personal jewelry in Italy

I have visited Italy several times, traveling from CT to only as far south as Rome but I have never sensed a need to not wear our wedding rings. I would be curious as to who is advising that extreme caution. Italy is famed for its pickpockets but by wearing a MONEY BELT your stuff inside it should always be safe. It is always good advice to leave any flashy jewelry at home, even if it is fake and cheap. It only attracts attention that you do not want. Happy travels,

It is smart to be really cautious. Take your wedding ring if you want to, leave it at home if you feel safer. Last year right before I went to Italy, my now-fiance proposed and I was going to miss him so I wanted to bring my ring and wear it. Most of the time I had no problem, didn't feel worried at all. However, when I was in big crowds I did flip it over so it looked like a plain white gold band, and didn't show the diamond. It really depends what your trip is going to be like. If you'll be in smaller areas, less touristy places, you probably will feel comfortable and fine. But if you will be in the crowded streets of Rome, etc, you may feel more comfortable wearing a different ring to take place of your wedding band. It's a personal choice, just know that there's always a chance it could be stolen. But many, many people wear jewelry daily and don't have a problem.

I always wear my plain, 2mm wedding band (because I can't get it off - DANG IT! Oh, sorry, Honey!). I don't wear anything else when I travel, even in the States, because my hands tend to swell while traveling (flights, etc.), OR if it's a bit cold then my hands shrink a bit - either way, now I can't wear wear my rings. Plus I'd really hate to leave a ring behind at a sink, or have it slide off without noticing... :-( I also only bring 2 pairs of earrings - sliver and gold - and only if I can replace them if something should happen to them. And one bracelet and one watch. Small diamonds are OK; just leave the 3-carat-honker at home ;-)

Hi Sue, I wear my wedding ring everyday But I don't wear it when I travel to Europe. It is true I feel bare without it but I feel I have one less thing to worry about . As the previous post mentioned, it is a personal preference.

I always wear my jewellery (all silver, no gold) when I travel and I notice that Italian women and French women have their jewellery on in public, some of it quite flamboyant. Of course, if you have "red carpet" jewels it would be prudent to leave them in the safe at home, but your wedding ring? Wear it! Do you really think a thief will take it off your finger?

I would suggest that if you have nice diamonds, it would be a good idea to leave it at home. My wife leaves all of her nice jewelry at home when we go to Europe. This includes here nice diamond earrings.

Leave the diamonds at home to avoid bringing attention to yourself. Wearing just your wedding band should not cause any grief, except if it is really fancy and jewel laden. Italy's thieves and pickpockets are legendary, remove the obvious. Buon viaggio,

I think the statement to not wear ANY jewelry is very extreme. I am .ot sure what part of Italy that person was in... Definately take your necessary precautions but don't let the paranoia of others ruin your vacation. In fact, in RS book it is suggested that single females wear weddings rings to ward off the overly flirtatious latin lover. I'm sure that this was not referring to the 3-carat yellow canary diamond in the plantinum setting of course, but obviously wearing a ring in and of itself is not a bad thing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE jewelry and I feel completely naked without it, but I do agree with the previous posters that the expensive stuff should not be broadcasted. I like the costume jewelry so if it's snatched I won't be too upset. Another 2 EURO and an open air market and I'm back where I started. Earrings and bracelets are probably more easy to take so watch those, especially the bracelets with the clasp. But if you are like me, get some really inexpensive pieces that don't shout "bling bling" and you should be fine. And keeping your jewelry to a few basic pieces that go with everything (a couple pair of hoops, a few rings, an inexpensive watch) can go a lot towards keeping your luggage weight down.

Did the advice come from someone who has traveled? and are they paranoid? Seriously... common sense should prevail here. Of course, jewlery meant for a fancy evening out might better be left home... but a wedding ring? I would not bring lots of expensive stuff that would be left in a hotel room, but you need to do what you feel comfortable doing. (I bet the majority of women who go to Italy and are married wear their wedding ring) I do bring lots of costume jewlery and scarves while traveling in Europe... its a way to jazz up boring, black travel clothes... and if I lose it thats okay.

I always wear rings, two gold bracelets, gold earrings on trips. But they remain on me at all times except during sleep. Never had a problem and I would feel naked wo them. We usually travel for three weeks and that is way too long to be wo jewelry imo.

I think most people are afraid of losing jewelry more than they are of theft, especially items you regularly take on and off. When you're packing and unpacking in strange hotels, it's quite easy to forget an item or two. What it comes down to is...if you can't afford to replace it, don't bring it.

It's also just about not presenting yourself as a target. Sure, that sparkly ring may make thieves notice you, but how you are dressed and how you act and carry yourself will often make them decide whether they want to try to go for the ring (or other jewelry) or not. Don't do things that would draw any thief to you (looking clueless and reading a map without being aware of your surroundings, go through your purse in a busy area, etc). Like I said, I flipped my diamond down to the underside of my hand whenever I felt like that was the best decision (which wasn't often) but the rest of the time I wore it normally and didn't have any problems. Act confidently, do not make yourself look like a target and oftentimes you will not become one. Thieves want target people who look like it will be easy to get their wallet or jewelry.

We both wear a bit jewelry. Have never had a problem in Italy or anywhere else in Europe. Can one of Europe's infamous pickpockets steal it? Sure. But I suspect you're more likely to have someone in many cities in America stick a gun in your face and ask for not just your jewelry but also your wallet. And your money belt. As someone pointed out. The Italians wear jewelry. Be as careful as you would be in someplace like Washington DC. Have fun.

I always wear my wedding ring to Italy and have never sensed any danger but it's not an enormous diamond & if I'm ever somewhere a bit questionable (either in Italy or here in the U.S.), I do as another poster suggested & I turn it around so that only the band is visible. I think who ever advised you not to wear it is being overly paranoid.

Is your wedding ring studded with huge diamonds? If you're lucky enough to have that, then leave it at home for sure! Otherwise, wear it. I definitely wouldn't wear anything flashy or huge. There's lots of cute costume jewelry out there. Bring whatever you want as long as you won't care if you lose them or leave them behind.

sue Is the person who advised you at lunch the other day in a good position to advise you?

I've lived in Europe for 10+ years - including Italy for more than three - and NEVER had any jewelry taken from me, my family, my hotel, or my apartments. In fact, my wife once had a bracelet fall off her wrist in a Roma Metro station and folks ran up to us and returned it. You're probably safer, as mentioned, in Italy than you are in the US. Too much ill-advised generalizing and pre-conceived stereo-typing will spoil your visit. Just be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine.

I think there are two good reasons for leaving jewelry at home. First, when you travel you are outside of your normal routine. You are sleeping in different places, using different bathrooms and packing/unpacking often. Losing jewelry during travel isn't far-fetched. If it's something you wouldn't want to live without, it may be a good idea not to bring it on your trip. Second, flashy jewelry could attract thieves - not to steal rings off your fingers but to target your bag or pockets. Italy has it's share of petty criminals. They make a living in crowded tourist areas targeting those who appear to have the most to take. My wife and I bring simple "travel" wedding bands and keep valuable stuff in a money belt/neck pouch. The relatively small amount of money in our pockets won't be a vacation spoiler if it's lost or stolen.

It prbably depends on the size of your diamonds. If it's got enough bling to cause someone to think WOW, then I'd leave it at home. Just think how badly you would feel if you lost it or it was stolen. If you decide to take it, be sure you have it insured before you leave.