Stay Stylish As You Travel: Jewelry Packing Tips

When you plan to pack for your trip abroad, you want to be smart, but probably stylish as well right? Besides clothes, accessories such as jewelry are the best way to stay trendy on the go and you should be smart about how you pack these items. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or an extended period abroad, these tips will help you pack all of your favorite pieces.

Leave your expensive jewelry at home

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you do not need all of your jewelry with you, especially anything expensive. Leave important pieces such as gifts from family members and friends or anything expensive back at home in some place where it will be secure while you are gone.

If you feel the need to bring it with you on your trip, do so with care. Bring travel locks with you to lock your bag when you leave your hostel/hotel for the day. Use the safe in you room if it is provided (see if they have one before you book a room somewhere) or ask if your jewelry can be kept at the front desk of your hotel. You don’t want to risk it being stolen from you or broken while traveling. Instead, consider purchasing cheaper jewelry that you will not mind too much if you lose it or it is broken.

Traveling with fine jewelry

If you do wish to travel with fine or expensive jewelry, make sure that you pack it so that it stays protected. It wouldn’t be a lovely surprise to arrive at your destination to realize that something had been chipped or the chains of your necklace were severely tangled. Consider purchasing a small carrying case (again, one that you can lock up) that is cushioned and soft on the inside so that the jewelry stays in good shape or a jewelry bag that can be unrolled to store everything.

However, if you have pearls or any silver jewelry; these materials can be especially susceptible to nicks and scratches. Lay necklaces flat (especially beaded necklaces) and a common hack trick is to string a straw (or another type of tube such as a cardboard toiled paper roll) through a necklace to keep it from becoming tangled. Some other quick and cheap fixes to travel with jewelry include using the following everyday household items:

• Plastic bags with a zipper
• Index cards with holes poked for earrings
• Pill case compartments

To ensure that your jewelry is covered, look into jewelry insurance from a private company or ask your jeweler about it for any of your expensive pieces. That way if any pieces are chipped or stolen, you will be fully covered by the company. If you plan on flying somewhere, never pack your jewelry in your check-in luggage but instead put it in your carry-on so that it is with you during the entire trip.

Even with insurance you will not want to risk having your luggage be lost or in some cases stolen because the airline workers were careless.

Pack light

Even if you are traveling for an extended period such as living in a foreign country, try to pack light. Consider just bringing two sets of earrings and a necklace that can be worn casually during the day or out on the town at night. You will probably do some jewelry shopping on your trip or abroad. Try to wear some of your jewelry pieces such as a watch or other accessory that you plan to bring with you. Not only will it save a tiny space of room while you travel, but it is one less accessory item that you can worry about and not to mention it will help you keep track of the time or even better: the time difference.

Care for your jewelry on vacation

Once you get to your final travel destination, don’t forget to take good care of your jewelry. If you plan to go outside or to the beach during the summer months (first of all, please wear sunscreen), try to keep it away from your jewelry. The sunscreen whether in the form of a liquid, solid or spray can coat jewelry and gemstones which can reduce its shine.

In such cases it may be best to leave valuable jewelry pieces at home, but if you do choose to wear jewelry at outside, try to apply sunscreen and allow it to dry before putting on jewelry.

Security check points

It might be a great idea to wear some of your jewelry while traveling, but do not forget about security at airports such as metal detectors. If the jewelry you are wearing as heavy traces of metal, remember to take if off before security or just keep it in your carryon until you are finished with the process.

What to do if jewelry is lost or stolen

If it does happen that your jewelry becomes lost or stolen whether or not it is insured, there is something you can do to help you in your search to recover them. Before you leave on your trip, take photos or videos of your jewelry that can be saved in your phone as well as online. That way you can have something to show people who can help you at a lost and found or if you ask the authorities to assist you in your search for expensive pieces of jewelry, you will have an image than just a description to share with them.

Hopefully these different tips and tricks will help you better pack for your next vacation or other plans if you decide to go traveling with jewelry. When in doubt, keep any of your favorite or most expensive pieces of jewelry at home (unless for a special occasion) and bring less expensive jewelry with you instead. Always keep your jewelry in sight by wearing it or keeping it in carry-on luggage when you leave for a trip.