I want to say that all of your help and good cheer provided to me since I started planning my South America Hourney in Jan. has been simply excellent!

I am winding down to the short list and would like to know if it is highly advisible to NOT travel with these most beloved jewelry items:

My wedding ring, my stud earrings, my cross, my watch and my bracelet.

These items are not flashy but they do catch the eye. I just want to be safe and appropriate.

All are gifts from hubby and teen son that I wear everyday and during 75% of my travel. I removed the wedding ring in Turkey for safety reasons and promptly lost it for several agonizing hours...

I can start to get used to the idea of being "naked" if it means I might get acosted, robbed or worse.

Thank you for your kind input in advance.

OT

LOL!!
That should read JOURNEY...too much going on while watching the Travel Channel and answering phones...

My response may not be a popular one. My wife does not wear much jewelry but I ask her to leave her meager posessions at home. There is too much opportunity to have something go wrong. I have known too many people who have left rings in room ashtrays,had them come off in the ocean, been used to knowing where they left things at home but then forgetting them when in a strange room. As much as we would like to believe that our rooms are safe sometimes room thefts occur. My wife always felt uncomfortable traveling without her wedding ring so I bought her a couple of inexpensive bands in Mexico that are her "travel wedding bands" and now she is happy. The same for expensive watches. When we travel we both wear a cheap Timex that is no big deal if lost or stolen. If I forget and wear it in the ocean, no big deal. Other people use vacations as "coming out" parties and use it as the opportunity to wear all their jewelry. For me, I think it is best to walk on the caution side. If I forget where I put something at home, I have unlimited time to find it. If I forget where I put something in my vacation room my time is limited to find it. Just my opinions.

There is no way I would wear my good jewelry in South American..Leave the studs, wear a cheapo watch, forget the cross unless it's costume, and the gold bracelet...maybe yoou want to think about getting a fake gold one. If you were going to be at a resort that is one thing...but as much as I love South America I would not tempt anybody.. Often times in the Caribbean I wear my diamond band upside down..

While living south of the border, I follow the lead of my local co-workers. A plain gold wedding band is commonly worn, but nothing with diamonds (new engagement rings are usually worn once to the office to show everyone, then kept in the family safe). So diamond stud earrings, tennis bracelets, etc. are rarely seen, even in very nice restaurants. The same goes for expensive watches and pretty much anything gold.

And the people I work with don't like to wear the fake versions of any of this either. The idea is that if you look like you might be rich enough to have the real thing, why tempt the bad guys with a fake Rolex or big cubic zirconia earrings?

If these are your beloved jewelry items, I think you should leave them in a secure location at home (safe or safety deposit box) and it's one less thing to worry about while you are away. Plus, you can get some cheap, fun costume jewelry (that really looks like costume jewelry) to wear on your trip!

Thank you everyone.

Your honesty and candor are much appreciated.

I have a bunch or cheapy watches...gotta find them and I will have to do without my ring, studs, and tennis bracelet. I could bring one of the small gold bands that hubby gave me for the wedding/married ring thing.

Thanks!

OT

Bring all of your cheap watches and maybe you can trade them on neat souveniers like textiles, sweaters, pottery. I was negotiating a deal and had very little in the way of Peruvian currency with me, and the woman suggested my cheap Timex would be a good trade. It was my only watch and so I missed out making a trade as well as a good story to tell if someone asked what I paid for it.

I agree with the prior posters - leave your valuables at home. I am not a big jewelry wearer but have a few things with sentimental value and those are better left in a safe location as they can't be replaced if lost (which is probably more likely than being robbed anyway). I leave my expensive watch and earrings at home and take a $30-Timex that can get wet and lights up at night, a plain wedding band and a pair of small plain white gold earrings (can't wear costume earrings as they bother my ears). I add a fun shell/coconut necklace and bracelets that I buy locally at my destination so that I don't feel underdressed ;-)

Thanks...you guys are the best!

OT

I'll pitch my 2? in . . . don't wear fake jewelry . . . thieves can't tell fake from real and it's not worth getting mugged over . . . learned my lesson the hard way . . . was wearing gold (color) earrings (my only jewelry) and was mugged in Guatemala City. Thief grabbed my head from behind and ripped them off. My daughter ran after the thief until I called her back . . . I had bought them for 10? at a garage sale . . . stupid me had risked a broken neck for vanity. Now, I leave all jewelry at home.

BTW, I have enjoyed reading your trip reports, you're a great writer!

Sandy (in Denton)

Sandy:

Thank you for your compliment and for sharing your experience.

My Best,
Oaktown Traveler

For me, the whole thing about jewellery is the sentimental attachment I have to certain pieces. If I were to lose an earring or whatever that I loved, I would forever remember my trip as the 'one where I lost my favourite' whatever. That's not to say that I wouldn't lose it at home, but I might stand a better chance of finding it again. I do wear my wedding ring, but it's a rather plain gold band. I wear very small inexpensive gold earrings and a cheap watch on my trips.

I definetly would keep the jewelery at home for safety reasons. I always remember my husband's & mine honeymoon in Costa Rica. Our host's (who is an extremly wealthy American who relocated to Costa Rica) first comment to me upon our arrival was to turn my wedding ring around as to hide the diamond when walking around in public. There were gangs who roamed the streets for the sole purpose of mugging. A victim would be held down while another person would rip the ring from their finger. Nowadays, I usually retain so much water on vacation that they would have to rip my finger off with it. Not worth it. Leave it at home. Don't set yourself up.