when you travel, does your e-ring follow.
as in...let's say you're traveling from the states to the middle east...in oh, let's say, 5 days. like, would you wear your e-ring or leave it behind.
Monday, December 15, 2008
#458: yes or no.
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57 comments:
lol... you can tell I'm out of it. I kept thinking "what's an e-ring??".. yeah. I wear mine all the time!
I actually went to Brazil by myself last month, and I left it at home. I'm a complete Forgetful Jones, and I was scared that I was going to lose it (and so was FI since he knows me). I just went out and bought a cheap sterling silver ring that kinda looked like a wedding band. Everyone is a little different though, so it's up to you.
Um, I wear mine all the time, but i also have it fully insured. (gemshield - no deductible, 1 yr fee is 1% of appraisal value - very reasonable). But to the middle east... i've never been before, but i'd probably research/google if its too dangerous or something to keep on. I don't want to attract more negative attention than I need to :)
Are you going to the middle east?
I would bring mine with me! I hate parting with it! :-)
i say wear it unless you're going to be completely paranoid about it the whole time.
if that's the case, why not go buy a fun & cheap CZ ring to take its place for the trip? i attempted to do that recently while mine was being resized, but, alas, i ordered the wrong size and had to send it back.
I agree with Chic.Personal.Fun. When I traveled abroad after getting engaged, I left my e-ring at home. My husband had gotten me a very basic band a year or two after we started dating, so I wore that.
I would leave it behind. I wear mine when I'm traveling in the U.S. (Atlanta over Thanksgiving and Ohio over Christmas), but I'm not taking it to India with me in January. It's insured, but it's just so much easier not to tempt fate and deal with the hassle.
Wear it, you may be harassed less if you appear to be married.
However, it should be insured and fit rather tightly. If it wasn't insured, I might not wear mine.
agree with chic.personal.fun. Get something that looks like a wedding band and wear that. Store ering somewhere safe.
Where are you going, you sneaky thing? the Middle East? Must. know. more....
I never take mine off. I think I'd wear it. Though, when we were in Mexico right after he proposed, he was all nervous about people seeing my rock and stealing it. So, there's that. I guess that's why the travel jewelry biz is so big - people want fake stones to replace their real ones on vaca.
well if a place is too dangerous for your e ring, chances are its too dangerous for the pretty bride to be as well. i highly doubt you're referring to the inner depths of war-torn afghanistan (although if that is where you're travelling... i hear its fabulous this time of year!), if however youre going to dubai or something... take the ring unless youre inclined to lose things in foreign countries. ignore anything cnn has ever said about the 'middle east'... generally speaking, arabs are rich, once you see the size of their e rings youll be more inclined to steal their modest 3 carat rock than for them to thieve yours. take the ring. youll be fine. dont lose it. your fiance will get sad.
I would not wear a diamond e-ring to the middle east. You will draw attention to yourself and it is not common to wear large diamonds there. Insured or not, I wouldn't risk it. Get yourself a plain thin gold band for traveling to places like Middle east/south america/etc.
Like my FFIL once said, there are people in this world who would have no problem chopping that finger off to get to that ring. (sorry to be so vulgar)
Mine's insured and I still would be really cautious about wearing on an overseas trip. I wear it for domestic trips unless it's camping or super-active. I agree with everyone who said to wear another (simple, cheap) ring. But I also agree with Lazybribe that when I've been in the middle east, you definitely want to wear Something on your wedding finger.
It really depends on where in the middle east you are going and how you feel about it. It is definitely not worth taking it if you are going to stress and worry about it, much better to leave it home safe and sound and enjoy your trip.
I leave mine at home when I travel, and I went and got myself a $7 sterling silver wedding band. It works, and it isn't showy (my main concern is robbery.)
I would wear mine. I hate parting with it. I also have mine fully insured too though.
If you are on the fence, leave it home and get a fake ring to wear. Better to be safe, ya know?
I agree with lazybride. Since you're going to the Middle East (not sure which country you're going to), I'd wear it since it would appear you were actually married, know what I mean?
