Brooches break the normal jewelry sizing rule. A ring or a pendant is sized by its footprint, but a brooch is a flat face with hardware on the back, and that hardware is what sets the height of the box. Measure the depth first and the rest follows.
Three measurements, in this order
- Total height. Lay the brooch face up on a flat surface with the clasp closed. Measure from the surface to the highest point of the face, then turn it over and measure the pin assembly. The larger of the two, plus the insert, sets the internal depth.
- Widest span. Brooches are rarely symmetrical. Measure the longest diagonal, not the obvious axis, and treat that as the internal length.
- Loaded footprint. If the piece sits on a card or a pad, measure the card, because the card is now the product.
Add about 1/8 to 1/4 in of clearance per side. Less than that and the customer cannot get a finger in to lift the piece out. More than that and the brooch slides, which is how prongs get bent in transit.
Choosing the insert before the box
| Insert | How the brooch is held | What it does to internal depth |
|---|---|---|
| Foam pad | Pin pushed through the pad | Adds the full pad thickness under the piece |
| Slotted card | Pin threaded through two die cut slits | Adds very little, but needs the pin to clear the card |
| Fitted paperboard tray | Recess cut to the outline | Adds the tray floor plus the recess depth |
| Loose pouch inside the box | Not held at all | Adds the folded pouch thickness and the slack it needs |
The slotted card is the most economical and the most recyclable, and it photographs well for ecommerce. Foam is the right answer for a heavy cast piece or an antique with a fragile catch. Whichever you pick, tell us its thickness and we will build the internal depth around it rather than asking you to force the piece into a standard height.
Construction and finish
Brooch boxes usually run as a two piece rigid box with a lift off lid, a hinged rigid box, or a small tuck end carton when the piece is a gift with purchase rather than a keepsake. Rigid construction holds its shape in a handbag and survives being opened repeatedly, which matters for a piece a customer will keep the box for. Paper wrapped rigid takes foil stamping, embossing and textured stock well. A printed carton is lighter and cheaper to ship, and prints in full colour.
Ordering
The minimum is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with the die, plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof included before anything prints. Because the die is free, an internal size cut to your exact piece costs no more to tool than a near standard size, which is the reason not to squeeze a brooch into a box built for something else. Turnaround is quoted per job in three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Rigid boxes with specialty wraps sit at the longer end of that range and imported specialty work can run up to about 12 weeks.
Send the three measurements and a photograph of the back of the piece to the quote form and we will propose an insert and an internal size. Related reading: jewelry box dimensions and rigid box dimensions.
