One more vote for leaving it all at home. The comment about "I like to look nice" implies you won't look nice without jewelry -- surely that's not true! <BR> <BR>And one emphatic exception: a dime-store wedding ring, even if you aren't married. Jesse's story will tell you why.

Lynn, <BR> <BR>My advise is that Europe is as dangerous as the US. Every big city has it's nasty streets and neighbourhoods. Never never wear expensive looking stuff as people are getting jealous everywhere.

I always take my wedding and engagement rings. They're insured and only as old as my marriage. We don't go places where haggling is part of the culture, so I'm not worried about someone thinking we can afford to pay more. Besides, the main diamond in my engagement ring is well under two carats, so I don't think it draws much attention. <BR>I also take two pairs of inexpensive earrings, one for day and one for evening, and a watch I bought at Filene's Basement.

... <BR> <BR>You don't travel where they haggle? <BR> <BR>You're missing some great deals! The flea market at porte de vavennes in Paris (excuse my sp.) is great! You should try it some time. <BR> <BR>Lynn <BR> <BR

Yet another vote for "junk jewelry" on vacation. I don't have a lot of good stuff to start with, but what I do have is important to me--some of it is family jewelry, and since much of my grandmother's jewelry was stolen when my parents' house was broken into (in Nebraska yet!) some dozen years ago, I don't want to have what remains of family jewelry stolen just because I want to wear it in Paris. The costume jewelry goes along and the good stuff stays home. <BR> <BR>Did anyone read this month's Ombudsman column in Conde Nast Traveler? A couple on vacation in the Caribbean didn't lock the door of their villa and then wanted the property owner to compensate them when someone broke in and stole--get this--$23,000 in jewelry. Okay, first of all, you *need* someone to tell you to lock your door at night? (This was their claim--the villa owner should have told them to lock up, as if they were two-year-olds.) And second--who in the name of all that is sane takes *$23,000* worth of jewelry on vacation, especially to a *beach resort*? Good grief.

While travelling in Italy, I had a gold chain necklace ripped off my neck from someone who came up from behind me while I was walking down a busy sidewalk mid-day. The thief immediately jumped on the back of a scooter that his pal was driving and took off. <BR> <BR>Do I wear expensive jewellery while travelling? NO! This necklace was costume jewellery that I wore to carry a key to the lock on my backpack. Luckily I had an extra key. To all those people who do wear expensive jewellery - you are just asking for it to be stolen. Never take something on your travels that you don't want to lose!

My motto is a variation of Sue's: Never take something on your travels you couldn't afford to lose--"afford" in the emotional as well as the financial sense. I have some things with sentimental value that I leave at home, even though I could probably find the similar items. I might find a pin that looked like the one my aunt gave me for high school graduation, but I'd know it wasn't the same one.

I'll wade in here, too. I took my little black dress and giant diamond while staying at a castle in the Loire. When I go to Sicily with the kids this year, I bought lots of shapes of CZ earrings with plastic disc backs that don't even appear real..... so if I lose them I don't care....and found that at shops for younger girls (Bebe, etc.), rhinestones at all the rage lately. I don't want to worry when I am on unfamiliar turf. At home my wedding band is larger than my travel one....you never know when you need to turf someone at the market. (Just kidding.)

I, unfortunately, have nothing that would attract attention ( hope my husband is reading this). I always wear my plain gold wedding band and bring a pair or two of stud earrings.

Forgive the double-post and I truly don't mean to be argumentative but how is wearing my jewelry inherently more risky abroad than at home? <BR> <BR>Obviously, if one is traveling to a very poor area, high crime risk or isolated area, this would be true. But is London, Paris or Frankfurt SO much worse than NYC, LA or somewhere in between? I'm not talking about Elizabeth Taylor-esque gems here, just engagement/wedding rings, earrings and such. <BR> <BR>I also do not mean bringing every piece of jewelry you own. I personally never bring anything that I don't wear everyday so that there is no chance of my leaving it on the nightstand or the side of the sink. <BR> <BR>I just don't see how wearing my wedding band is necessarily endangering my life and the lives of passersby. I'm positive that European women (and men) wear jewelry. And don't even try to tell me that the Dutch don't know their diamonds! LOL <BR> <BR>Am I really expected to go out and buy another (simpler) wedding ring? That seems like a waste of money. The alternative is to go ringless which is unappealing as walking around ringless with my wedding ring-ed hubby makes me feel like some kind of chippy! LOL (OK, so I'm a 30-yr old fuddy duddy) <BR> <BR>Some have said that you will get cheated if you are wearing expensive jewelry. All I can say to that is that any waiter or shop clerk who thinks that I'm too addled to read a price list or calculate a currency exchange will swiftly find out otherwise and if I'm bargaining in a market and feel I'm being charged unfairly, I always have the option to put it down and move on. Then you really find out if someone is interested in making a deal! <BR> <BR>In short (OK, maybe it's too late for short) one must always do what one is comfortable with. If it would really disrupt your peace of mind to bring it your jewelry, then you shouldn't. <BR> <BR>I'm sure that MANY tourists to New York wouldn't DREAM of wearing any valuable jewelry here. But honestly, what do you think the locals do? I wear my jewelry quite comfortably everyday without fear. The only attention I attract is from other ladies who usually compliment me on my ring just like I admire other ladies jewelry. <BR> <BR>Personally, I feel that if I can navigate the streets and subways of NYC without once dropping my diamond ring in the gutter or having my earrings ripped from my ears by armed thugs, then I can probably manage the capitols of Europe without setting myself up for disaster. <BR> <BR>Thanks to all who read this far and best wishes! <BR>

