Hello,
Just wondering how real the risk is for this. Before going to Italy, I read about the many pickpockets supposedly lurking everywhere, and on two trips, I never noticed anyone and always felt completely safe.I did buy and then wear some nice jewelry in Florence & Venice, but didn't feel that it attracted undue attention.
Now that we'll be going to Paris, and reading the posts about pickpockets, I'm starting to wonder. True, I know crime is in every major city, but do the children really gang up on you in the Metro, etc?
Along the same lines, what about wearing my anniversary ring, which is quite nice. I love it and it was bought to celebrate this anniversary, so I'd really like to wear it. It's insured, but my main concern is that it might make us more desirable targets...
What do you think, Fodorites? As long as I don't bring all sorts of fancy jewelry, is it okay to wear a few of my favorite pieces?

...is anyone out there wearing jewelry when they travel?

Wear it if you don't mind losing it.
But why do you feel the need to wear jewels when visiting a city?

My wife has some nice stuff, too, but she leaves it at home, except for this trip when we were at a major party.
The good stuff served its purpose that night and then went back into the case for the duration of the trip.

Why? Two reasons. No reason to wear it and no reason to risk it.

I'm not much into jewelry, though I love special beads like amber. I travel mostly in warm weather, and I find jewelry hot, so I leave my favorite gold bracelets and what else at home.
One more thing not to worry about.
I also think locals find you more appoachable in the villages outside of Paris if you are interested. For your anniversary ring, when riding the metro, simply turn it around so it looks like a simple band

I have worn my regular nice jewelry (incuding diamond ring, etc.) all over Europe and never gave it a second thought. I wear the stuff home, and lets face it, things can happen no matter where you live. Remember also, people who live in Europe also wear jewelry. Quit worrying and enjoy. Perhaps not a good idea to walk around with a tiara and/or half a dozen diamond bracelets or something, but then again I'd not do that at home either !!!

Thanks for the replies (and the laughs)
It is kind of silly to care about it; I think I'll just wear the ring (turned around) and a few basic pieces. Should help my goal of packing light!

Hi cybertraveler, I understand your question and concerns but what good is it to have jewelry if you can't wear it. I personally do not feel that wearing jewelry in Europe is any more dangerous then wearing jewelry in the US. European women certainly wear their jewelry.

What I do not do is take a lot of jewelry as then you have to worry about where to put the items you are not wearing. So I take my favorite pieces and put a few extra in my wallet (evening earrings and perhaps a different ring etc.). Oh, the joys of traveling.

cybertraveler there is one thing that I do with my jewelry when traveling. I do not take it off until I am ready for bed. At that point I put it in my purse (the zippered part inside the purse). The next morning after bathing, dressing etc., I put it back on. Now that way I do not have to worry about leaving it on a nightstand, dresser, bathroom sink etc. The worse that can happen is that I do not put it on the next morning (that hasn't happened yet) and consequently it is in the zippered inside pocket of my purse. And I have never left my hotel room without my purse.

Learned this lesson after leaving a braclet and earrings on the dresser on one of the few cruises I took. Lesson well learned as a matter of fact.

Hope this helps with your decision. Best wishes.

Pickpockets are very interested in cash and to some extent in credit cards; jewelry isn't very important to them except insofar as it might help them to identify someone who has cash or credit cards (if it is manifestly expensive jewelry, but even then nobody is going to notice except upon close and prolonged examination).

Children do not gang up on you in the Métro in Paris.

I can't think of a reason to wear jewelry at all, much less on a trip when one is supposed to be comfortable and enjoying oneself, but that's up to you. There is a risk that it will be stolen if you bring it and/or wear it, but that is true anywhere. Personally I suggest leaving all jewelry at home (but then again, I suggest never buying it to begin with, so my opinion is somewhat skewed).

If you'd wear it every day at home, then wear it on your trip.

My concern about jewelry (particularly sentimental pieces) and traveling is not pickpockets, rather when you move around so much YOU might misplace it, leave it behind on the sink, drop it behind the dresser without realizing, etc.

Since you've been in the situation in Italy, I think whatever your comfortable solution was there, would be OK for Paris as well.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply.
Glad to hear I don't need to worry about dangerous children...
LoveItaly, great suggestions on keeping my pieces safe and with me! Thank you!
Anthony, it's a "girl thing!"

I think you mean mugged for jewellery, one can hardly be pickpocketed for jewellery, unless of course one prefers to wear it in their pockets!

Personally, I wouldn't wear anything very large (stone wise) during the day, and perhaps cover your watch. However, during the evening, if you're taking a taxi from A to B then you can pretty much wear what you want without concern.

A lot of this depends on what kind of jewelry you're talking about - and what kind of transportation you use.

Just like in NYC - you don;t ride the subway in a diamond necklace and mink coat - it's simply asking for trouble.

