Do you wear your engagement ring?

Yes, and my anniversary band as well. Never had a problem.

My engagement ring was a down payment on some land in Valais so we can build a chalet. I wear my favorite earrings though.

I have worn mine everywhere except on my recent trip to Africa. On the rare occassion that I feel slightly uncomfortable about it, I turn the ring around so the stone is not visible. Not sure if that really helps any, but then it just looks like a plain gold band.

beaupeep, that's an awesome engagement ring!

So nice to be able to see what other people do...although I have not been overseas, I always wear it when in I visit other places (NY, New Orleans, San Francisco, St. John etc.). In fact, I always wear it at home (Washington DC) too. I guess I was thinking that if I lost it or it was stolen, it would be easier to deal with here?

Land fit for a chalet...I knew I was missing out!

Traveling in the cities or with the DH I tend to wear it; traveling on my own or to out of the way places, I tend to wear just a band.

I usually wear mine but sometimes just the platinum band without any bling. I'm kind of tempted to buy a $39.99 version at Target before my summer travels to Paris.

I have purchased a fake set like amwosu suggested. I hate being paranoid about it, but it's one less thing I have to worry about while traveling!

beaupeep - My "engagement ring" was also a downpayment on real estate - our current house. Not quite as romantic as land in Valais though

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Usually don't for beach trips or to hot/ humid places as my rings are small and feel tight when I'm hot!

I did lose mine once (my toddler son had hidden it in a banana skin in the trash at a hotel and we checked out without it!
The maid checked the room and found it!!
They even returned it free by mail.

I left my engagement ring home but wore my wedding band. I don't think I would have had any problems with wearing it, but I looked at it as it was one thing less I had to keep track of.

Mine was downpayment, too.

My mother-in-law lost a 1.5 carat diamond when we were all on vacation together, so be sure your setting is tightened and it is insured (hers wasn't!).

Obviously the stone could fall out anywhere, but it really put a damper on the trip since she lost it half-way through and couldn't seem to get over it enought to enjoy herself.

Blushing at my typos.

Have you ever travelled to NYC or downtown Chicago? Major European cities arent any less safe than these, and areas like Tuscany and Provincial France are even safer.

Just use good judgement and dont call attention to yourself and you will be just fine.

I don't have an engagement ring to worry about, but just reading these posts it occurs to me that it's not just a matter of getting your ring stolen but the dangers of being robbed as well. So can I suggest that if you're worried about being robbed, please don't wear a fake -- you'd be just as much of a target with that as with a real diamond.

Good afternoon friends!

I agree that, for us, it depends on the type of trip (eg rock climbing versus cruising).

I have a large clear solitaire (engagement) and a plain connecting band (wedding).

My fear is not so much losing my diamond or having it stolen from a hotel room, for example, because, naturally, it is insured (not that that wouldnt completely suck of course).

Any concerns I might have are in regard to a bad guy taking it from me by force and, therefore, wearing a big fake diamond isnt really a good idea. I presume the thief doesnt pull out a loop to ensure quality before he attacks, hee hee hee! Thats just something for those of you considering artificial bling to keep in mind.

We bought cheapy sterling plain bands from our jeweler for when we dont want to travel with our platinums.

I used to think: whats the point of having this beautiful engagement ring if I cant wear it everyday/everywhere.

My husband is the one who actually put the safety spin on the whole situation (ie someone taking it from me by force) and it makes sense-at least to us.

Please, this is not to suggest that every time I leave the house with my ring Im concerned for my safety-Im just trying to illustrate that one has to be careful as we all know. The turnaround, as mentioned by hausfrau, is a popular method!

Safe travels to everyone-rings and all!

Jjkbrook - as I mentioned, I do wear it here in the states in major cities (I live ten minutes outside DC and have been to New York etc.)...I guess I was just curious if other people stressed about losing it, having it stolen, the stone falling out (as BlueSwimmer pointed out) more when they were away from home. (I do appreciate your point though...I need to be more like my husband and try to plan less, haha!)

Thanks everyone - y'all are great!

