To bring or not to bring.....
 

This is not a troll post but I have a quick question...
Should I wear my engagement ring on my vacation to Paris and Greece or should I just wear my wedding band?
My ring is not gigantic but it is a decent size so am I foolish for wearing it or should I just ignore what friends are saying.
This question might sound stupid but I would appreciate your opinions.
Thanks

Hi Petula,

You are more likely to lose the stone than to have your finger cut off and the ring stolen.

Hi Petula.
What on earth do you think of us Europeans?
Come and enjoy our outstanding continent!!

AR,
I don't have bad thoughts about Europeans...I was 99% sure I was going to wear it but I just wanted to get some feedback.
Even on our honeymoon friends asked why I was going to wear my engagement ring....I really didn't see the big deal and we even went to Jamaica (probably not the safest country in the world - sorry if that offended anyone)

Women in Europe wear their rings so why shouldn't you. You might lose it if you take it off to wash your hands and leave it behind. If you walked alone down a dark alley at two in the morning, you might be mugged. Apart from that......

I would wear the ring, but here are some questions to ask yourself:

Is my ring insured?

Do I ever take the ring off to wash my hands or at night?

If yes, do I have a habit of fogetting to put my ring back on?

Does my ring fit properly, has it ever slipped off my finger?

If the ring a family heirloom such that my in-laws might disown me if I lost the ring?

I agree that your greater risk is of loss of the stone or the ring (rather than theft). A vacation can be filled with distractions and some physical endeavor (lifting and carrying bags), which increase the risk of loss/damate. Keep that in mind in making your decision.

Petula,

See the following:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34426528

My wifes' final decision was to leave the engagement/wedding rings at home and wear an inexpensive band. Moreso out of fear of losing it than of it being stolen. Since it is a family heirlum, its value far exceeds its appraisal. Hope this helps!

petula, there was a great thread discussing this very subject. It was called "Ladies, do you travel with your jewelry?" I tried to cut and paste it for you but my computer skills are sadly lacking. If you go to the text search box and simply type in the words "travel with jewelry" it will come up straight away. Read it!

Scottee was typing the exact same time as me, and he's computer savvy!!! :d

I agree with the others -- your ring is as safe in Europe as it is at home, subject to the same risks of being stolen, lost, damaged, or forgotten at some sink.

BUT . . . despite all of these rational warnings, if you have any residual fears then I'd leave the ring(s) at home; otherwise you'll waste too much energy worrying and you won't enjoy your trip as much.

As anywhere, there are bad folks in Europe who specialize in victimizing tourists--especially in areas where tourists congregate. The vast majority of tourists never have a problem, but you do decrease your chance of attracting the attention of a baddy by not wearing expensive jewelry.

You never told us what your "friends are saying" on this issue..I assume it is that you shouldn't wear the ring.
In terms of losing it...well, if it is lost it is lost and I'm not sure it is any worse to lose something in Europe than in the US..probably less likely to get it back if lost here than Europe in my experience in losing things (not engagement rings, though). Is there some reason you would be more likely to lose it while on a trip????
Or is the issue theft? The possibility of theft varies from place to place, who you are, what you look like, accompanied/unaccompanied, time of day, place, etc.
If you are the least bit worried about it and it isn't insured then it should be whether you are in Europe or anywhere else.
I say take the precautions you take here and if you feel better wearing it and not some cheap imitation, then do so.

dln,

Yeah, I can't forget that thread :) As far as being computer savvy, don't feel bad, it took me nearly 4 attempts to get a link that would take Petula right to my original thread. The way Fodors' uses frames, the address above does not always reflect the post you are reading.

Bonjour Petula,

My mother would feel naked travelling with less than one ring at each finger, so when I took her on her first visit of the USA, she wore that and some more, despite all the horror stories one hears about muggings and worse ... The only horror we were subjected to were lengthy conversations about stones, jewels, and antiques in about every shop and restaurants we went into :-)

I wear my engagement ring, which fits well, and I do not take it off to wash my hands. When my mother got her engagement ring she was told by the jeweler that when washing her hands she should pop the ring between her teeth to ensure that she did not leave it anywhere.

I have decided to wear it...if something happens it happens - isn't that why we have insurance?
Thanks for all your help.