Safe to wear jewelry?

When in doubt, don't. I take only a few inexpensive pieces of lightweight jewelry. One inexpensive watch.

My wife never travels abroad with her nice jewelry. Just not worth it. On our last trip to Italy, we brought back some beautiful Murano glass jewelry that was worth a bit so we had to be careful.

Leave anything you care about losing at home. It isn't likely that your pearls will get snatched by a pickpocket, but they are crafty. Get an inexpensive watch for the trip and leave the rest at home. You also don't want to inadvertently leave your pearls, watch, or anything else behind in a hotel - although many proprietors are honest and would likely hold on to it, I wouldn't chance it.

LEAVE IT !!!!! We never travel with any jewelry except gold wedding bands and Timex watches. Probably not a problem but why do anything to increase your risk?

I never bring my good stuff. Wedding ring and cheap watch, wear same pair of pearl earrings day and night( I never take them off, this bugs some people but not me) .

I am not letting my daughter bring her stuffed toy with us this summer, I said if you lose it , or leave it at the hotel, it is gone forever and I don't want the drama...LOL

If you would be devastated loosing it leave it at home, it's just not worth it. Take and wear the minimum that way there won't be a problem.

The past two years we've traveled to Italy with students (but in May it's just the two of us YAY).

My rule of thumb to the students is "if you can't afford to replace it (or it's impossible to replace) leave it home"

One girl lost her class ring while horsing around throwing coins in a fountain. Another girl left the gold necklace she got when her grandmother died in the bathroom in Naples.

Personally I wear my wedding band and leave the diamond one home more because it catches on stuff than worrying about it getting stolen, a cheapo multifunction watch that converts to 24 hour time and has an alarm--- GREAT for reminding yourself to be somewhere or in case you doze a bit on the train. I usually pick up an interesting costume jewelry necklaces and earrings to dress up my sort of basic dress up or down travel wardrobe. It makes an inexpensive momento.

When travelling less really is more!

When we travel, my wife and I wear inexpensive watches and simple gold wedding bands. You are better off on so many levels not wearing expensive jewelry. You will not mark yourself as a target for theives and you won't put average locals off with your display of wealth.

Unless you are wearing a Rolex watch I wouldn't worry about it.
Italy is a first world country and the women, especially in major cities, wear jewelry, quite a lot of it in fact, without putting themselves at risk.
Think about what you would feel comfortable wearing in say, NYC, then apply that to travelling in Italy. When you are on buses, or in a crowded place just be aware of who is around you, and where your stuff is.
If you are going to spend the whole trip worrying about your necklace then perhaps you are better off leave it at home.

I will leave my Platinum jewellery at home (in the bank's safe), and travel only with the pieces that won't hurt me if I lost them. I do this even in the States. I was at a fairly nice hotel a few years ago in Nashville and heard someone crying because she had left her very expensive watch in the room, and it was missing. Apparently, she was lying out by the pool and the room was being cleaned. We were checking out so never found out whether they got it back. It is so easy to take off your ring, necklace or bracelet for whatever reason and forget to put them back on. I'm encouraging my daughter to take costume jewellery.

I've been trying to figure that out as well. I don't own a crappy watch but I have 2 watches, 1 that is cheaper than the other...so maybe I will wear that one. I plan to bring alot of costume jewelry as I like to spice up an outfit with a fun necklace or earrings.

I leave my diamond ring at home no matter where I travel.

I love to shop for jewelry - and there are some fabulous pieces to be found in Italy! shop as you go and you will have those momentos when you get home.