Question about transporting/packing Engagement Ring

It's yours. You can do whatever you want with it and take it anywhere you wish.

You can't take it through security in a pocket. Stick in your carryon. It will show as a ring in the scanner. Rings are neither illegal or a threat. Nobody will care.

Hi Nicholas,

How sweet and romantic. Good luck :)

Before I read your entire inquiry, the first thought that came to my mind is to bring a CZ or faux diamond as you have already thought of.

If you choose to bring the real thing, make sure you insure it. Also, keep it in the original hard ring box and put it securely in your carry on - maybe in your travel toiletry kit - so if TSA happens to open your bag, it does not come flying out mixed in with clothes or whatever will be in your carry on/flight bag.

Also, when you say, "I will keep it on me at all times," do you mean in your pocket or locked up in your hotel room? You did not specify if you will be asking your GF right away or you will wait until the perfect moment. Do you think it might be a little risky carrying around a real diamond ring like that, even if on your person? Just some things to consider :)

My thought- do you have it sized appropriately? If you are not 100% sure it is going to fit on her finger, I would recommend leaving it at home and bringing the fake. If it is too big/too small, it is more likely to fall off or get lost/taken while in transit. For me, I would be nervous about keeping track of something teeny and expensive while on a trip. I make it a rule never to bring anything on a trip that would make me heartbroken if I lost it or had it taken. Just something to think about. If you DO decide to bring it, make sure you insure it, just as Marie said.

This is pretty simple. Been done thousands of times. Our son recently was engaged in Paris. It is just a piece of jewelry to TSA. Not a security threat and there are no alarms in X-ray machines. If you want the hard box for presentation, then take it. I would put the ring a small plastic bag and carry it in the money belt which, in this case, I would probably wear on the plane. A duplicate fake probably would probably cost more than the insurance policy. So just buy the insurance. When it comes to security, just place the ring and money belt in a secured pocket on your carryon luggage. IF you bag was inspected for some reason, nothing will spill out because the bag will be carefully open in your present with your permission. So relax. The chances of any theft by TSA in the inspection area is zero. The greatest risk is that someone else accidentally takes your luggage from the x-ray machine. And that probability is very low.

As a female I'm just chiming in to say I'd be perfectly ok with being proposed to in Italy with a faux ring. In fact, the quirkier the better--how about a mood ring? You'd be so worried about the real ring being safe and kept a secret from your girlfriend that faux just makes more sense. Either way, good luck and have a lovely trip!

I agree - go with a fake ring - it's just not worth the risk to take the real thing. It's one thing to wear the ring, but to carry it around in a pocket would make me nervous. You want to enjoy this trip too, and not be worrying about it all the time! You could take a picture of it and show her what it looks like.

I agree that the quirkier the better - a bubble gum machine ring would be just fine! Believe me, she's not going to care - she's going to be thrilled just to be engaged, whether she has the ring or not.

Vote #3 for a "token" ring -- maybe even one you pick up in Italy. (If you don't have the "real" ring already, do you actually KNOW that she wants an expensive ring ?? Not everyone does, even if the DeBeers people make it seem that way.)
Reduce your stress about carrying/losing the ring and present it to her when you get home -- thus making TWO romantic occasions.
Congratulations and best wishes!

I don't think you need a ring to do a marriage proposal. Rather than taking the chance of losing a nice ring or giving her a fake one (I think that's sort of strange), just propose in Italy and give her the ring over a nice dinner when you get home. I think that asking her in Italy is very romantic, congratulations!

I think most of us are out of touch with the current engagement ritual. Similar suggestions this year about big engagement ring and Paris went no where with son and future dil. One minute after the proposal, a selfie was on the way around the world. Cannot do that with no ring or fake ring.

I'd like to chime in with the money belt suggestion. You can have the box in your suitcase to reunite with the ring for the presentation. If you're a worrier, you might also want to take the receipt so that if luggage is inspected upon your return home and the box is found you can prove that the ring wasn't purchased abroad.

