Traveling can be stressful, hectic, fun, and fascinating. But one thing you don’t want to have to worry about is your fine jewelry. There will always be times when you need to travel with fine jewelry, such as if you’re going to a destination wedding, or if you’re moving to a new location. How can you travel safely without worry?
First: Should You Travel with Jewelry?
Before you decide to travel with your fine jewelry, you might want to consider which pieces you want to bring and whether there might be potential replacements. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a ring or locket with you, but you probably don’t want to bring all your fine jewelry with you at once (unless, of course, you’re moving).
There are some alternatives to bringing fine jewelry with you:
- Getting “fake” jewelry. You can get, for instance, a replacement engagement ring or replacement wedding ring for when you travel. Silicone rings are a great option because you can also do things like scuba diving or snorkeling with them.
- Renting jewelry. It’s possible that you could rent jewelry where you’re going if you’re going for a big occasion. If you’re attending a wedding or a family reunion, for instance, you could rent jewelry once there.
And, of course, you might want to take one or two signature pieces with you. There are ways to travel safely with fine jewelry. But the risk is reduced when you don’t travel with a lot of it.
Before You Travel with Fine Jewelry
You should always accept that it’s possible your jewelry could be stolen or lost on a trip. Because of that, you should do two important things before you travel:
- Take photographs of your jewelry. You will want photographs if it is stolen. Include any engravings on the jewelry or notable marks.
- Make sure your jewelry is insured. Your jewelry should always be insured. Your regular insurance usually won’t cover anything that’s over a certain dollar amount.
By doing these two things, you stand a chance of potentially recovering the jewelry if it is lost — and if your jewelry cannot be recovered, you will at least be able to recover its value.
How to Travel with Fine Jewelry
Now that you have made the appropriate preparations, it is time for you to
First, decide whether you want to wear your jewelry or pack it. Both have different risks.
- If you wear your jewelry, make sure it isn’t delicate. Travel is hectic and often physical. You don’t want, for instance, a necklace that could be easily torn or fall off.
- If you’re going to a dangerous locale, you don’t want to wear your jewelry. This could make you a target and someone could try to rob you.
- If you’re packing your jewelry, you should keep it with your carry-on. Pack it very carefully in the center of your items.
- If your luggage is searched, make sure you check immediately to ensure that your jewelry is still there.
When flying with jewelry, you might have a few questions:
- Is jewelry allowed in carry-on luggage? Yes, it is. But make sure that you keep your carry-on luggage close. You may want to pay for pre-boarding, as well, as otherwise, it’s possible you could be asked to check your bag.
- Can you wear jewelry through TSA? The TSA requests that you wear your jewelry rather than put it in your carry-on. It’s allowed to put it in the carry-on, but the TSA doesn’t want to be responsible for its loss.
So, you may need to wear your jewelry through TSA but carefully pack it afterward if you’re going to be traveling through a dangerous area. One thing is certain: You need to make sure you have an eye on your jewelry at all times.
You do not want to ever put fine jewelry in checked baggage. Checked baggage does get lost as well as damaged. And if it’s out of your field of view, it can even get broken into. It’s better to mail your fine jewelry to its destination rather than check baggage because when you mail items you can pay to directly insure the item that you’re mailing.
Storing Your Fine Jewelry
Once you’ve arrived at your location, you’ll need to store your jewelry whenever you aren’t wearing it. The best and easiest solution is a hotel safe. Don’t just leave it in your bags because people will be in and out, cleaning your hotel room. A hotel safe will ensure that your most important things (such as your passport and other documentation) will be secure. Usually, it’s just a small fee with the hotel per day.
Securing Your Jewelry At Home
Don’t forget about your fine jewelry at home when you travel.
When you leave town is when you’re most likely to be robbed, especially if you’ve posted about your trip online (which you should avoid doing as much as possible). Before you leave, you should also document the jewelry that you’re leaving behind, and make sure that it, as well, is entirely insured. You should have a safe at home in which you keep jewelry and other important materials.
An important note: Your safe should be bolted to the floor or a wall. While there are many affordable briefcase safes, this runs the risk that someone might just take the entire safe and try to break into it at their leisure.
At the end of the day, jewelry is meant to be seen. It makes sense that you would occasionally need to travel with your fine jewelry, if only because it’s a beloved piece that you seldom part with. By taking the above precautions, you may not be able to eliminate risk, but you will at least be able to reduce it.
Are you thinking of getting some fine jewelry for a special occasion? Check out Occasions Fine Jewelry for more.
