly more valuable than your mom's diamond. Registered mail is handled very differently than regular UPS mail and it's not very expensive.

If you just want to insure the package against loss, both Fedex and UPS will do that for you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:53 AM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

If you find a jewelry store that has outlets in both locations, and you make like you're going to have them be the ones to reset the diamond, they may do it for you. When we had my wife's sent off to California to be set, the store told us they had a special sort of shipping company that just handled diamonds that they used.

Make sure, however, you have a way to verify the diamond you get back is the one you give them.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:56 AM on December 21, 2007

Registered mail. It's very very secure. There is documentation along the package's entire route. Who handles it, times of departure and arrival, etc.
posted by aerotive at 11:58 AM on December 21, 2007

Yes, get all the signature-type features they offer at the post office. The more of those slips you can stick on the outside of the package/envelope, the less likely it is to get lost. Create the paper trail up front.
posted by rhizome at 12:12 PM on December 21, 2007

Insured FedEx/UPS. You can watch its progress across the country with your tracking number.

I have lost a package with FedEX/UPS which was a surprise but ship dozens of expensive pieces of small electrics for work with no problems. So stuff can disappear but it doesn't seem likely.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 12:14 PM on December 21, 2007

I'd guess that registered mail is just as safe as picking it up yourself and then risking losing it/getting in a car crash and having it go up in flames/etc.

If you want to go get it yourself you could just propose w/ another ring (or the ring but set w/ just say a cubic zirconia) and then after you make the trip swap the ring (and or the stone).
posted by Jahaza at 12:21 PM on December 21, 2007

FedEx and declare it and pay the coverage for the full value, or USPS Registered Mail...Registered Mail is the *only* mail they give a flying rats ass about....the rest of it the mail workers could toss in an incinerator and the PO would barely bat an eye but registered mail is signed for like its chain of evidence in a murder trial.
posted by legotech at 12:22 PM on December 21, 2007

I think Registered Mail through the USPS is perhaps better than FedEx/UPS because of the tighter security it affords. (items are logged in and out, kept in locked cages, etc.)

If you only care about the economic value of the item, then any insured option would work, but if the item means something to you, then the added security is nice.
posted by dcjd at 12:23 PM on December 21, 2007

The proof that registered mail is safe is that the insurance is very inexpensive.
posted by smackfu at 12:24 PM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: If you only care about the economic value of the item, then any insured option would work, but if the item means something to you, then the added security is nice.

This is probably something I should have mentioned in the OP-- I'm less concerned about losing a diamond than I am about losing my mom's diamond.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:28 PM on December 21, 2007

Just be sure to have proof of sale and/or proof of value-- look over the policies of your carrier's insurance rules and claims policy very, very closely.
posted by Kwantsar at 12:32 PM on December 21, 2007

As someone who has worked in the jewelry industry in the past, I 'nth USPS Registered Mail; it's the only service we used and we shipped pieces worth many thousands of dollars. Also, as creative as Jahaza's suggestion is, I would recommend against following it for such a significant piece. Unless you can assure that the CZ's measurements match the diamond's exactly (beyond carat weight and general shape), the jeweler will have to 'fudge' the ring's setting to accommodate the real stone which can compromise the structural integrity of the ring. Good luck and congratulations!
posted by kayzie at 12:44 PM on December 21, 2007

IAAJ. The vast majority of the jewelry industry uses USPS registered mail to ship its goods. As mentioned above, all registered mail packages are hand checked and logged at every point. I have never had a problem with shipping this way.

Make sure that you use the water adhesive paper tape to seal your package all around. And - this goes without saying - do not label the package in any way to suggest that it contains jewelry.
posted by Flakypastry at 12:49 PM on December 21, 2007

UPS and Fedex both offer "Critical" shipping services.

These are probably far too expensive for your purposes (though I have no clue what they'd cost; they even have a "hand carry" option where someone is with your package the entire time during transit) but they're available here.
posted by disillusioned at 1:49 PM on December 21, 2007

I've worked for a goldsmith. Thirding that the jewelry industry uses registered, insured USPS, even for heirloom and one-of-a-kind pieces.
posted by desuetude at 2:03 PM on December 21, 2007

Registered Mail is the *only* mail they give a flying rats ass about....the rest of it the mail workers could toss in an incinerator and the PO would barely bat an eye but registered mail is signed for like its chain of evidence in a murder trial.

While the part about not caring about the rest of the mail is way way off, registered mail is indeed very safe.
posted by inigo2 at 2:04 PM on December 21, 2007

I purchased my SO's ring online. The company sent it via Fedex, fully insured. It was also marked for pickup only at the local Fedex DC, rather than delivering it directly to my house. I'm assuming this was to get around having to ensure that Fedex doesn't leave it on the doorstep.

It also came in one Fedex box, which was wrapped in another, which was wrapped in another.
posted by WetherMan at 2:13 PM on December 21, 2007

I had an opal necklace shipped fully insured from Australia from the store where I bought it with no problems; though another store where I bought a bracelet would not do this and I had to carry it in my hand luggage.
posted by brujita at 2:41 PM on December 21, 2007

I totally agree with everyone else, don't get me wrong.

But: maybe you or your mom knows an underemployed or just plain spontaneous person who would be willing to shepherd it to Chicago via train or bus, in exchange for a free round-trip ticket, a week of room and board in Chicago or San Diego, and a story they can tell for years? Depending on how strong your gag reflex is, you could pitch it as a quirky adventure perfect for a whimsical real-life Amelie or the second coming of David Sedaris.

(Yes, everyone...I totally realize that this is a false security--similar to the perceived dangers of flying versus driving, say--and that putting the ring on a Greyhound is probably nowhere near as safe as putting it in the mail. I'm just trying to suggest another option.)
posted by Ian A.T. at 9:38 PM on December 21, 2007

USPS Registered mail with insurance -- end of story.

Watch guys use it to send high-valued timepieces cross-country all the time, in preference to UPS and FedEx. I'm talking $10k-plus stuff. Registration means the whole chain of custody is recorded. Every time a registered package changes custody, the new custodian signs for it in a ledger. You'd better believe each carrier is going to watch that package like a hawk.
posted by Opposite George at 10:18 PM on December 21, 2007

Just be sure to have proof of sale and/or proof of value-- look over the policies of your carrier's insurance rules and claims policy very, very closely.
posted by Kwantsar at 3:32 PM on December 21 [+] [!]

Golden advice. I work in cargo claims...look for clauses that say they will not be responsible for transporting precious metals and other things of the sort.
posted by Ziggy Zaga at 4:57 AM on December 24, 2007