I was in Spain a few weeks ago, and I wore mine.
Many folks in other countries do not have the same approach to engagement as we americans - ie, your e-ring could be a very flashy sign that you're a "rich American," ripe for a scam or theft (of the ring or your other possessions). In my experience, anything sparkly,, including an engagement ring, complicates international travel. (Also, it doesn't help with your bargaining abilities an countries without set prices...)
However, a wedding ring (or fake version) makes travel infintely easier and more hassle-free. I carry a sterling silver band as a fake wedding band whenever I travel internationally.
Having traveled to the Middle East on business several times, I'd recommend not wearing your real engagement ring, but I HIGHLY recommend you wear a ring that shows you are "taken." Pick something that could pass as an engagement ring but is not valuable. This is not only to avoid theft and unwanted advances, but also for social status. Yes, as very un-PC as it might be for us Americans, Mid East cultures often see single women -- especially over the age of oh, say, 25 -- kind of as social outcasts. Husbands and children are so special that women without them are seen as unfortunate or worse. I had somewhat uncomfortable conversations about how I was not married, and no, I didn't have any children. People, woman mostly, commented along the lines of "Oh, we hope your fortunes change soon and you will not be lonely any longer." This was in business-related meetings, so it was kind of a strange experience for me at age 26! Just cultural differences - what makes the world go 'round! But wearing a ring could be good.
Initially I was going to say I would wear it for sure, but reading the idea of buying an inexpensive ring to wear in its place is an ok idea too. Still, I think I would wear it. It doesn't fall off, so as long as I NEVER TOOK IT OFF there is no way I could loose it.
Mr. W and I got engaged in Portugal.
The ring traveled on a chain he wore around his neck through England, Spain, and finally Portugal...
(uninsured, mind you...The boy didn't know you need insurance on rings!!!!)
and all was well.
you just never know, but I agree you don't want to tempt fate.
depending on where I was going I might leave it at home.
better be safe than sorry.
my e-ring goes everywhere I do... but then again, I haven't been any places with it that I didn't necessarily know whether I'd feel safe or not.
I left mine at home when I went on a 3 week backpacking trip in Morocco but that was mostly because we were roughing it and I was afraid of it getting caught on something (it was brand spankin new at the time and I was totally paranoid). I wore it on our honeymoon in Mexico with no problems though and I wore it camping and hiking all summer.
Make sure it's insured, and as long as you're not a super forgetful or accident prone person you'll be fine.
I've been all over the Middle East and while they aren't common in the lower classes they are absolutely common in middle/upper middle class. Unless you are a dark eyed, dark haired Arabic speaker you're going to stick out anyway, so IMO wearing a simple band instead of your sparkly e-ring isn't really going to help you blend in any more. :)
"they" on my last post is referring to big sparkly diamonds.
Oh, leve that puppy at home! Especially since you are going to the middle east. Engagement rings are a very American thing and you might draw a lot of unwanted attention to yourself. Though I would put some sort of understated band on my finger to ward off any unwanted advances.
I definitely would not wear it.
go ahead, wear it. i went to vietnam this spring & wore mine. it's not huge but noticeable. though, i was also with family (met for first time) most of the time. i felt comfortable traveling, which was mostly in poor areas, except of course realizing how much one ring could pay for ... i'd agree with amyjean about researching what it could mean in a totally different part of the world.
It totally depends on where in the mid-east you are going. My family is from Israel and e-rings are very common there. Other countries i'm not as sure - you should be fine in more developed places (turkey, dubai, saudi arabia, syria etc). The State Department has a travel advisory for the region that includes a section about not wearing "conspicuous clothing or jewelry". How "conspicuous" is your e-ring? ;)
no, especially because it wasn't insured at the time. i didn't even wear mine to australia or lake tahoe. hubs didn't want me to, either.
I leave it - my hands tend to swell when I travel anyways. When I went to vegas I bought a really cheezy blingy pink sparkly ring to wear on my left ring finger one size up from normal. Since I tend to lose things if they aren't attached to me, i would rather lose a $10 fake ring than the real deal.