That's so cute! Good luck with the proposal!

Thanks for the responses everybody.

Reading the responses and just thinking about it more, it would be a bad idea to bring the "real thing" with me on the trip, but instead bring something as a placeholder. I think I would be too worried about it the whole time and I wouldn't enjoy the trip.

Think I'm planning on doing it during a Gondola ride in Venice. Thanks everybody !!!!

Please report back. We're a bunch of romantics.

Yes, good luck!

Thanks, our trip is Thanksgiving week, so I'll know then. Hoping for YES, otherwise it's going to be a long flight home :)

My husband did this exact thing on our trip to Scotland 10 years ago now. He brought it through security no problems and no questions asked. The only thing your going to want to keep in mind is that you don't want the TSA personnel mentioning it or holding up the ring so she sees it before you get to pop the question. Once you get past that hurdle ask her as early on in the trip as you feel is right, that way it is then on her finger and you don't have to worry about losing it.

another woman saying "placeholder" ring is just fine.....especially when you added the idea of doing it on gondola ride........I would not want the real thing to go into the murky water when she throws her arms around your neck.................

TSA is only interested in forbidden objects/substances that they feel present a security risk. They don't care about prescription (or other) drugs, jewelry, or a sandwich you picked up before boarding. They aren't going to hold up a ring or mention it, though it might be visible on the xray. At that point, though, you will be too concerned with getting through the scanner yourself and recombobulating on the other side to pay any attention to what shows up on the screen. I think I side with those suggesting a proxy ring, and I like the idea of it being something you purchase on the trip - maybe a nice colored stone that she could continue to wear even after you give her the "real" one.

Good Luck!

My husband, then boyfriend popped the question in Italy. She is a very lucky lady and this will be a moment that will last forever. Plus great bragging rights on where you got engaged!

My hubby carried it on him in a small jewelry bag. Somehow he attached the bag strings to his clothing...just in case. He had no issues at the airport, customs or during travel. I also had no clue and was very surprised.

This is input from someone in the jewelry business, a big part of which is engagement ring sales. On one hand, there is nothing more romantic than when your fiancé puts that ring on her finger. A special time that only happens once. Only you know if that would be important to her. (My new DIL wouldn't have cared, the ask was most important to her). On the other hand, we always worry when we hear one of our customers is going to travel with the ring hidden, for who knows how many days until "the moment". Traveling, while fun, can also be stressful and worrying about the safety of an expensive ring would only add to the stress. I don't bring any of my good jewelry when I travel and I can replace it pretty easily. I suggest a placeholder as well, the jeweler where you bought the ring might even be able to help with that. Bring a picture of the ring that you bought so she knows it is "for real". Venice, one of my favorite places is a perfect spot. Congratulations, this is an exciting time in your life.

Or, wait and buy an inexpensive or "fake" ring in Italy - it will be a nice souvenir.

OP said in late May that he had decided to take a temporary ring for their Thanksgiving trip so he wouldn't have to worry about losing the real one. Hope he will post afterward about the big moment.

Ohhhh I love Zoe's suggestion to get the fake ring there. Some murano glass would be beautiful! Then perhaps you could have whom ever is picking you up at the airport bring the real deal. When my hubby proposed it was a spurr of the moment thing and he didn't have a ring yet, I honestly didn't care. Just the excitement of the engagement was enough for me! The following week I had to fly out of town for work and when he picked me up from the airport he gave me his Great Grandmother's 25th anniversary ring.

Have a blast!!!

Thanks for all the advice everybody. I ended up just carrying my ring around in my backpack throughout the trip. I wanted to keep an eye on it the whole so, so I didn't keep it in the hotel. I got odd looks from the x-ray guys at some museums, which was actually quite funny.

She said yes, so it wasn't an awkward flight home :)

Yeah!!! A lifetime of happiness to both of you.

Congratulations! What a great story you'll have !!