What a custom jewellery box is — and why the box matters
A custom jewellery box is a presentation or packaging box made to a jeweller's own specification rather than bought from stock: sized to the piece, finished in chosen materials and colours, and carrying the jeweller's logo. Because it is made to order, the fit of the insert, the lining and the feel of the lid are decided by the brand, not by whatever a wholesaler happens to hold.
For a jeweller the box does three jobs at once. It protects the piece in transit and on the shelf; it holds the piece in the position that shows it best when the lid lifts; and it tells the customer what the piece is worth before they have touched it. A ring is bought once — its box is opened a thousand times, and every opening is the brand speaking again.
This is also why boxes are a specification problem, not a shopping problem. The right slot width, the right pillow diameter, the right nap direction on a velvet lid — these are decided in millimetres before a sample is made, and they are what separates a box that feels considered from one that feels bought.
The eight box types we make — and how each is built inside
Every jewellery box is a shell, a lid and an insert; what changes is the insert, because the insert is shaped to the piece. Below is how each type is built and what a good one must do. Each heading links to the full guide for that box in velvet, leatherette, lacquered wood, rigid board and microfibre suede.
Ring Boxs
A ring box holds a single ring upright in a fitted slot, so the stone faces the customer the moment the lid lifts. It is the box behind proposals, weddings and everyday fine-jewellery sales, which means it carries an outsized emotional weight for its size.
Inside. The lower half of the cavity is two covered foam pads set side by side, leaving a slot between them. The ring shank drops into that slot with the stone up, so the ring stands vertical and cannot roll. The inside of the lid is a single flat or gently domed pad with no other structure — its job is to stop the ring lifting in transit.
Fit. The slot is normally cut at 2–4 mm and closes slightly under the foam's own spring, so it grips a 1.5 mm wedding band and a 3 mm signet shank without either rattling or forcing.
Typical sizes. Most single ring boxes fall between 50 and 65 mm square, 40–55 mm tall; couple or 'his and hers' boxes use one longer slot or two parallel slots in a wider body.
Formats. single-ring · couple / double-slot · flat-slot for stackers · deep-slot for high settings · slim proposal box.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Pendant Boxs
A pendant box centres a single pendant on a padded flap or hook so it hangs the way it will be worn. It presents the piece as the hero, which suits designer and one-of-a-kind work.
Inside. The lid carries a vertical hanging board covered in the lining material. A small hook or clip at the top holds the bail; the chain falls straight down against the board and the tail is tucked into two slits near the bottom. The base of the box is a plain pad, sometimes with a shallow recess so the pendant does not knock the shell when the box is closed.
Fit. The hook is sized to the bail — a 3 mm bail needs a smaller, finer hook than a 6 mm enhancer bail — and the chain slits sit close enough together that the two chain runs hang parallel, not splayed.
Typical sizes. Typically 70–90 mm square and 30–45 mm deep; larger statement pendants move to a 100 mm body or to a long necklace box.
Formats. hanging-board pendant box · flat-pad pendant box · locket box with a deeper recess · pendant-and-chain combination.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Necklace Boxs
A necklace box lays a chain flat on a padded pad or hooks a pendant so it does not tangle or kink in transit. It is usually longer or deeper than a ring box, and the pad is shaped to the length of chain you sell.
Inside. There are two proven structures. A long box (200 mm and up) carries a full-length flat pad; the chain lies in a natural arc and two short slits at the ends hold the clasp and tail so nothing moves. A shorter box uses a hanging board inside the lid: the pendant sits on a hook or clip at the top and the chain falls flat against the board, held at the bottom by two slits.
Fit. Chain slits are cut narrow — about 1–2 mm — so a fine 0.8 mm cable chain is held without being pinched, and the clasp tucks behind the pad edge.
Typical sizes. Flat-pad necklace boxes run from roughly 180 × 60 mm for a 40 cm chain to 240 × 80 mm for longer or heavier pieces; hanging-board boxes are closer to 80–90 mm square and 30–40 mm deep.
Formats. long flat-pad box · lid hanging board · combination pad with a pendant hook · pearl strand box with a curved channel.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Bracelet & Bangle Boxs
A bracelet or bangle box holds a round piece in shape with a cushioned bar or ring, so a bangle does not flatten or a chain bracelet does not tangle. The insert is shaped to the diameter of the pieces you sell.
Inside. A bangle box is built around a C-shaped or cylindrical cushion: the bangle slides over the cushion and is held open in its true round. A chain bracelet uses a long box instead — a full-length pad with a central slot into which the bracelet is laid, or a removable cylindrical pillow it wraps around.