In terms of theft, I have never had a problem in the Middle East - it is generally much more affluent than Latin America (except maybe Pakistan and Afghanistan). That said, as a female, a ring of some sort is definitely recommended. I naively travelled with my partner sans any rings (we are not married) and well, lets just say, local custom would have preferred it if we were visibly 'married', would have saved the looks from hotel staff and unwanted advances whenever I was left alone.
don't wear it. having been to quite a few countries in the middle east i definitely would not wear mine. get yourself a simple band, as many already said, and observe to see which hand other people wear their rings on. in a lot of countries, married people wear their wedding band or engagement ring on their right hand ring finger. have a great time! wish i was there!
Unless you feel confident about the norms of the part(s) of the country you'll be traveling to, I'd leave it at home and wear a simple band (rather than a fake e-ring, which in my opinion could attract just as much attention).
I've been living in South America with my fiance for the last several months and left my e-ring at home. Even in the wealthier parts of the city, few women wear e-rings. I miss mine, but for where I'm living it makes me feel like less of a target for theft, and a lot more comfortable riding a bus, going to the market, walking down the street, etc. I also think I'd feel pretty self-conscious about wearing a ring that, although relatively modest in the states, is what many people earn in months or a year.
It all depends on where you're going, and I'm sure you're figure out what's best for you and the circumstances...but personally I'd err on the side of caution.
Definitely leave it home. Why risk it?? better safe than mugged.
I didn't have my engagement ring, but I definitely wore a diamond ring and a sapphire ring when I toured Europe. They never leave my fingers at home, so I wasn't worried about losing them. I think you need to find out about the area you are traveling to, and think about how large and attention-grabbing your ring is.
bring it! it's always smart to not be too flashy if you're traveling in "dangerous" areas, but you can do what i do...
dress down [it's more comfy anyway] and twist the stone to your palm-side when walking on the streets.
have fun! you'll be fine.
i dunno if i would... right after i got engaged i went down to new orleans to help re-build and i didn't take it there with me. i was going to be doing a lot of dirty work and didn't want anything to happen to it, and i also didn't want to leave it back at the camp. so- i say NO! though, it sucks to be without e-ring!!!
My sister lives in Bahrain, and she has a pretty, relatively modest engagement band. They just bought her wedding ring, though, and it is HUGE and ultra-blingy. They said it's more in line with what people in Bahrain, Saudi, and Dubai wear. Not my taste, but apparently very common in that part of the middle east.
leave it!
Jesus ladies!!! Some of you need a healthy dose of reality!
In third world countries people get killed not just robbed for valuables!! Unless you're traveling with security guards or stay ONLY at a resort and nowhere else...DON'T TAKE YOUR DIAMOND!
This, my dear, is exactly why I got a small ring. So I would wear it. And no, it's not insured. It's not replacable (vintage) and it's not worth enough to insure. It's worth enough to *me* but, not in the grand scheme of things.
Honeymooned in Costa Rica, a beautiful safe and lovely place. E-ring did not experience it. E-ring was home safe and comfy in the lined jewelry box. We bought a solid, plain, boring band to wear.
To Europe, and every other day of my life, I wear it though. When traveling, it just depends on how much I know about the area we're traveling to. The part of Costa Rica we traveled to was remote, poor and deep in rain forests...just didn't want to be flashy and stand out. I realize it's a false sense of safety/security I feel in Europe and at home in the U.S. (anything can happen anywhere) but...oh well...that's just the way it is.
That depends on a few things:
1. Will you look out of place (like a tourist)... in which case you're a prime target for being pickpocketed/robbed, etc.
