Do you wear your engagement ring?
 

Do you wear your engagement ring while travelling? Leave it at home? Wear a fake?

(Thank you to everyone who responded to my previous thread - the information I have been given/found on Fodor's is fantastic!)

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 <font color="blue"><i>fake</i></font> diamond isnt really a good idea. I presume the thief doesnt pull out a loop to ensure quality before he attacks, hee hee hee! <b>Thats just something for those of you considering artificial bling to keep in mind.</b>

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, &quot;That's a nice ring you got there lady&quot; !!!!

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 <i>your</i> great mind is thinking about how one can smash a weeks worth of clothing/travel needs into the smallest bag possible because <i>my</i> 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 &amp; 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 &amp; 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 &quot;good&quot; 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 &quot;good&quot; 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.