I have a question for all of you -- especially those of you who have been to South America. I wear a gold and diamond chai -- the Hebrew symbol for life. My husband bought it 44 years ago for me when we were first married. I've worn it all over the world; even to my treatments for cancer. It is a part of me. We have been discussing if I should take it off and leave it home when we go on our South American cruise. I know I will not have a problem on the ship, but I am worried about the ports. What do you all think? Judith

Judith: I am going to SA for first time in Jan so will be interested in advice you are given - I know how attached you must be to that piece of jewelry BUT better safe than sorry????

Is it a necklace? If so, can it be hidden?

It is on a chain, but it is a short one and normally, it can be seen.

Judith, instead of parting with it, maybe you could just get a longer chain to wear on the trip? Do you have any other longer chains already in your jewelry box?

I would take it and leave it in the safe when you go into towns.

Ditto sedona.
Wear it on the ship but leave it in the safe for shore excursions. I also do this for most of my expensive stuff and I have a bunch of cheap jewelry that I purchased because it "feels" like the good stuff that I leave in the ship's safe sometimes, that I way I don't feel naked or that I am missing something.
Debbie

I agree with Andi and Debbie. Wear your beautiful necklace but leave it in the safe on excursions. We've talked about taking good jewelry on this board before. I used to leave everything in the safe deposit box at home. This last cruise, I wore my good diamond ring and took a few other pieces (only what I could wear on my body on the plane!). All worked out fine except I think the prongs on my ring got damaged when my fingers got slammed by the closet door in our suite! Also, it's fun to take some of the fake stuff. The ship usually has costume jewelry on sale. Buy a piece or two and make people guess <img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" /> .

Thank you. I think I'll buy a longer white gold chain to make it easier to take off (over my head), and then wear it on the ship but not in port. We have been warned not to wear jewelry in Rio and the other Brazilian ports which is why I was concerned this trip. I normally leave all of my other good jewelry home when we travel and only take a few pairs of gold earrings and a gold wedding band, but I never thought about leaving my chai home before because I always wear it. My concern is more the fact that it is a "Jewish" necklace than the monitary value of it (It is in white gold with 13 diamonds) and truly symbolizes "life" to me. By the way Donna, my daughter bought a pair of "diamonique" hoop earrings from QVC and I was really surprised that except for being a tiny bit smaller in karat size, they are almost a match for my diamond ones. I wouldn't be able to tell that they weren't real. Maybe I'll borrow hers and take them along for formal nights! On our last cruise, we met a woman who when hearing we were from Boca Raton, asked where all my diamonds were! Speaking of being stereotyped!

Judith that's too funny (and sad) about the woman wanting to know where all your diamonds are. (so where are they? ;) )

In a safety deposit box! I'm not very Boca. My husband never remembers my birthday or our anniversary but buys me jewelry as a no-reason present. After 44 years, I think they are the best kind. Once he got me an anniversary present to actually give me on our anniversary, and had it in his briefcase. The next day we left for a vacation in Ocean City. He forgot the present. It was a month later when he remembered to give it to me.

I bought a few Cookie Lee pieces - very inexpensive including some "diamond" stud earrings that are 3 cts looking each. No one can tell that they're costume. Seems like the real stuff stays in the bank vault most of the time.

Judith, I hope the lady was trying to be funny. Stereotyping is a sad thing. We're taking several cruises close together this year. My relatives think we are rich. If only they knew!

I love to buy jewelry pieces when I travel. Nothing expensive, just representative of the area and as unique as I can find. I love wearing my memories.

And, I agree, it is fun to wear something sparkly on formal night, real or not!

Well, my really good pieces are fully insured and completely replaceable. I don't wear a lot of jewelry around the house (basically just my watch most of the time, maybe a plain gold band if I am going somewhere and remember to put it on) but I don't feel that it's any fun to have jewelry if it has to live somewhere other than in my house. We do have a huge safe in our closet (Mark ordered it without seeing an example, and it could house a couple of small children) but unless we are out of town it isn't even locked.

Mark and I have never exchanged "formal gifts" for holidays, I picked up what I wanted when I saw it. I have some incredibly gorgeous "fun" pieces that are maybe not replaceable (and not insured because they aren't worth enough to pay insurance prices for years on end) but by golly, I'm not going to wait until the grandchildren get old enough to have fun wearing them. I want that joy, too.

I'm careful when I need to be, and I know where not to flash the bling. But they aren't going to be locked up, either. Most of my jewelry has a fun history, and I enjoy telling the stories. Like the black opals that were sent to me from Australia "on approval".

I don't understand why you think it would be a problem to wear the necklace in SA. We've been all over the world and have not experienced any problems at all. Lynn wears a lot of jewelry- a lot of it very expensive- and she's had no problems. Just use good common sense.

It isn't the cost of the necklace -- 44 years ago it was not an expensive piece -- it is that we have been warned in Rio and other parts of Brazil not to wear jewelry in port. I couldn't replace it if it were stolen (I've never seen another one like it. People always comment on how different it is.), and that would be absolutely crushing to me. Also, tied in is the fact that it is a symbol of my Jewish heritage and we have been told there is anti-semitism in SA.

Judith, could you simply turn it around and let it dangle on your back when you are ashore? I turn my diamond in sometimes and have it face the palm of my hand.

I would have a photograph made of the piece so that if ever you had to face the heartbreak of not having it, you could at least have it copied.

This was a big question I had on our trip to Italy. I ended up wearing some everyday pieces of jewelery that we could replace if needed and I left my non-replacable stuff at home. Yes, at times I felt naked or underdressed. A lot of women were wearing good stuff on our tour. One woman was wearing at least 6-7 cararts of wedding ring and the same Omega Watch I wear for special occasions. I'd have been afraid wearing that. I never felt uncomfortable wandering around because I might get mugged because I was wearing something flashy. routinely I see women out to impress on vacation, but, I feel that I am not making myself a target if I wear just a little simple jewelery.

It's truly sad and a shame that many of us try to "hide" what we are due to anti-Semitic feelings. However, I do understand your concern. It would be a heartbreak if something happened to this precious Chai (or to you, personally). I would opt to either wear a longer chain to conceal it or leave it on-board in your safe, to wear once you are back on the ship.

I've recently begun to take good costume jewelry on trips, rather than chance precious items possibly getting lost or stolen. Just my personal preference.

Just one additional thought...if you wear good costume jewelry, will the mugger/thief recognize that it's costume??? Not til he goes to pawn/sell it....and you will already have gone thru the terrible experience of having been mugged!! :eek:

I think Bonnie makes a good point. Tom bought a knock off Rolex in (of course) Shanghi but I don't think he should wear it in Rio...it looks exactly like the real thing. We've never had any type mugging experience, don't need to start now!

I always wear my wedding ring, and depending on where I am, on occassion I twirl it inside so the diamond is hidden. I tend to do this in very poor countries (but will in Rio), not so much for fear of a mugging or anything, I just don't feel comfortable coming across as "flaunting".

You do make a very good point, Bonnie.

I wear very understated costume jewelry and often times, wear no jewelry at all when we are out and about in our travels.

I know that feeling. I'm far from the stereotype of where I grew up. I grew up in Great Neck, which is where some of the Boca people live before retiring.