Holiday Sparkle: Jewelry Care On The Go

With the holidays around the corner, many of us are getting ready for some special travel. Whether you are heading to see family, to a resort for some holiday R&R, or for work related travel, you will likely plan to bring along some of your beautiful jewelry. Here are our top six tips for traveling with your jewelry. Be smart and sparkle!

Tip #1: Pack it correctly

• When you pack your jewelry, use a jewelry roll or box designed to keep your pieces separated and protected. Gemstones can scratch metal or other stones, and chains can easily become tangled, if you don’t take this precaution.

Tip #2: Stick to the carry-on

• Be sure to pack your jewelry in your carry-on luggage. This avoids heartache if your checked back gets lost or stolen.

Tip #3: TSA tips and advice

• You may want to remove your jewelry roll from your carry-on bag and place it in a bin for TSA screening. This is because metal jewelry shows up on the x-ray, often causing the agents to pull your bag for additional screening. If having your jewelry out of your bag in a crowd makes you nervous, you are within your rights to ask TSA for a private screening.

Tip #4: Utilize your hotel’s amenities

• Once you reach your destination, use a room safe or check your jewelry at the front desk for safe-keeping.

Tip #5: Always be prepared with insurance

• Though you will do all you can to avoid loss or theft, you still should be sure to have your valuable jewelry insured. This may require a rider on your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. Photograph and document the pieces to help in the unfortunate case you need to file a claim.

Tip #6: Always keep it sparkling

• While you might plan to clean your jewelry before your trip, it’s easy to run out of time due to packing, gift buying and such. It’s smart to pack some travel jewelry cleaning products to spiff up your pieces once you reach your destination. Do not use a toothbrush and toothpaste or other “home remedy” while on the road, most of which are ineffective if not downright dangerous. Consider a jewelry cleaning stick, jewelry cleaning wipe or a professional polishing cloth. All are perfect for cleaning jewelry on-the-go.