NatureGirl,
Not only do great minds think alike but they do it at exactly the same minute -- 1:33!

Wear engagement ring? For innocent fun, I even leave the wedding band in purse to wear it off and on!

There's no reason not to wear it unless you're the sort of person who either takes it off frequently or has a tendancy to leave things behind. In either of those cases I wouldn;t take it for fear of loss - not theft.

And while insurance is nice (and I would think necessary - who doesn;t have homeowners insurance?) - nothing can replace the actual ring.

I wear my engagement and wedding rings on all my trips to Europe and have never encountered a problem of any kind.

Tracy

My worry has always been the stone falling out, so it's a habit to check often with my thumb. Imagine glancing at it and - NO STONE. Outside of that, there was only one time at a carnival when the guy running the game said, "That's a nice ring you got there lady" !!!!

If you leave it at home where do you leave it? Isn't just as vulnerable in your house as on your finger?
Mine is not worth a fortune (a lovely Opal - my birthstone)but I don't wear it very often -opals are sensitive to water etc. It does go on holiday with me, even if I don't wear it, though.

I just wish mine was worth enough to use as a downpayment on a house or land. However, it is a 1930's vintage ring and I wear it everywhere along with the diamond anniversary band my romantic husband gave me for our 10th anniversary in Paris.

I wear only a band when I travel abroad. In the States when alone in large cities, I turn the stone around or leave them home. (Yes, they could be stolen from my house, but I wouldn't be slammed by a thief in the act of stealing them!!) The bling is noticeable as I've had strangers -even men on airplanes, comment on how beautiful my rings are. I don't want to be a target and it makes one less worry less when overseas. Most of the European women seem to wear very little bling.... much more conservative IMHO.

The Swiss don't give engagement rings. You just have your golden wedding band (with a possible smaller diamond). Quite bland next to all the US glitter.

I leave my rings at home. I was given an 18K Ebel watch years ago and I keep that at home as well. I wear a cheap watch and costume jewelry. I want to looks as uninteresting to thieves and customs agents as possible.

I leave my engagement ring at home. I do wear my wedding ring, though - it has little itty bitty diamonds in it. In fact, I wear my wedding ring permanently. I have never taken it off at all since shortly after our wedding!

Oh hdm thats funny-youre so right!



Hopefully right now your great mind is thinking about how one can smash a weeks worth of clothing/travel needs into the smallest bag possible because my great mind is drawing a blank, heh heh!

Since I'm getting older, I think that I'm more of a target when I travel. So I purchased a gold wedding band at Wal-Mart, and I made sure that I got one that slips on and off easily. If someone wants the ring, they can have it, and I'll keep my finger. I do not wear earrings that are difficult to remove since I want to keep my ear lobes, too.

I'm hoping that a mugger/thief will go after the person that is wearing the expensive jewelry and leave me and the cheap stuff alone.

Funny story about rings. I don't wear them playing golf. We were in Los Cabos and I thought that the rings would be safer hidden in the room then in a golf bag or purse. That evening I went to retrieve the rings to wear to dinner; and they were not to be found. On the way to dinner, we did mention to the hotel manager that they were missing....I was really upset, as in addition to wedding and engagement ring was a tanzanite ring purchased in Africa.

The next morning we were getting ready for more golf. I pulled out a clean pair of golf socks; and low and behold found the rings stuffed in the socks.
I had forgotten where I hid them

Dumb - I know!
Linda

I have never worn any of my nice jewelry on a trip. It's not so much worry about theft, but I probably would lose something. When I get cold, my rings almost fall off my fingers. I lost the back off one earring last May, but the earring itself was saved. No worry it was only inexpensive gold balls. My Rolex stays at home and I wear a Skagen with dual times.

I lost a diamond bracelet on a trip to Singapore many years ago. That taught me never to travel with any jewelry that I would regret losing.

The point is: why travel with anything thing valuable that you have to worry about? Travelling should be stress free. And if something as sentimentally and monetarily valuable as an engagement ring were lost, it would make that a very costly trip indeed!