Alexis, at least in my case I feel that I'm a lot more likely to lose *anything* while I'm traveling than I am at home--I'm busier, more distracted, carrying more, excited, in a new place or places, trying to find my way around, etc. Add to that the very real fact that people who are evidently *tourists*--looking at maps, carrying cameras or guidebooks, speaking a non-native language--are often the targets of crime since the thieves assume, rightly in most cases, that the person will be an easier mark and unfamiliar with their tactics, and that to me spells an increased risk of loss or theft of my jewelry that I just wouldn't want to take.

alexis- i to do not wish to push this to the limit but i feel you see only the trees and have lost sight of the forest. the point is you are not at home and there are many people who thing that travelers are rich. these people specialize in ripoffs of various natures. marking yourself by wearing expensive or large pieces of jewelry is still a good way to ask for trouble. the attitude of oh it will never happen to me all to frequently fails. i just hate to see someone or the person who may try to help them get hurt over what is clearly a preventable practice. best of luck to you

I'm with Gina about the chance of lising things. I don't have what you'd call "real" jewelry, but I do have my favorites among my many handmade silver earrings. I used to bring a couple of my very favorite pairs with me when I travelled. I carried them "safely" in a pouch with my medications and similar necessities that I brought onto the plane. Then one jet-lagged day I left the pouch on the plane. What an airhead! I called the airlines lost and found, but no luck. At home, my earrings are either on my ears or in my jewelry box.

I always wear my plain gold wedding band. I have traveled with and without my engagement ring. I've worn it on trips to Switzerland and France; but left it at home for Eastern Europe and Italy. Our next trip is to Turkey and Greece and I plan on leaving my diamond at home. It feels wierd not wearing it at first, but after a few days I get used to it. I find it's best not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. Other than that I just wear plain gold hoop earrings and whatever I buy along the way.

I've been following this thread with some interest. I agree with many of the posters. I don't have a lot of expensive jewellery, but I do have items of sentimental value, plus a few items of monetary value. Like others have said, if I lost something of sentimental value in my hometown, I'd be annoyed with myself. If I lost it while on vacation, that's one of the holiday memories I would carry back with me. So I'd feel doubly annoyed, if that makes sense. <BR> <BR>Sometimes I'll buy a nice pair of earrings while I'm away, something that I won't find at home. In that case, I may or may not end up wearing them during the trip. Last year in Greece, my earrings (which were gold, but cheap) broke. I 'had' to wear the nice ones I had bought, although I didn't wear them when we went to the beach. I also made sure that I didn't just take them out at night and leave them by the bed - I've left too many items in hotels rooms in the past!

After seeing posts about necklaces being torn off -- whether real or not -- makes me think that the risk of injury is another reason not to wear much jewelry. <BR> <BR>I enjoy jewelry (alot!!), but for me vacation means tiny, plain gold hoop earrings and $30 Timex. <BR> <BR>Why risk it? Why be a target? Why say, "But I've worked a lifetime for it..."? <BR>

Don't forget!!! Wedding band goes on your right hand, At least in Eastern Europe. I never take my real wedding ring set. It's not because of the cost, We were pretty poor back then! It is very special to me, has six little hearts with the with the so called diamond stud "chip" but raised high like an engagment ring. We got engaged on valentines day. Plus it doesn't fit my right hand. I Have a back up "Wedding ring" I wear. Remember, The fancier you dress up and the more jewelry you wear the more likely you will be targeted, not only to be possible robbed, but to be charged much higher prices. Have a blast and stay safe. Alice

let's get this strait girlies: If you're flying to London on the Concorde and getting limoed to and fromThe Savoy and the bloody airport and everywhere else...of course you'll wear your flashy ice! We are not even talking about you! We're talking about real people who will actually be walking down a city street unencumbered by bodyguards, valets, and stretch drivers. Care must be taken. You ladies who have never been robbed dripping in jewels are asking for it! please state who your insurers are so we can notify them of how stupid you are. And leave an ID prominently in your purse so they can tag your corpse at the morge when the crooks have sliced off your hand and tossed the rest of you in an alley so they can have that big rock! D-U-M-B.

I am not what the previous poster described as a rich woman and will definitely not be taking limos etc. However, I have very nie platinum engagement ring (2 carats) and a band that is welded together with engagement ring. I wear no other jewelry period! I am from downtown Chicago so I am somewhat streetwise and wear my set all the time. I will be traveling to london this summer and never even had a thought of leaving at home, should I rethink this? I can't imagine that there is that much more chance of being robbed there than at home and besides I would feel VERY strange without it!

I have to say that I agree with the first Alexis. I have nice jewelry; I wear it at home (NYC). There's no reason for me not to wear what I would normally wear at home while on vacation. I think that people are more likely to be targeted as tourists and thus robbed if they are ACTING like tourists - wandering around dazed wearing waist packs and bright white sneaks, carrying unfolded maps. If you do your best to fit in - which, quite frankly, I feel any traveler should do - you're probably not going to have a problem. And as for wandering into a bad part of town or bumping into the wrong group of thugs, well, that could happen anywhere. Including home. I tend to wear the really nice stuff when I'm dressing up for fancy dinners or parties, so chances are that stays home. ANYONE laden with jewels is a target, not just tourists laden with jewels. <BR> <BR>L