No one ever wants to be the center of attraction for any reason at the airport, not even because of a piece of jewelry. First-time travelers might not know this but if you have carried with you jewelry made of magnetic metals, you will set off the metal detectors at the airport.
So, as you plan to take your first plane trip, you might want to familiarize yourself with the type of metals that will set off the metal detectors at the airport, and carry them in a separate carry-on bag pack.
Notable is that not all types of metals will set off the metal detector at the airport. We will, therefore, outline the metals that are safe to carry to the airport and those that will trigger the metal detector if found in your luggage.
Will Jewelry Set Off A Metal Detector At The Airport?
Yes, jewelry will set off a metal detector at the airport if it is made of magnetic metals and worse still if it is made of metals that remain magnetic at all times.
Some of the metals that you, therefore, want to avoid are such as Nickel; now given that nickel is a magnetic metal you must know that this particular metal is frequently mixed with other types of metal to create alloys.
And as such, it is possible to find nickel in your expensive white gold jewelry or your expensive titanium jewelry.
Will A Wedding Ring Set Off A Metal Detector?
It is very unlikely for your wedding ring to set off the metal detector at the airport, and as such it will depend on the density of the metal used in the making of your wedding ring.
You guys can read this detailed post here: Does Real Jewelry Go Off In Metal Detectors?
What Jewelry Sets Off Metal Detectors?
Jewelry made of the following types of metals will set off metals detectors at the airport.
Iron is a magnetic metal and jewelry made of iron have been common throughout history, thus it is not uncommon to find people with jewelry made of iron at the airport.
Some of the common iron jewelry are the forged iron pendant necklaces among others. Therefore, Jewelry made of iron will set off the metal detector at the airport.
Steel has also been determined to display ferromagnetic properties, and the most common type of steel used in making jewelry is stainless steel. Thus if you have jewelry made from stainless steel metal it should be kept in your carry-on bag when going through the metal detector. Notable not all stainless steel is magnetic, for example, the Austenitic steels are not magnetic while Ferritic and Martensitic stainless steel are magnetic.
Rare earth metals- rare earth metals are also magnetic and most of them are used to create nuclear power, but there are also some types of rare precious metals used in the making of jewelry and which are Francium, Platinum, Rhodium, and Gold. Platinum and Rhodium are paramagnetic and can easily integrate into alloys with other metals to form either ferromagnetic or nearly ferromagnetic materials. Thus the possibility of these metals in your jewelry triggering the metal detector is high.
Cobalt– also falls under the category of magnetic metals and its magnetic properties have enabled the development of different applications. Cobalt has also been used in ancient societies in the making of jewelry, it was specifically used to pigment jewelry. If you, therefore, have a family heirloom in the form of jewelry and are not sure of its metal properties you might want to carry it in your carry-on bag as you go past the metal detector.
In the modern context, cobalt metal will present as a bright white alloy, similar to the color of platinum better known as cobalt chrome.
Cobalt can also be used in its pure form to make jewelry but it will be allowed with other metals the likes of tungsten or iron to make jewelry.
Non-magnetic metals used for making jewelry
The metals discussed below will not set off the metal detectors at the airport.
Mot metals are non-magnetic when compared to the number of magnetic metals. Thus most types of jewelry will make it through the metal detector at the airport without triggering off the alarm. Let us now look at some of the non-magnetic metals used to make jewelry.
Silver– is a non-magnetic metal and among the most popular metals used in the making of jewelry. It is lustrous, more abundant, and retails cheaply when compared to other non-metals the likes of platinum and gold. So what you must know about silver is that the natural metallic silver can trigger a metal detector but also if the pieces are large enough.
Meaning that you can wear your silver jewelry and pass through the metal detector without causing an alarm. But if you are wearing bulky silver jewelry which contains a lot of metal then it will definitely trigger the alarm.
Gold– is a diamagnetic metal and will rarely set the metal detector alarm off if it is in an emulsified form. Meaning that if you are wearing jewelry made of gold but in an emulsified form it will not be detected but if it is in its pure form then it will be detected. Read this example post here: Can You Wear Cartier Love Bracelet Through Airport Security?
Your Jewelry and Airport Security
Your fine expensive jewelry is at risk of getting lost at the airport thus you need to devise a means of getting them past airport security without losing them. Ideally, people are advised to bring with them a carry-on bag that they can use to store their expensive jewelry and which is also easy for security to inspect in case the metal detector alarm is triggered.
Notable is that your gold and silver jewelry will rarely trigger the airport’s metal detector when compared to other cheap types of jewelry made from magnetic metals such as the one incorporated in your belt.
Also as you plan on going past airport security remember not to put your expensive jewelry on the conveyor belt as it could fall off and get lost or they could also be stolen.
Conclusion
The belt on your waist and the wire under your bra are more likely to trigger the airport’s metal detector when compared to your gold, platinum, and silver jewelry.
Thus if you don’t wish to attract attention at the airport then you must research on what to avoid wearing when going through airport security.
Remember also that if you will be wearing jewelry in their purest form then you are bound to set off the metal detector.
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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.