I wear my engagement ring while traveling however my DF always tells me to turn it around when he thinks we are in an area that might be unsafe.

I did loose a diamond stud once while walking the dogs. However, the next day I retraced my steps and found it! Boy were we relieved. I haven't worn them since because I am now gun shy.

Gail

I lost my wedding ring on a trip several years ago - I left it in the room while we went to the beach and it was stolen. That was difficult, but fortunately it wasn't expensive in addition to its emotional value.

I don't think I would take any expensive jewelry on vacation with me. If I had any jewelry worth thousands of dollars, I'd keep it in a safe deposit box when I was out of town.

I wear nothing of value when traveling. Not even in the US. I'm more apt to forget it on the sink or on the nightstand than have it stolen.

Not worth the hassle.

No engagement ring here but the big rings I wear, I do wear always so I'd be constantly checking where my rings were & being startled that they weren't there. (Sort of like when you forget to wear your watch.) Same for the gold choker with the big topaz.

I do leave the rest of my pearls & jewelry at home though.

I leave my expensive jewelry at home in the safe and just bring less expensive stuff. I bought a plain gold wedding band to wear when I travel.

Of course. I bring along and wear whatever I would wear here for the same type of occasion. It is only jewelry and while it is big and sparkly it is also insured if it gets lost or stolen and wouldn't be the end of the world. While there is obvious sentimental value attached, it isn't like losing my husband or kids. I don't leave them at home either.

Then again, I am one of those use the "good" china and crystal for everyday meals types of people. Life is too short to not enjoy the fun stuff...and once again, it is only stuff.

Have fun traveling whatever you decide to do.

Taitai

I agree with Taitai and wear what I wear daily at home....I'd feel strange without my rings. But I , also, use the "good" china, crystal and silver whenever the mood strikes (and I feel like hand washing some stuff).
I would think a fake would offer no protection from theft.

I agree with Judy! I wear my rings and my Rolex...I mean , you might know you are wearing fakes but a thief wouldn't so no matter which you have on , if you are targeted you lose them. Though after 40 or more years of traveling I've never had a problem. Sure the monetary loss might be greater and the sentimental value , but even your inexpensive "fakes"might have some sentimental value and my stuff is insured.

I guess the biggest worry is leaving then lay around a hotel room and forgetting about them. I hook my watch and any ring I take off thru a bracelet and toss them in my purse when I go to bed. I never remove my rings to wash my hands.

And I've used my good silver every day for 46 years..ever since I was married...rotate it and you never have to clean it!

I've lost jewelry (inexpensive but sometimes sentimental) at home and while traveling. Most often a bracelet or necklace comes unhooked just walking down the street, but I also lost an earring down the drain once! When I wear my engagement ring while traveling, I NEVER take it off, so that eliminates the possibility of losing it or misplacing it. I wear it all the time at home, so I'm used to wearing it. I agree with others that there's no point in having nice things if you are too nervous to wear/use them. I guess the lesson here is to do what makes you comfortable. There's certainly no point ruining your trip worrying about your jewelry!

schuler is right - all of my Swiss co-workers have only wedding rings. I'm American but didn't want an engagement ring, would rather have real estate. I inherited my grandmother's platinum filigree diamond engagement ring and it sits in my jewelry box. I just never wear it!

So sandi_travelnut, it wasn't that the ring was worth a lot to turn in for a downpayment - I just never wanted a ring at all!

Depends on the trip. I have a simple band that I wear on hiking trips. It helps stop the "why- is- there -no -ring -on -my- finger?" 2 second panic attack.

I do not have a lot of expensive jewelry but the one I have I wear on a daily basis.

If you never take off your rings you will never lose them.

I never take off my engagement or wedding ring.

Ladies - thank you all for taking the time to respond! After reading all of the responses, I am leaning towards leaving my engagement ring at home and just wearing my wedding band...I think I would prefer to not have to worry about it. After all, if I lost my engagement ring it would be losing my favorite souvenir from St. John and St. Thomas!

