It is an accurate representation, inasmuch as something that is orderly and well-packed is less cumbersome than a handful of chaotic any-which-ways.

(But no, I didn't realize that, either. :)

Also true of jarring items, if I remember correctly.

>enc
Your load is a bit heavy, but you feel confident that the weight is not affecting your actions very much.

>look in my pouch
In the silk gem pouch:
Gems [182]: a shard of tigerfang crystal, some golden rhimar-bloom (6), a clear blue gem (6), a star ruby (4), a piece of brown jade, some purple mithril-bloom (2), a brown zircon (2), a piece of green jade (3), a large yellow diamond (4), an uncut diamond (10), a piece of white jade (2), a large black pearl (2), a blue sapphire (5), a white opal (5), an uncut emerald (8), a green garnet (5), a large pink pearl, a clear zircon, a star sapphire (3), a green tourmaline (3), some polished red coral (5), a bright chrysoberyl gem (3), a piece of rose quartz (2), a pink topaz (2), an uncut ruby (10), a pink sapphire (3), a small grey pearl, a black tourmaline (3), a light pink morganite stone (3), a deep purple amethyst (3), a pink spinel, a pink tourmaline (4), a yellow sapphire (3), a star diopside, a pink rhodochrosite stone (4), a green alexandrite stone, a piece of polished ivory (3), a red spinel (2), a blue spinel (2), a piece of citrine quartz (2), a clear tourmaline (3), a tiny black pearl, a large white pearl (2), a large grey pearl (3), a green sapphire (3), some blue lapis lazuli, a smoky topaz (3), a green aventurine stone (3), a small white pearl (2), some polished pink coral, a radiant opalescent thunderstone, an aquamarine gem (3), a black opal (3), a quartz crystal (2), a green malachite stone (2), a tiny pink pearl, a turquoise stone, a violet sapphire, a golden topaz, a clear sapphire (2), a fire opal (2), a piece of golden amber (3), a blue tourmaline, a violet spinel, a medium grey pearl, a tiny grey pearl, a piece of carnelian quartz, a medium pink pearl
Total items: 182

>rummage in cape ingredient uncut emer
You rummage through the angora cape and remove an opalescent glass jar containing uncut emeralds.

>get uncut emer
You remove an uncut emerald from in your angora cape.

>put emer in my jar
You add an uncut emerald to the contents of the glass jar.

>enc
You adjust your gear comfortably and feel satisfied that you are not encumbered enough to notice.

>shake jar
You give your jar a hard shake, causing an uncut emerald to fall into your left hand.

>enc
Your load is a bit heavy, but you feel confident that the weight is not affecting your actions very much.

This will be the normal result from a random test. (90% a weight increase of 0.1 lb, 10% a weight decrease of 0.9 lb), OTOH if you take 9 gems out, 90% of the time you will be lighter.

If your jar weighs 3lbs before you take the gem out, afterwards it will weigh either 2lbs (10%) of the time, or 3lbs (90%) of the time (assuming the number of gems in it is random amongst those that result in a 3lb jar)

The weight on you either goes up by 0.1 lb (because the jar still weighs 3lb, and you added a 0.1 lb gem to your inventory), or down by 0.9 lb (because the jar went from 3 to 2 lb and you added a 0.1 lb gem).

Keep taking gems out of the jar and your weight will drop back to unencumbered at the point you take the gem out that drops the jar weight by 1 lb.

In practice jars aren't large enough to get random results, and whether you tend to notice increases or decreases on filling/emptying will depend on how you manage your jars.

...

If you combine a fractional weight item (skin,gem) with an integer weight item (jar with some gems already in it, bundle of skins) your total encumberance has to change, because the result of the combination has to have an integer weight. Whether it goes up or down depends on the exact circumstances, but it has to change.