Thinking about proposing while away on vacation in foreign country. Safe to bring the ring?

[niceguymr]

Will be staying at Sandals in Jamaica. What precautions should be taken? I''m thinking about doing it the first night. Obviously, we should be looking for a safe, but are the ''room safes'' safe enough? Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[indecisive]

I don''t have any advice to give but I was just wondering what you decided as far as the ring? Did you end up going local? Do you have any pics? Good luck with the proposal!

 

[Small]

Date: 5/1/2006 12:17:21 AM
Author:niceguymr
Will be staying at Sandals in Jamaica. What precautions should be taken? I''m thinking about doing it the first night. Obviously, we should be looking for a safe, but are the ''room safes'' safe enough? Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We stayed there for our honeymoon (Dunns River Falls resort)...Sandals rocks! I wouldn''t worry so much on the resort but have that baby on you at all times while enroute or off the property. We went to the Dunns River Falls and there is a shopping area outside of the falls...anyway we were haggling over a price and the guy grabbed the bag and opened it up looking for money. My husband snatched it back and we walked out of there extremely fast. It''s a very, very poor country. It''s very beautiful and the resorts are amazing but outside of the resorts you have to be careful. Always take guided tours and stay away from locals wanting to sell you things over the walls at the resort as well. They are always trying to get you to leave your resort and come into their shops on the beach. There is so much to do on the resorts as it is that there really isn''t much of a need to go anywhere else IMO ofcourse. I can''t remember if there is a safe in the room...I''m assuming there is but I ALWAYS wore my rings even in the pool and just brought cleaner with me. I wanted to take no chances ofcourse. I''m sure you''ll feel loads better just proposing so you know where the ring is at all times. Have a great trip. The food is amazing, the service is impeccable, and the resorts (Sandals in general) are better than you''ll ever have imagined! Enjoy

 

[diamondfan]

Jamaica is great but outside of resorts it can be dicey. My old nanny is from there and we have a friend with a home there. The beaches are public I think and I have heard stories. If they are not public totally, I know the hotels only have control of their property and nothing to either side. There is some crime in some of the larger cities, esp. at night. I would be careful just because there IS a lot of poverty...and nothing sparkles like a new diamond!

 

[kcoursolle]

You will probably be fine, but I would fully insure the ring before the trip. This is something you should have anyways, and it will give you substantial peace of mind. Chubb and jewelers mutual are the big names in jewelry insurance. In general, I wear only cheap jewelry on trips, but this is an exception since you want to propose and a wonderful idea! I''m sure proposing on the first night is the way to go. Your trip will be more memorable and romantic after the proposal.

 

[denverappraiser]

Make sure your insured and then have a wonderful time.

There are a few things to watch out for with overseas travel and jewelry.

#1 Get some sort of documentation that proves your ownership prior to your departure. An insurance policy does this nicely but any kind of appraisal or a copy of the original sales documentation showing that you bought it in the US will do just fine and will help you to avoid difficulties with the customs officials when you come back. Lots of folks like to buy jewelry when vacationing and this is one of the things they look for.

#2. If you’re planning on a surprise gift, be careful at airport security. Most rings made of gold, platinum, etc won’t trip the detection equipment but the spring in the box will so your chances of passing through the metal detector unmolested go way up if you keep it in a cloth or plastic bag in your pocket and put the presentation box in your luggage.

#3. Most insurance companies require you to take ‘reasonable’ care of your property while on vacation to be covered. The definitions are pretty reasonable and the hotel safe at the resort will almost certainly qualify. If you’re concerned about what is and what is not covered, talk to your insurance agent. If you have a loss, make sure to report it to the hotel/police/ship or whoever so that there is a proper paper trail documenting the loss.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[niceguymr]

Date: 5/1/2006 12:25:51 AM
Author: indecisive
I don''t have any advice to give but I was just wondering what you decided as far as the ring? Did you end up going local? Do you have any pics? Good luck with the proposal!

Well, I''m still exploring my local and online options. My (or should I say her) choice of stone has changed, therefore my research and efforts have taken a step back. Originally, she wanted a princess cut (even though I wanted her to have a round). Now she''s seen the light (literally and figuratively) after comparing to ''ideal'' cut stones of the same carat weight, one princess and one round. I''m glad she changed her mind, but now I''ve had to notify my ''local'' people who are helping me out to cancel all previous searches for the new round ones. Anyway... We''re looking now for a 1.4 - 1.5 ct RBC, D - G, VS1 - SI1, VG/VG, N/N, Premium - Ideal cut, under $10K. Wish me luck. I will post pics and update as they become available.