I wonder what the odds are on being robbed while traveling versus your house being robbed while you are out of town. It seems from these posts, everyone thinks their jewelry is safer in an empty house.

My wife almost never takes her jewelry on a trip. There is enough to worry about when travelling.

We either put in the bank, or hide it at home in the .......

I think the issue here is not the monetery setback of having the ring lost or stolen (if you worry about that - get it insured), but as a previous poster has mentioned -- it's the emotional hurt that accompany's such an experience. I thought I lost my mother's engagement ring .. we looked everywhere in our home ... went through the trash. I felt terrible for months .. the sentimental nature was difficult to get over. As time went by .. forgot about it, until one day I put on a winter coat and pulled my gloves out of the pocket, put the gloves on and guess what? The ring was in the finger of the glove -- it had been there all summer long. Do I wear the ring now? Not anymore -- I put in the safe deposit box and will pass it on to my daughter as a keepsake from the grandmother she never knew.

Never travel with anything that you don't need that you would be really crushed to lose.

I just wear my wedding band and never take it off. I will be having so much fun seeing new things, why do I need to bring sentimental things from home that I might lose?

I travel with a faux solitaire engagement ring and keep on my plain wedding band. At home, I take the engagement ring off every night--it keeps it nice and prevents loosening the stone by getting it snagged on sheets, etc. So I worry I would take it off while traveling and lose it. That would be terrible since DH worked two jobs in college earning the money to pay for it!

So my real enagement ring stays in the safe deposit box while we travel.

No. I don't wear it here at home either. That's what comes from having a fabulous fiancee(now husband) who buys you a 'rock'
and crime that prevents you from ever wearing it!

Never acquired one in the first place so that I don't have to address this dilemma.
But I do wear my wedding band, even when I snorkel.

Tod, what a shame that you don't get to enjoy your 'rock' that your husband no doubt spent a large amount of $$ on. I would love to know where you live that is so unsafe as to be unable to wear an engagement ring. I personally never take either of my rings off..that's how things get lost! My rings and diamond studs have been with me around the world in all my travels with nary a trouble!!

I wear my engagement ring and wedding band everywher I travel, except (like hausfrau) on my recent trip to Africa. I just didn't want it with me on safari and I certainly wouldn't leave it in the lodge unattended. But that's the only time I've ever worried about it while travelling. I live in San Francisco and wear it all over that city, so I don't see why anywhere else would be less safe/more worrisome.

Is it insured?

I wear my jewelry at home and when I travel. If I was never going to wear it I would just sell it and use the money to buy another airline ticket. Yes, losing my engagement ring would be sad but think of the fun in picking out a new one in the place where it is lost. Maybe DH would even propose again after 30 years. I would look for the lost ring, get over it and enjoy the rest of my vacation and build some new memories.

Yes, it is insured.

I always wear my wedding and engagement rings. Travel or at home. I would feel funny without them. And we live in NY and I am on subways and traveling in the city all the time. But when I travel I don't take other nice jewelry with me - just some beads and maybe some costume stuff. That way nothing 'nice' is left in the room - the rings are with me at all times. And I also don't have to worry about forgetting something nice in a hotel room, or loosing it - I am not just worried about theft. Susan

Anything of "real" value, jewelry or papers, goes into our safety deposit box at the bank when we travel.

what an interesting thread without becoming nasty. wow!

I wear mine all the time - my ring that I got engaged with cracked all the way down to the point - don't know when it happened - I just looked down one day. Insurance paid for most of the 'upgrade' so all sentimental value is gone. It could never be the same again, so why not pick something different

sometimes insurance is worth it!

I wear inexpensive simple earrings and a cheap watch (I'm very very hard on them, so I refuse to spend money on them). All things that I'm comfortable losing should it happen.

I don't know the statistics and I'm sure someone else could tell me, but I would imagine that you have a higher likelihood of it getting stolen from your house/room/etc. than forcibly removed from your body. (mugging, etc.)

