If you plan to travel abroad soon, you may go through the list of items you may or may not travel with.
And if you often wear high-quality solid gold jewelry, you may wonder if you will have trouble at customs, especially on international flights.
Whether you have a Rolex, an 18K solid yellow gold diamond ring, a Hublot, a Cartier bracelet or watch, or a Phillipe Patek, knowing how to travel safely when taking a commercial flight is crucial.
So, what are some things you need to know about traveling internationally and wearing expensive jewelry?
Can you carry gold on an international flight?
If you have the jewelry on you, then you can wear jewelry and board that international flight with the jewelry on.
But because of the value of the jewelry and the fact that the jewelry will catch the attention of the individuals at customs, you may have to give proof of purchase, especially if you are carrying several pieces of high-value jewelry in your carry-on.
However, if you are wearing expensive jewelry pieces while on the flight and you have extra valuable pieces on you, then you may have to declare or give proof of purchase for the jewelry.
Overall, the thing that matters is the quality of the jewelry, which means that you may or may not carry multiple pieces of gold jewelry on an international flight, depending on your intentions and if you have proof of purchase.
This is important because if the gold jewelry belongs to someone else and you don’t have proof of purchase, it will raise flags. If the jewelry isn’t unbilled, you shouldn’t carry them.
Do you have to declare gold at the airport?
You wouldn’t have to declare your gold jewelry at the airport, but depending on the country that you are traveling to and from, you’d want to make sure that you follow the laws on the same.
If you are carrying several pieces of gold coins or multiple pieces or sets of gold jewelry, you will have to declare the jewelry. Bear in mind that in most situations, the maximum value of the gold that you can carry cannot be more than 1kg.
But before you make assumptions, we recommend going through the country’s requirements and the permitted maximum amount of gold you can travel with safely on international flights.
9 tips carrying gold or other important jewelry on international flight
1. Carrying jewelry in a carry-on
The first thing that comes to mind is whether you can carry your jewelry in your carry-on, and you will be happy to know that you can carry the jewelry in your carry-on quite seamlessly.
If anything, the carry-on is a safe space for you to pack your jewelry and other valuables you wish to carry with you as you take on that international trip.
Carrying jewelry in your carry-on is also the safest approach because you will always keep the jewelry within your sights.
All you need to do is to keep the jewelry in a travel jewelry case because it will keep everything in one place and secure, and also, you wouldn’t have to worry about the pieces banging against each other and the rest of the items in the bag.
Just make sure that the jewelry case you settle on has dedicated spaces for different types of jewelry like gold bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces, among all the other pieces.
2. Wearing your valuable jewelry through the airport’s security
When traveling internationally, you will be happy to know that you can easily go through airport security with the expensive jewelry on.
If you have valuable jewelry made of 18k solid gold, for example, or other materials like platinum, sterling silver, or diamonds, you will go through security with the pieces seamlessly.
This works for all jewelry types, from earrings and bracelets to necklaces, rings, and watches.
The only thing you should look out for is the weight of your jewelry pieces because if you wear oversized pieces, they will trigger an alarm; and in such cases, it would be best for you to keep the jewelry in the carry-on – it may not trigger the alarms/ metal detectors.
For this reason, the TSA recommends carrying jewelry in a carry-on bag; the only exception is carrying larger, metallic pieces of jewelry.
3. Avoid heavy rhinestone jewelry pieces
While keeping your jewelry in the carry-on is advisable, you should avoid keeping heavy jewelry pieces in the carry-on.
You should also avoid pieces made of heavy rhinestones because the metal detectors pick on them sometimes.
The extra weighty elements should be left behind, though, especially if you don’t want trouble with airport security.
4. Don’t worry about wearing earrings at the airport
If you are traveling abroad and have a pair of 14k or 18k gold earrings, you will be relieved to know that the earrings will not set off the security alarms at the airport.
The catch is that if the earrings are too bulky or made of too many heavy metals, then the earrings may set off alarms.
5. Insure the jewelry
When traveling with expensive jewelry, it is important always to insure the expensive pieces.
Generally, you need to invest all your expensive jewelry. In addition to the insurance, you also need to take or at least have a visual inventory of the jewelry – which is also important for the insurer too. For a physical or visual inventory, take photos of the jewelry.
Also, take note of the value of each piece of jewelry by keeping photos of the receipts or copies.
6. Don’t be flashy when going through security
The most important thing to do when traveling internationally, especially when going through airport security and when traveling across borders, is to maintain a subtle look.
You shouldn’t be flashy about the jewelry because you wouldn’t want to attract the wrong kind of attention at the airport.
If you have expensive jewelry, you may want to talk to the TSA and ask them to screen you in private for security reasons, especially if you are worried about being a target by thieves.
7. Declare gold jewelry
If you have several sets of gold jewelry you intend to take with you across the borders, you should know that you will have to declare all those gold pieces.
This applies to high-value 18k gold pieces, as well as bullions and coins.
8. Consider the country’s rules
Countries have different rules regarding the items that can be taken into the country and even out of the country.
In most cases, some countries will have stricter rules than others, so you should take this into account when traveling to avoid the risk of being in trouble with the laws of the country you are traveling to.
9. Make sure that the jewelry is appraised
Before traveling, you should have a current appraisal of the jewelry for a current and accurate adjustment of the insurance cover to ensure that you get the right value for the jewelry.
Conclusion
If you are planning an international trip, follow the tips above to ensure safe traveling and the protection of your jewelry.
Read more useful tips here or here!
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.