Can You Wear Your Jewelry Through TSA?

Yes, you can wear jewelry through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, no matter if it’s layered necklaces or your favorite hoop earrings. But you should know that you may be required to take some pieces off and put them in provided bins before going through the airport metal detectors.

In general, a TSA agent won’t typically prohibit you from keeping on jewelry such as wedding rings, engagement rings, or dainty pieces, but larger, heavier items (especially those made of a good amount of metal) may require an additional screening or for you to fully remove jewelry that’s in question, depending on the circumstances.

Reviewing current TSA guidelines on jewelry can help you prepare for your upcoming trip and make it through security with ease and without any added air travel journey hassles.

The Typical TSA Security Process

The TSA is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of passengers and their belongings at airports across the United States. When you go through a TSA security checkpoint, you can expect several security measures before boarding your flight:

• Show your ID and boarding pass: You must show your government-issued ID and boarding pass to TSA agents for verification that you have a current travel itinerary.
• Remove items: As mentioned, some jewelry items may need to be removed. If you are wearing bulky gold, platinum, or sterling silver pieces, you may need to remove them to avoid setting off the metal detector alarm. If you have a travel jewelry case, the process is much simpler to just remove that one item from your bag.
• Walk through the scanner: To be cleared for flying, you’ll need to pass through an FDA-regulated X-ray machine. Sometimes it will be triggered by heavy metal items, like some jewelry with bulky components or multiple pieces. If the scanner alerts a TSA officer, you may be subject to additional screening, including a pat-down screening.
• Retrieve belongings: After passing through the airport metal detector checkpoint, you can retrieve your belongings from the security travel belt, including any jewelry you were asked to remove.
• Proceed to the gate: Once you gather all your belongings, you can proceed to your gate to board your flight.

Can You Take Jewelry in Your Plane Carry-On?

Yes, you can take jewelry in your carry-on. In fact, in almost all cases you should pack jewelry in a bag that will stay with you at all times, especially if it’s valuable jewelry. For instance, you are planning to propose with a priceless diamond ring or if you want to bring family heirloom jewelry to wear during a special event.

Because carry-on bags remain with you throughout your time at the airport, including TSA checkpoints and on the plane, this means that any fine jewelry you put in your bag will go through the same screening measures as when you wear jewelry through airport security, possibly including a full body scanner.

Any precious jewelry you put in your carry-on may be examined if you are chosen for additional screening. But you can always request a private screening if you are concerned about theft if others around you see expensive jewelry in your possession.

Can You Put Jewelry in Checked Baggage?

The TSA allows jewelry to be kept in checked baggage, but they advise passengers to keep all valuable jewelry items with them when traveling. Airlines often lose, damage, or delay baggage, making it unsafe to pack high-dollar pieces. In April 2022, US airlines mishandled over 220,000 checked bags; on average, airlines lose 2 out of every 1,000 bags. 

These numbers indicate that wearing jewelry or putting it in a dedicated space in your carry-on is the safest option when taking your collection with you on a trip. 

Should You Get Insurance When Traveling With Jewelry?

Yes, jewelry insurance is incredibly important to protect your jewelry on a trip, whether you’re on a domestic flight or taking expensive jewelry overseas. Having a policy in place will protect you from theft, loss, and damages. Here are some options for how to insure your pieces: 

• Homeowners Insurance. If you have homeowners or renters insurance, you are typically covered for around $1,500 for repair or replacement with a standard policy. While this might cover a portion of your items, it likely won’t fully cover the cost to replace them. It also might not apply if your ring disappears due to a lost checked bag or mishandling by the TSA. 
• Travel Insurance. You can also get travel insurance to cover your jewelry. Some travel insurance policies cover lost or delayed baggage or personal effects. However, like homeowners and renters, it may not cover the full amount of your piece. Many policies only cover around $3,000 for the entire lost bag’s contents, including any high-value items.  
• Specialized Jewelry Insurance. The best option to protect your jewelry is a specialty jewelry insurance plan from a company like BriteCo. Our jewelry insurance offers comprehensive coverage for up to 125% of your item’s appraised value. BriteCo covers all jewelry, such as luxury watches, fine jewelry, and vintage pieces, in the event of damage, loss, theft, or mysterious disappearance. Additionally, BriteCo offers worldwide coverage, so your pieces are protected anywhere you travel.

How the Claim Process Works with Specialized Jewelry Insurance

If you lost a piece of jewelry, filing a claim may feel stressful, but with BriteCo, it’s easy and only takes a few minutes. Our convenient online system means you can easily file from anywhere in the world instead of waiting until you get home. Here’s how it works:

• Click the claim link. To get started, click the claim link on our site. This will take you to a simple form to fill out.
• Follow the prompts. Once you’re on the claim form, simply follow the prompts to provide the necessary information about your claim. You’ll need to include details like your policy number, the type of loss, and a description of the item.
• We’ll follow up right away. After you’ve submitted your claim, we’ll follow up promply to make sure you get the repair or replacement process started. Our team of experts will work with you every step of the way to ensure a smooth and stress-free claims process.

BriteCo also automatically updates the value of your piece each year based on current market prices for gems and metals in order to cover the full value of your jewelry at up to 125% of the current appraisal value.

Pack BriteCo When Traveling with Your Valuable Jewelry

To protect your high-value and sentimental jewelry pieces when traveling, you need full coverage jewelry insurance. With no deductibles, low monthly payment options, and safe storage discounts, BriteCo is an affordable, convenient way to make sure your items are safe when you explore the world. 

At BriteCo, we offer comprehensive coverage to keep your jewelry safe from loss, theft, or damage, whether it happens during a TSA screening, on the airplane, or due to lost luggage. Our worldwide coverage also gives you peace of mind that wherever you go, you can replace your missing or damaged pieces. 

Get a quote for your items today to find out how easy it is to have them covered before your next trip. 

Traveling with Jewelry FAQs

Can I Go through TSA with Permanent Jewelry?

Typically, yes. Since permanent jewelry refers to dainty necklaces, bracelets, and anklets that are custom-fitted to the wearer, they usually aren’t made with a ton of heavy metals that could otherwise flag a screening machine at the TSA checkpoint.

What Jewelry Can I Wear on a Plane?

You can wear any jewelry on a plane that doesn’t pose a risk to other passengers, for example, any jewelry that may look like a weapon or could injure someone. Otherwise, any rings, necklaces, earrings, or bracelets you want to wear on the plane is fine to do so. Just note, you may have to remove them while going through the TSA screening process, though you can put the items back on when the security check is complete.

Can You Wear Your Ring through TSA?

Most often, yes! Since rings are smaller pieces of jewelry and don’t have as much metal as a necklace, they don’t normally trigger the TSA screening machines. Most TSA agents also understand that wedding and engagement rings are highly valuable and personal and will allow them. For this reason, you should also never put rings into any checked luggage; always keep them on you or in your carry-on.

Can I Wear a Watch through TSA?

In most scenarios, you can wear a watch through TSA. Like rings, watches are smaller jewelry items that don’t have as much heavy metals as other, bulkier pieces. You can always try to wear it through the full-body scanner, and if it sets off any alarms, you may need to temporarily remove it.

Quiz:

The Engagement Ring Calculator You’ve Been Searching For and it’s FREE!

START YOUR COMPARISON NOW →