Do you wear a diamond engagement ring?

[justgirl90]

My house mate wears a fake engagement ring, so it still shows she's taken but if it ever came down to robbery she can hand it over.

 

[Parvati]

I did. But I was told by several women out in the street to take it off or to at least turn it back until I got home. Don't think that my ring is BIG, it is very modest, but even this small thing draws attention here. Most women wear silver and just fashion jewelry. As one former expat here told me, it is not the value of the thing, it is the danger of a confrontation you want to avoid. A ring does not come off that easily, so to get it someone will have to stop you and get you to take it off... you really don't want that.

 

[citygirl]

I wear a diamond ring every day, although it is not an engagement ring. Like others have said, I rotate it so you only see the thin gold band when I'm on the bondi or subte.

Knock on wood, I've had no problems ever with it. Sometimes I wonder if it's because I wear it on my right hand and the chorros assume it's fake But that's fine - works for me.

 

[KatharineAnn]

I left all my nice jewelry, any family heirlooms or things I'd really be crushed to lose, in a safe back in the US. My mom even bought me a small little diamond ring for my birthday once - I told her to keep it herself (now we share it - wear it whenever I visit the US )

My husband and I both agreed on getting very small, light gold wedding bands that we would not be crushed if they got stolen, and are easily replaceable. It's what they represent that's important, not the item itself. Anyway my thinking on all this was that I wouldn't enjoy wearing expensive jewelry if it would make me more nervous. No need to be more nervous and paranoid out on the streets

 

[jb5]

No, my engagement ring stays in the safe when we're here. And i often don't carry a handbag. I have my favorite clothes for Argentina which have deep zippered pockets. I had a jacket made for my fiancé with inside zippered pockets.

 

[Marche exile]

I have not long arrived here but always wear my Engagement ring, which is a big sparkly diamond affair (long service medal). I read this post and thought what should I do? Leave it in the safe? Then I thought I'm going to do my own straw poll. So all today and this evening when we were out I took note of anyone wearing stuff like that. There is loads of it and big fur coats. All the old ladies are decked and they don't seem to worry. Like previous postings I don't think you will be mugged for wearing it but it just might not be your lucky night.
My husband and I had this conversation about taking valuables out of the house and I just thought the last thing on my mind would be my husbands phone or laptop if he was mugged just as long as he was alright.
Just be sensible and street wise and turn it round when you are on the subte or bus.

 

[voyagingknoxvillian]

Update - I'm married but not wearing the engagement ring, just the gold band. I guess if I had a different lifestyle, if I wasn't walking at night by myself, wasn't hopping around from place to place on my bike, or living in an urban barrio full of motochurros, then perhaps I would think differently. Now I've just got to find somewhere to hide it from the cleaning lady, jajajajaja.

 

[steveinbsas]

This thread says it all.

Unless you wear a thin band to keep the native assholes at bay you must live in fear of a thief stealing a decent ring...or anything that looks expensive.

The last time I was in Dallas waiting for a flight to BA I could not help but notice the Rolex on one man's wrist and the big rock (set in gold) on his wife's finger. I could hear them talking and they were obviously from Texas.

I hope they had a crime free visit to BA...and returned to a country where they don't live in fear.

 

[el_expatriado]

I gave my wife a diamond engagement ring and she made me return it!!!!! She said she had no intention of being a target.

Only in Buenos Aires do women refuse diamonds. That just goes to show how F*CKED UP the whole crime situation is.

 

[PhilipDT]

I find it so sad that just wearing an engagement ring makes you a definitive target here.