My friends at Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company are helping me think more strategically about how to keep my things safe when I travel. Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about traveling with jewelry until a recent trip to South America, when my coworker scared me into keeping all my valuables at home. She said traveling with jewelry was risky, especially to a country with a high theft rate. I understood her point. I had never traveled to South America before and I had no idea what to expect.

Yet, leaving my jewelry at home felt so strange. It was the first time in my nearly 10 years of marriage, that I left home without my wedding ring. I ended up finding a piece of costume jewelry in my carry-on, so I ended up wearing that on my wedding ring finger all week. So did I overreact with not traveling with jewelry? Yes, that is, if you are smart about how you keep your valuables safe. Here are my three tips for keeping your things safe so traveling with jewelry is not a risk at all.

3 Tips for Traveling with Jewelry

1. Invest in a Jewelry Travel Case

I keep my jewelry in a little leather jewelry travel case I bought ages ago. I love it because it has a lot of little compartments to store my necklaces and bracelets, and even has a page to hold earrings. It’s a really nice durable leather that, in a pinch, could even sub in for a clutch purse. If you’re looking for one, here are some of my current favorites.

2. Never Check Your Jewelry

Whatever you do, do not check your jewelry in your luggage. Having a little travel jewelry case means all of your jewels are together in one convenient and safe place. Then, you can simply stick the case in your carry-on or your purse. I tend to keep mine as close to me as possible. I would suggest you keep your jewelry in your small carry-on or your purse. If you stick it in your larger roller bag and then you end up having to check your bag, you don’t want to have to dig through your bag to pull out the jewelry. Worse yet, if you completely forget you have your jewelry in your roller bag and then you are forced to check it, your jewelry is now out of your sight and control, which is not ideal.

3. Buy Jewelry Insurance Before you Travel

The ultimate way to ensure your valuables are protected is to insure them.  Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company has been insuring jewelry exclusively, for more than 100 years. They offer repair services or replacement coverage no matter where in the world traveling. They protect all types of jewelry and watches and their coverage includes loss, theft, damage, and unexplained loss. No matter how careful you are when you travel, accidents can happen, so it’s good to be prepared.

If you’re traveling this holiday season, you should definitely consider getting insurance for your jewelry. Even if your homeowner or renter’s insurance covers your jewelry, you can get an extra level of protection with Jewelers Mutual.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.