2. Is it insured? Have you checked to see if the insurance covers you out of country?
I traveled to Italy earlier this year and left mine behind. In every day life here I never take it off, never leaves my finger. But in major cities in places other than the United States, things can operate a lot differently. If you were going to say, Finland, I'd say don't worry... the crime rate is minimum :)
My personal advice having traveled a good bit is to leave it behind. If you feel naked, follow Chic.Personal.Fun's advice and go buy a plain cheap band that still signals TAKEN!
i have taken it off 4 times in 8 months to have it cleaned. and every time the girls are like, you should take this off when you use lotion/conditioner/paint/etc...
lol. i can't help it. it's part of my body now. i'm pretty sure i wouldn't take it off traveling.
depends on the country. i just moved to saudi arabia and everyone wears jewelry here. but i also heard about a friend of a friend who was car jacked at gun point in lebanon a few weeks ago. i wouldn't wear anything expensive there!
as others have said it might be nice to give off the appearance of being married to avoid hassles in some areas but you don't have to.
It comes with me all the time and everywhere, except when I'm doing very hand-y things. I worked at Starbucks for a while, and banged up one of the emeralds wuite badly. I felt awful.
I also managed to lose it underneath a frog-shaped salt and pepper shakers about six months ago-I couldn't find it for about a month. Scared out of my mind!
I didn't take my college ring with me when I went to Brasil earlier. I realize Brasil isn't the Middle East, but I'd still rather be safe. I'm with those who said they'd get a plain band.
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Wow. Lots of opinions out there on this. I'm assuming your e-ring is insured (right?). I really think it depends on where you'll be and what you'll be doing. Example, if you're staying at 4-star hotels and dining in fancy restaurants then for sure bring it along. If you're running around and doing lots of hiking then you may prefer to just bring your band. If you have a family heirloom that cannot be replicated, I would leave it home!
If you feel nervous with your ring anywhere, you can always just swing it around and hide the stone.
i'd probably leave it behind just because i'd be nervous about theft. my mom had her watch stolen right off her wrist in turkey, so i think i'm a little paranoid about jewelry!
I have left it at home any time I have gone out of the country - why attract thieves? I've read that some people wear a fake ring, but if I did this, I definitely wouldn't do something remotely showy.
Personally any time I travel out of the country or to a location where I'll be in the water most of the trip, I leave ALL jewelry at home. I don't trust hotel safes since I know people who have had things stolen from them (while locked). The only time I take jewelry with me is if we are staying in a house.
I never take mine off, so it would be coming with me. Its all very personal though :)
Wow, I'm kind of surprised by some of the opinions about this that I'm reading... do we think about how many people are robbed or have things stolen from them in the US?
Or that the rate of violent crime in the US much higher than many, many other countries that people may not feel 'safe' wearing expensive jewelry in?
I'd say the real issue here is losing your ring in the hustle and bustle of travel- not whether or not you will, in the words of another commenter, 'get killed not just robbed for your valuables'.
hi tto - this is my first comment and i just want to say right away that i love you and i love your blog! you're frickin hilarious and so inspirational, and you always hit the right notes on your posts.
anyway, i just got back (today!) from a 2-wk trip to the philippines and had the same problem as you before i left. the fiance said i was making a big deal out of it, but i really didn't know if i should take my ring or not. several people advised me not to take it (including our jeweler), and i'm actually glad i didn't. my mom placed it in her safe deposit box at the bank - so even though i missed my little bling and all the relatives wished they had seen it, i didn't have to worry about it AT ALL. while i was snorkeling, flea market shopping, walking down the street, living out of my suitcase...i had peace of mind that it was waiting for me back home.
i part with a piece of advice one of my friends always says about driving (corny, but it makes sense in this case): better safe than sorry. take care and hope this helps!
-katrina :)
I don't have an engagement ring yet, but I do have a three diamond family heirloom ring that I wore when I lived in Ghana in sub-Saharan Africa for five months. I am glad I took it because it is a part of me, but if I was in an uncomfortable situation I just turned the ring over, only showing the platinum underside of the ring. That always worked well for me.
Wow! What a range of opinions! And the question of the hour (asked by many) was where in the middle east. Many countries in the middle east are certainly not third world! My cousin moved to Saudi Arabia probably 8 years ago, and within his business circles, they are far more affluent than similar circles here. And he and his wife are very safe there, because of where they live. So I'd say (as many others have said), wearing your ring or not depends on where you go and who you'll be with.
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