Fit. The cushion diameter is cut to the inside diameter of the bangle — usually 60–70 mm — so a rigid bangle sits snug without being stretched; for hinged bangles the cushion is slightly smaller so the hinge is not stressed when closed.
Typical sizes. Bangle boxes are commonly 90–100 mm square and 40–50 mm deep; long bracelet boxes run 180–220 mm by 50–60 mm.
Formats. C-cushion bangle box · round bangle box · long slotted bracelet box · removable-pillow box · cuff box with an open-front cushion.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Earring Boxs
An earring box holds a pair neatly with slots, a flap or a foam pad, so studs and drops stay together and face forward. Small and precise, it is one of the most-used boxes in any jewellery range.
Inside. The base pad carries two pin holes or two short slits set a fixed distance apart; the earring posts push through and the pair stands upright, side by side. For drops and hoops a small covered flap replaces the pad — the posts go through the flap and the drops hang free below it, so nothing is crushed when the lid closes.
Fit. Pin holes are pierced, not cut, so the pad grips a standard 0.8 mm post; the two holes sit 15–20 mm apart so the pair reads as a pair without touching.
Typical sizes. Most earring boxes are 55–75 mm square and 30–40 mm deep; drop-earring flap boxes go deeper — 45–55 mm — to give the drops room to hang.
Formats. stud box with a pierced pad · slit pad for lever-backs · flap box for drops and hoops · deep box for chandeliers.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Jewellery Set Boxs
A set box presents a matching ring, necklace and earrings together in one opening, with a compartment shaped for each. It suits bridal, gifting and signature collections where the pieces are sold as one story.
Inside. The classic set box is a double-door format: two doors open left and right on side hinges, revealing a single vertical display board. The board is worked from the top down — a hook or clip for the necklace, pierced holes for the earrings in the middle, and a ring slot at the base — so the whole set reads as one composed picture. A simpler flat set box uses a base pad with a shaped compartment for each piece.
Fit. Each position uses the same rule as its single box — 2–4 mm ring slot, 0.8 mm pierced earring holes, a hook sized to the bail — set out on one board so the pieces do not overlap when the doors close.
Typical sizes. Double-door set boxes are typically 120–160 mm wide and 150–200 mm tall; flat set boxes run 160–220 mm by 120–160 mm.
Formats. double-door display board · flat compartment set box · bridal parure box · two-piece (pendant and earrings) set box.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Travel Jewellery Cases
A travel case protects several pieces at once with zipped or clasped closure, ring rolls and padded compartments, so a customer can carry their jewellery safely. It is a strong add-on and gifting product for a jewellery brand.
Inside. Inside a soft or semi-rigid shell, the case is divided into functional zones: a row of ring rolls (padded bars with slots between), one or two open padded compartments for bracelets and pendants, pierced tabs or a card for earrings, and a lidded or elasticated pocket for a necklace so chains do not migrate. The zones are fixed to a stiff base so the case keeps its shape in a bag.
Fit. Ring rolls use the same 2–4 mm slot as a ring box, repeated along a bar; compartment walls are padded so pieces do not knock against each other in transit.
Typical sizes. Compact cases run about 100–130 mm square; full travel cases 160–220 mm by 120–160 mm; stackable modular cases are made as a family so they nest.
Formats. compact zip case · full travel case with lid tray · stackable modular case · ring roll · necklace roll.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Watch Boxs
A watch box seats a timepiece on a fitted pillow so the dial faces up and the strap keeps its shape. It protects the watch in transit and on the shelf, and for many brands the box is a core part of how the watch is presented and gifted.
Inside. The base carries a fitted pillow — usually a covered foam cylinder or a C-shaped cushion — sized to the strap so the watch is buckled around it and the dial sits level. The pillow drops into a recess in the base pad so it cannot slide, and the lid interior is a flat pad that meets the crystal without pressing it. Display boxes add a glass or acrylic window in the lid.
Fit. Pillow circumference is cut to the strap: a 38 mm ladies' watch on a leather strap and a 44 mm steel bracelet need different pillows, so we ask for the watch size before making the sample.
Typical sizes. Single watch boxes commonly run 100–120 mm square and 70–90 mm tall; slimmer travel and gift formats and multi-watch collector boxes are made to the collection.
Formats. single watch box · slim gift box · glass-top display box · two- and three-watch collector box · watch roll and travel case.
Read the full guide for this box in each finish: Velvet · Leatherette (PU) · Lacquered Wood · Rigid Board · Microfibre Suede.