I never travel with any jewelry except for a watch and a (costume) necklace. I was explaining my thought process to my mother-in-law before we took a day trip to the big city. Did she get the hint...NO....she did not alter her rings on every finger, 5 neck chains and 8 bracelets.

I usually wear my rings. But recently, my hands have been swollen. So, I might not take my rings to Savannah and Charleston in 12 days.

I have never had a problem with jewelry on my past travels. And, sometimes I like to buy very nice, locally crafted jewelry when I travel. So, even if I don't bring my rings, I wind up wearing expensive jewelry anyways.

My new diamond ring was damaged when lugging around our bags. Was advised never to wear them to third world or very poor countries by my insurance company - just to be on safe side I enjoy my travels with the best bling I have - my partner!

I never thought of it getting banged up due to carrying bags and the such. Good point.

Thank you all for taking the time to answer what I thought might be a really silly question! My lovely ring will stay at home but I am thinking of getting a plain band to wear with my wedding band. (My wedding band is very thin and looks strange without a companion ring.)

Thanks again y'all!!!

Totally depends on the trip. When I go to Europe, yes I'll wear it.

However, when I went to Africa and climbed Kili and then did the Serengeti, my diamond was in our fireproof safe at home.

I'll always wear my diamond half-eternity band though...

Amydelta - Africa. When the ring is ripped from your finger ( or cut from your finger) it's gone and nothing would ever replace the sentimental value so paying a hefty insurance premium doesn't come into the picture.
I keep all my rings in the bank and have peace knowing where they are.

McAllister, I understand about your wedding band looking odd on its own - mine was made to fit with my engagement ring, almost like puzzle pieces, so the band looks a little strange when worn alone. If you feel better leaving your rock at home and having something simple that still looks nice, go for it! I agree with surfmom - this is an interesting thread, and an important question.

deladeb - I think I was behind your mother-in-law in a security line at the airport I was behind this woman one time who practically had to strip down to her skivies to get all her jewelry off and go through the machine - LOL.

On the issue of possible damage to rings - I am really surprised that there are so many who never take them off. I basically only wear my wedding ring when I leave the house. I don't clean, do yard work, do home improvements, or any of those things with my ring on.

I doubt if you'd find any British woman who would remove her wedding ring. Most people consider it very unlucky. Your husband puts it on your finger and there it stays.
I have also never seen any wedding ring that wasn't a plain gold band, or at the most a combination of one or two colours of gold.
I went for an emergency operation once and had to remove my rings.
The nurse put a piece of sticking plaster over my wedding ring because, "We would never allow a lady to remove her wedding ring". Nurses are very superstitious

I don't wear my engagement ring when I travel, because I only wear it to work and when I go out somewhere. Around the house and running errands I wear a simple band--just so much easier, don't worry about scratching my kids when I help them get dressed or snagging clothes with a diamond.

Why bother having bling if you're going to leave it in a safe. Mine might not be an engagement ring, but the diamonds on my fingers and screwed into my ears are with me wherever. I've never thought to leave them home, whether to the supermarket, the beach, big or small city, even in Africa. I have them, I wear them.

All my precious stone earrings have screw backs so once they're on, it's more trouble taking them off - no push-pins for these. Likewise the bezel set diamond on a plain gold chain sits on my neck wherever I am.

While I remove my hand and wrist jewelry when at home, to sleep, the rest are never removed except to be cleaned. Otherwise, it only the question of which "real" jewelry I want to take when traveling; I dare say, I don't wear everything all at one time.

If anyone out there has items they done wear or are stored in a safe... I'll gladly put them to good use.

No. I am divorced.

Absolutely not!!! But it depends on your engagement ring. Mine is lovely but attracts too much attention. If I lost it, despite the fact it's insured, I'd be really sad. Also, it's unwise to wear flashy jewelry when you travel anywhere - your guard is down because you're distracted by the sights, maybe a little tired from traveling and exploring so much... my advice, always look as inconspicuous as possible so you can look at the scenery and not have potential thieves looking at you!

This is an interesting thread.

It reminds me of my all time favorite euphemism. The mother of a college friend once used the phrase "travel pearls" and I have never called them "fake" since then.

