Choosing Your Perfect Vacation Jewelry and How to Travel Well in it

Choosing Your Perfect Vacation Jewelry & How to Travel Well With It

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout my life. For the past decade, I’ve worked for myself as a jewelry designer—running a small business and staying intimately involved in every part of the process.

Whether you need a little practical advice or style inspiration, I’ve got the best practices and hacks for how to pack jewelry that travels well and helps you feel your best from arrival to departure. 

Packing choices depend on your destination and planned activities—so let’s Packing choices depend on your destination and planned activities so let’s break it down:

🏙️ Chic & Photo Ready: Jewelry Picks for the Stylish Photo Taker

I usually feel inspired to dress the part when I venture to new places.
If your vacation vibe is "travel in style", then bring along pieces that feel slightly elevated from your everyday:

• Sculptural earrings or a bold cuff for evenings out

• A chunky chain or sparkly charm necklace (that you can add to as you go!)

• Something spicy you wouldn't normally wear while running errands or folding laundry—because after all, the goal is to live your best life on vacay!

💬 One of my Chicago customers shared that she travels with a couple different stud earrings & DPJ’s Slice ear jacket so she can instantly glam up or down.

🥾 Jewelry for On-the-Go Adventures

If your trip is heavy on hiking scenic trails or involves snorkels, surfboards, or the like, you’ll likely want to keep things simple:

• A pair of small hoops or studs that won’t get in the way. Bonus if you can sleep in them!

• One necklace – a charm pendant or basic link chain that does it all.

• Consider taking along just one pair of dressier earrings incase of meals or outings in town.

One customer I spoke with at a recent market said, “I only pack two pairs of earrings because I am always doing things like hiking—I don’t want to fuss.” 

Photo: Yours Truly sporting some simple versatile Silver Nyx Hoops...On A BOAT!

🚫Vacationers Beware: Tourists are often Targeted for Theft 

I’ve spoken with many clients who were the victims of theft while traveling and it really breaks my heart. We often feel emotional bonds to people or places through our jewelry and losing heirlooms like that feels like a precious connection has been severed.  SO let's not be easy targets for theft, OK? 

Communicating in unfamiliar languages, navigating new streets with google maps, and trying to keep an eye on your more  (sound familiar?) takes a lot of focus—which means you're more vulnerable and can easily become a mark.

I’ve also read up recently on tourism-related crime, and it’s worth saying (duh) that being polite and respectful really matters. People living in popular vacation spots often feel frustrated with tourist behavior, and studies show that tourists are more likely than residents to be victims of certain types of crime, including violent crime.

When I return from a trip I want to bring home a suitcase full of tasty treats and souvenirs, not the deep regret of losing great-grandmother’s charm bracelet or an irreplaceable engagement ring. 

So do your vacation-self a favor and leave those heirlooms at home.

Instead, bring other beautifully made pieces crafted from more approachable metals like brass, bronze, silver, or gold-fill. Look good, feel great, and stay worry-free.  

Left: The Fam posing on the streets of London having a wonderful time.

I'm wearing my Abri Pearl Dangles that always look like a million bucks. They're made from Brass and Baroque Pearls - and I remember feeling cute all day!

 

A great idea: 💍 Two of my regular Denver based customers bought matching brass bands from me and they wear them in lieu of their wedding and engagement rings when they are off traveling.

And if you must wear your most treasured pieces, many accommodations include a safe you can use.

🧳 Quick Packing Tips for Jewelry

Keep your jewelry safe, tangle-free, and easy to grab with these simple hacks:

• Hard-sided case or container: Compact and protective

• Pouches or mini zip bags: Great for keeping delicate chains from tangling. 

  • Pouch Trick: drop your necklace into your pounch but leave the last few of inches of the chain hanging outside. Then take one of the drawstrings and thread it through the clasped chain. Tie a gently knot to close the bag and there will be no chance of spending a second of vacation time untangling chains.

  • Zip-lock trick: Same general tactic as the pouch method. When your chain end is hanging over the side of the ziplock, open it up so that you can press and seal in between and on the sides of the clasped chain -she's not moving!

• When Packing Earrings: Wrap one of the pair in something soft like a tissue before putting them into your packed jewelry. It will keep them from scratching each other while jostling around in transit. This is especially important for highly-polished mirror like finishes where a scratch marring the beautiful surface can only be.....upsetting.

🧼 Jewelry Care On the Go

• Emergency polishing: Humid climates or chlorinated pools can mess with the color or even blacken you piece- it's totally natural reacation to the environment. But don’t worry— so long as your pieces are made of solid quality materials like brass, bronze, silver & gold...with a little cleaning will be returned to their natural beautiful tones.

  • Ketchup bath (for brass/bronze)

  • Aluminum foil + salt + boiling water soak (for tarnished silver)

  • Read more in this post I wrote about DIY & commercial cleaning options

⚠️ If you do ask google - no matter what, Please do not use toothpaste on your jewelry, no matter what the internet says—it can damage the finish and dull shiny surfaces. Unless you are going for a more brushed metal finish then go for it!

• When Packing : Couldn't hurt to put some polishing cloths or if you're a plan for all the things kind of person, pack whichever fave polishing product you use in a travel-sized container and keep it with your toiletries. But I feel like this is a little "extra" - not an essential in most of our cases.

• Transportation Tip: Whether flying or riding on trains it is a good plan to wear your largest and/or most delicate pieces on the plane. That way you are saving space and minimizing the risk of damaging anything en route. Keep the rest of the pieces with you in your carry-on (we’ve all seen the videos or witnessed the trials our checked baggage endures in the luggage hold.)

🌞 

Whether you’re aiming for low-maintenance outdoor adventures, capturing romantic elegance or stepping into your extra vivacious vacation persona, I encourage you to choose pieces that are versatile, appropriate to the adventure, and that make you feel radiant, bad-ass, beautiful and free of worry! So leave the stress- (and heirlooms) at home.

P.S. If are packing for your next trip and feel like taking a pic of your choice set of travel jewels - I would so LOVE to see it! Send it to me in an Email or tag @danteperozzijewelry in your instagram photo! You'd truly make my day.

Need some ideas?
I’ve put together a collection of vacation-worthy options—each one shippable and suitcase-approved.
👉 Browse the Travel Edit

SHARE YOUR  PHOTOS & GET A THANK YOU GIFT:

We would love to see you out traveling and looking fab in DPJ.

Send us your vacay pics of you in your bling and we will send you a thank you gift! 

You can DM shots to us in Instagram or send an email to info@danteperozzi.com. We can't wait to hear all about!

Photo: Here is a pic of some silver pieces after a day out touring in London.