Choosing the material
The material sets the feeling of the box the moment it is picked up, and it also decides how the logo can be applied and how the insert has to be cut. The five we work in most:
| Material | Hand feel | Logo | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velvet | Soft, deep, cushioned — the box the customer expects a fine piece to arrive in | Velvet does not take a crisp hot-stamp the way PU does. | Proposal and bridal ranges, coloured gemstones, and any brand that sells on 'the moment the lid opens' |
| Leatherette (PU) | Crisp, firm, consistent — reads as a considered retail brand | Leatherette is the best surface for a hot-stamped logo in gold, silver, rose gold or a blind (colourless) deboss. | Branded retail ranges, e-commerce brands shipping many orders, and anyone who needs a crisp foil logo |
| Lacquered Wood | Heavy, lacquered, keepsake — the box stays on the dressing table | On lacquer the logo is normally printed or foil-stamped on the lid, or set as a metal plate; a debossed logo is also possible under the lacquer for a subtle 'in the surface' look. | Higher-value pieces, collectors, watch brands and gifting where the box is expected to be kept and reused |
| Rigid Board | Structured, light, printable — premium at shipping weight | Rigid board takes any print method — foil stamping, spot UV, embossing or full-colour print on the wrap — so it is the most flexible surface for brand artwork, patterns and colour blocking. | E-commerce brands, multi-store retailers and seasonal or gifting ranges where quantity and shipping cost matter |
| Microfibre Suede | Matte, warm, quiet — photographs without a highlight | Suede takes a subtle debossed logo elegantly; foil is possible but reads softer than on PU, so most brands choose a blind deboss or a metal plate. | E-commerce brands who shoot their own unboxing content, minimalist and contemporary jewellery labels |
How the material changes the build. A covering adds thickness, so the insert underneath is cut to allow for it — and each material allows differently:
- Velvet. Velvet adds pile height on every covered face, so a velvet insert is cut fractionally under size — about half a millimetre on each face — and the pile makes up the difference; a slot cut to the finished width would close too tight once covered. The pads are covered before they are fitted, and the nap is brushed the same way across both pads so the slot reads as one shadow line.
- Leatherette (PU). A PU-covered insert has almost no give, so it is cut to the finished dimension and the covering is turned under and glued flat on the reverse; any excess thickness at a fold shows as a bump under the piece. Where a PU exterior meets a soft lined interior, the join sits inside the lid rim so the customer sees a clean edge.
- Lacquered Wood. Inside a lacquered shell the insert sits in a routed recess rather than against a wrapped wall, so the insert is cut to the recess and the lining is turned into the gap — the lacquered rim stays clean and the pad cannot lift. Shell walls are thicker than a moulded box, which is why a wood box feels heavier for the same internal size.
- Rigid Board. In a rigid box the insert is glued to the greyboard base and the wrap paper is turned over the top edge, so the insert height is set to finish a few millimetres below the rim and the lid pad closes the gap. Because the board is wrapped, corner build-up is controlled by the paper weight — a heavier art paper needs a mitred corner to sit flat.
- Microfibre Suede. Microfibre suede has a short nap and no stretch, so an insert covered in it is cut almost to the finished dimension — only a quarter millimetre is allowed per face — and curved forms such as pillows and C-cushions can be covered in one piece with the seam hidden underneath. The surface is brushed once after fitting to lift the nap.
Sizing a box to the piece
Boxes are sized from the inside out: the piece decides the insert, the insert decides the cavity, and the cavity plus wall thickness gives the external size. These are the ranges most jewellers land in; a signature proportion can sit outside them.
| Box | Typical external size | Insert |
|---|---|---|
| Ring Box | Most single ring boxes fall between 50 and 65 mm square, 40–55 mm tall; couple or 'his and hers' boxes use one longer slot or two parallel slots in a wider body. | A twin-pad slotted insert that grips the shank and stands the ring up |
| Pendant Box | Typically 70–90 mm square and 30–45 mm deep; larger statement pendants move to a 100 mm body or to a long necklace box. | A lid-mounted hanging board with a bail hook and chain slits |
| Necklace Box | Flat-pad necklace boxes run from roughly 180 × 60 mm for a 40 cm chain to 240 × 80 mm for longer or heavier pieces; hanging-board boxes are closer to 80–90 mm square and 30–40 mm deep. | A full-length flat pad with slits, or a lid-mounted hanging board with a hook |
| Bracelet & Bangle Box | Bangle boxes are commonly 90–100 mm square and 40–50 mm deep; long bracelet boxes run 180–220 mm by 50–60 mm. | A c-shaped bangle cushion, or a long slotted pad / removable pillow for chain bracelets |
| Earring Box | Most earring boxes are 55–75 mm square and 30–40 mm deep; drop-earring flap boxes go deeper — 45–55 mm — to give the drops room to hang. | A twin-hole or twin-slit pad, or a covered flap for drops and hoops |
| Jewellery Set Box | Double-door set boxes are typically 120–160 mm wide and 150–200 mm tall; flat set boxes run 160–220 mm by 120–160 mm. | A single vertical display board (necklace hook, earring holes, ring slot) or a multi-compartment flat pad |
| Travel Jewellery Case | Compact cases run about 100–130 mm square; full travel cases 160–220 mm by 120–160 mm; stackable modular cases are made as a family so they nest. | Ring rolls, padded compartments, an earring tab and a zipped or elasticated necklace pocket |
| Watch Box | Single watch boxes commonly run 100–120 mm square and 70–90 mm tall; slimmer travel and gift formats and multi-watch collector boxes are made to the collection. | A fitted, removable watch pillow set into a recessed base pad |
Two rules save most sizing mistakes. First, measure the piece as it will sit — a ring stands upright, a pendant hangs, a bangle sits round — not as it lies flat. Second, decide whether the range must match: a ring box and a pendant box that share a lid height and a footprint read as one collection on the counter, and stack in the same shipping carton.
