If you choose to bring jewelry with you when you travel, it’s important to know there is risk. Jewelry can get damaged, lost or, worst of all, stolen while traveling.
It’s becoming more common to return home from a trip to realize a piece of jewelry is missing, according to a recent survey conducted by Jewelers Mutual. It found that 20% of people say they lost fine jewelry on a trip or had it stolen. The best strategy is to not travel with expensive or irreplaceable jewelry. If you must travel with your jewelry, experts in the travel industry recommend keeping it in your in-room safe at all times. Don’t share the passcode with anyone and double-check that the safe is securely locked.
The Most Problematic Situations
Here are the main causes of travel-related jewelry claims, according to Jewelers Mutual:
The item was lost at the beach
The item was lost while swimming or participating in a water-related activity (water will shrink your finger and a ring will fall off, for example)
The item was left unattended and unsecured in a hotel room and was stolen
The item was packed within a checked bag and out of the possession/custody of the owner and stolen
The item was removed while the owner washed hands in a public restroom and then forgot about it
The item was left in an unattended vehicle that was burglarized
Tips for Not Becoming a Statistic
Jewelers Mutual offers these tips for traveling with jewelry:
Before you depart, take clear photos of any jewelry you bring so you have a record of what you’re bringing. You’ll also want a photo of the jewelry for a police report if it’s stolen
Don’t bring expensive jewelry that you will likely not wear anyway
Don’t put jewelry in checked luggage
Discreetly wear as much of the jewelry as possible while traveling (versus putting it in luggage)
Make sure that you have your jewelry fully insured
Consider purchasing inexpensive travel jewelry and leaving your valuable pieces at home
Jewelry Insurance for Traveling
There are a few options for insuring jewelry on a trip, some better than others.
Your homeowners insurance policy will generally cover jewelry just like it would if you were home. Be aware that there’s usually a $1,500 limit for theft of jewelry in a standard home insurance policy.
You can increase the coverage by scheduling personal property such as jewelry, which allows you to insure items for their full value.
If you have travel insurance, it can provide some but very limited coverage for jewelry under the coverage for baggage and personal effects.
Specialized jewelry insurance will cover damage and theft but also accidental loss and “mysterious disappearance.” For example, a Jewelers Mutual policy is based on the specific items being insured, so you can get coverage for the full replacement value. You can also work with the jeweler of your choice if you’re making a claim for repairs or replacement of jewelry.
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