If this is truly valuable jewelry I assume you'll be taking cabs everywhere - and since most pickpocketing is in subways, buses, train stations etc you should be OK.

But my general theory is not to travel with real jewley at all - there are just too many chances for problems - either in public transport, in the hotel - or just through carelessness. I don;t even wear my real watch - just a cute Mickey I save for weekends. I just take a couple of basic fake earrings and a faux necklace or two.

I would never risk the real stuff - unless it's an engagemnet ring that you never - and I do mean NEVER - not even in your room - take off.

Well, it's not the Hope diamond, but there is a bit of sparkle happening with my anniversary band and ring. I don't flash it around, but it is there if people are looking.
We will be walking around all three places in the daytime, probably taking cabs at night, which is when I would think most muggings take place.
Also, we're both fairly fit and tall, which I think might cause potential muggers to look for weaker, slower targets, or is that wishful thinking?

About children ganging up on you, it's happened to us twice in Paris.

Gypsy childen swarmed our outdoor table at Lauderee on the Champs Elysee one Sunday afternoon. There were about 6 of them dressed in nice soccor style clothes. Another time they got us in the park area outside Notre Dame. We didn't lose anything but the lady next to us at Lauderee almost lost her cell phone. They're good and they're quick.

m-kingdom2, actually I think pickpockets do target people wearing nice jewelry thinking these are the wealthier tourists. This happened to my friend Kristin when we went. I advised her to leave her good jewelry at home & just take some smart arty pieces. But she bought & wore a new leather coat, a new leather Coach bag & wore her diamonds. She was targeted before we even got out of the Métro (on our way to the hotel). Of course, nothing was taken as the pickpocketer was chased away by some teenage girls but this colored Kristin's entire perception of the city of Paris & she ended up hating it (rather than thanking her lucky stars that she didn't lose anything).

I leave the diamonds, sapphires & emeralds at home & wear simple arty pieces like onyx & silver on French wires.

Hi cybertraveler, one other thought as I have sometimes done this. If you are feeling uncomfortable about a ring, turn it around on your finger so that the stone is on the back of your finger and only the band(s) show on the front of your hand.

But again, European women wear their jewerlry. And to tell you the truth the jewelry I have lost has been in my hometown area as obviously I was not as careful (although I am careful with my jewelry) as I am while on vacation.

Also, just a side note. I was an Insurance Agent/Broker for thirty years. I thinking back on claims that my clients had almost all were due to either stones falling out (covered under Inland Marine policies) or misplaced items, some covered by insurance some not depending on their coverage. Very few losses happened while clients were on vacation. We all should get our stones and clasps checked from time to time to make sure they are secure. Something I just put on my "to do list", thanks to your thread.

I almost always take (or wear) my favorite gold chain necklace, my pearl necklace, and a pair of gold and pearl earrings. They are nice, but compared to what I see women in Vienna, Baden-Baden and the 16th arrond. in Paris wearing (the three places I travel to most often), they are nothing to elicit any special interest.
I had a very good diamond and 18k gold wedding ring, but a couple of weeks ago, it bounced off the dresser and disappeared down a crack in the floorboards of our Victorian cottage. Until we get things sorted out with the insurance company, my wedding ring is a $15 fake that I picked up at a Dillards in Orlando two weeks ago. If any pickpockets manage to snatch that, they are in for a disappointing surprise!

Oh BTilke, I am so sorry about your wedding ring!! I do hope that you will be able to recover it but it sounds as though that is not possible. I guess that was my point, it seems to me that most of my insurance clients had problems with jewerly at home or close to home. But what a shame.

And regarding jewelry, my friends in Italy always wear so much more then I do, and never worry about it. In fact everytime I am there I always wished I had brought more, I feel like the pauper, LOL.

But again BTilke, my sympathy to you regarding your wedding ring. Best wishes.

Thanks, LoveItaly, but this ring is actually my second wedding ring. My husband accidentally Threw Out my original wedding ring--my jewelry is in far more danger at home than on the road!
A good point about getting clasps, etc. checked. Every September, I have my pearls restrung and cleaned at the store where I bought them. They do a good job and it only costs 15 euros.

Thanks everyone--I'm learning a lot.
Linda, that must have put a damper on your trip. I would have expected to be safe sitting in a cafe on a Sunday afternoon. Those kids sound like pros. I will definitely be on the lookout.

LoveItaly, your suggestion about turning the band around is a good one that I've used on occasion here at home. I know that there will be many women wearing much more flashy jewelry than mine. I always bring my jewelry to Aruba and other islands, just keep it in the room safe, and I've never had any problem. But you don't hear about pickpockets there. BTW, I did lose a stone out of my anniversary band on the train in Italy last trip, and it was covered by insurance (felt like I had a missing tooth for the rest of the trip though!)

BTilke, I'm sorry to hear about your wedding ring. Good luck on that!