Two ways to get the size you need
- Ready tooling library. We hold a range of existing moulded shells in the common jewellery-box sizes. Where one fits your piece there is no mould charge and the box is faster to produce — you choose the finish, lining and logo on a proven shell.
- Fully custom dimensions. Where no standard shell suits — an unusual piece, a signature proportion, a matching family of sizes — we build the box on a wooden shell cut to your dimensions and finished in lacquer or wrapped in your chosen material.
We tell you which route fits your brief before quoting, so there are no surprises on tooling or timing. Most retail ranges use the tooling library; most signature and bridal pieces use the custom route.
Putting your logo on the box
The logo method follows the material. On leatherette (PU) a hot-stamped foil in gold, silver or rose gold, or a blind (colourless) deboss, gives the crispest result and lasts. On lacquered wood the logo is printed or foiled on the lid, set as a metal plate, or debossed under the lacquer. On rigid board any print method works — foil, spot UV, embossing or full-colour print on the wrap. On velvet a metal plate, woven label or printed lid card is used, because velvet pile will not hold a crisp stamp. On microfibre suede a subtle blind deboss or a metal plate reads best; single-colour silk screen is also available for flat suede lids.
We ask for vector artwork (AI, EPS or PDF) and confirm the logo size and position on the sample. A logo that looks right on screen is usually 10–20% too large on a 6.5 cm ring box lid.
What to put in a brief
The faster route to an accurate quote is a short, specific brief. The seven things we need:
- The piece — type and dimensions, or the piece itself for a sample
- The box type(s) — and whether they must match as a range
- Material and colour — exterior and lining; a Pantone reference or a swatch if you have one
- Logo — artwork, method preference, position
- Quantity — the number you have in mind, even roughly
- Where it ships to — country and whether to a warehouse or to stores
- Anything the box must do — travel with the customer, sit in a lit window, stack, hold a certificate card
With these we confirm the shell route and the insert, quote one clear all-in price, and make a physical pre-production sample for you to approve. Production is held to that sample.
The faults we see most — and how a specification avoids them
- The piece rattles. Slot or cavity cut to the box, not to the piece. Fixed by specifying the piece dimensions, not just the box size.
- Colour does not match the range. Colour approved on a flat swatch, not a made-up box; velvet in particular reads darker in the pile. Fixed by approving colour on the sample.
- Lid presses on the setting. Lid pad too thick for a high stone. Fixed by giving the setting height.
- Logo off-centre or too large. Position and size decided from a screen, not a sample. Fixed at the pre-production sample.
- Boxes arrive marked. Velvet and suede packed loose. Fixed by individual bagging and lid-up packing, which we do as standard.
- Bulk differs from sample. The most common complaint about packaging bought online. Our bulk run is held to the approved sample — same material, same insert, same logo position.
Quantity, samples and how ordering works
There is no blanket minimum. Quantity is agreed per project, based on the structure, the materials and any tooling involved — tell us the number you have in mind and we quote around it. A physical pre-production sample is made and approved before any bulk run. Lead time depends on the route (ready tooling is faster than a custom wooden shell), the finish and the quantity, and is quoted with the price rather than promised in advance.
Why Chung Ngai
Chung Ngai is a manufacturer and supplier of jewellery and watch packaging, Hong Kong owned and managed since 1971. For decades we produced OEM packaging for overseas jewellery brands and exhibited at international jewellery fairs in Hong Kong and abroad; today we work directly with independent jewellers, designers and retailers worldwide. We build and check boxes by hand, quote one transparent price, and hold every bulk run to the approved sample.