For the record, I leave my good jewelry at home, and bring a few pieces of "travel jewelry."

I've never wore any jewelery while travelling...why make yourself a target? I always think back to a woman I saw in Kenya in '99...she was this loud, obnoxious woman dripping in gold and diamonds in the back of one of the safari vehicles (thankfully not ours!) My husband and I often wonder if she made it out of Nairobi with all of her jewelery!

I don't wear my diamond for long vacations - I do wear it daily normally, but not when I'm doing something that could damage it - so, when I'm on vacation I figure it's safer not to take it, than to take it and risk damaging it while doing something physical because I don't have a safe place to put it.

I always leave it with my cousin if I don't take it. She enjoys it and wears it to lunch with her sisters, etc. and I know that my family isn't getting a hold of it. They get $$ in their eyes when they see the ring and I don't trust them not to sell it if they get a hold of it. It's also fully insured.

Always, as well as my wedding band and another sapphire and diamond cocktail ring. I never take them off at home, so I'm not going to take them off to travel.

The only problem I ever had was in Thailand--I knocked one of the smaller stones out of the ring after getting it caught on hook of the mini-bar and I couldn't find the stone. It was easily replaced by the jeweler I originally bought the ring from.

Insured.

I never take my ring off- haven't in the last 9 years. It looks like a solitaire diamond engagement ring, and it is rather the same kind of occasion that I received it. But I am never going to get married. Oprah and I- want to be eternally engaged.

I got it when I was 50 yrs old and he picked it out without me. The sales clerk really did a job on him and said-do it big at this age or don't do it at all.
He listened to her and I am forever thankful to a person I never met.

I never take it off and it fit perfectly without any sizing.

I leave it at home, always. My husband leaves his wedding band as well. When we're traveling, we're usually moving around quite a bit, or on the beach or hiking, and there's just too much of a chance of a) damaging it or b) losing it. So it stays home in our safe.

If you are travelling solo, do not wear your engagement ring: you will meet a lot more interesting people...

It's so funny. After posting here a couple of weeks ago that I never wear my rings when traveling, I just realized that I wore them in Barcelona without even thinking about it.

Interesting thread, with every possible reply! After reading it, I think the biggest threat (short of being mugged, which probably happens no more frequently than in the US) are pickpockets, but they'd have to be very slick to get something off your finger. In Italy, I was going to the train station in a subway tunnel, and two small kids ran up to me on both sides - one of them PINCHED me hard above the elbow (so I wouldn't notice the rest of what he was doing) and tried to stick his hand in my pocket. I yelled and shrugged them off and no harm done.

I made the mistake of carrying something in each hand. I was later given the advice never to do that -- to always have a hand free, especially in underground metro tunnels near train stations.

I have a travel wedding band I bought for $25 at a flea market. I travel alone a lot and my engagement ring is what we in NY politely call 'significant.' I don't like to be a target.

When visiting developing countries, and especially those with large Muslim populations I always wear the travel wedding band. Culturally, a married woman is more respected and why tempt people with a diamond on your hand.

Funny, about the comments on the Swiss, I rarely wear my diamonds to work here in Switzerland. They would be rather showy to my work peers. My husband bought me some gorgeous diamond studs for my 50th but I have never worn them to work.

gruezi

Yes. I never take my engagement ring and wedding band off. If I am in a place where I am afraid it might draw attention, I turn it so the solitaire faces the inside of my palm.

I think it is not a good idea to be 'flashy', so if the size of your diamond(s) falls into this category I probably would leave them home.

Besides that I'd worry more about loss, like if you ever take your rings off to shower or whatever. If a ring has sentimental value and could not be replaced with insurance money, I would not travel with it for that reason.

I'm surprised no one has suggested converting it to a nipple ring where it could be worn discretely and kept near and dear for sentimental value without any ostentation.

I have no engagement ring and no piercings, so I wouldn't personally follow through on this suggestion.

In general, I think it is best to leave the bling at home. If traveling alone, a wedding band is a good idea, though.