It’s never a bad thing to look your best with jewelry when you’re out travelling. It does become a problem when you have unscrupulous folk that plan to take advantage of you when you’re at you’re most vulnerable: when you’re visiting a place that you aren’t familiar with, at least not as familiar as a local would be.

Aside from pickpocketing, muggings, or locals just trying to rip you off, jewelry theft can be a huge problem when you’re out on vacation. As a matter of fact, one in five tourists lose at least one piece of jewelry to thieves when they’re out on vacation.

Jewelry theft can be avoided, however, and here are just a few ways you can keep yourself safe.

Document It

The first thing you should do, long before you even board a plane, is to take photos of all your belongings. Even if you’re really careful, it’s a fact of life that bad things can still happen, so it’s best to come prepared. Photographs of the jewelry pieces you plan on bringing can help you immensely if you have to file a police report, and would make a good proof of ownership.

Store It

If you plan on taking jewelry with you, and couldn’t possibly wear them all at once, then keep your excess jewelry in a safety deposit box at a bank, wherever you plan on travelling to. Some hotels also offer this kind of service with their vaults, so try calling ahead and ask if the place you’re staying at has them. It may cost you a little extra, but it’s definitely better than keeping your jewelry at whatever room you’re staying at, even if the place itself is a respectable one.

Carry It

You should avoid keeping your jewelry in checked baggage. If you can’t wear them, keep them inside your carry-on, and never keep your eyes off of it. Checked baggage, while convenient, has a tendency to become completely unattended for the duration of your travel, whether it’s by plane or by train. So as with all valuables, never leave any jewelry there.

Don’t Wear It (Sometimes!)

While the point of having jewelry is to wear it in public, if you’re planning on visiting a place where you’re bound to take off your jewelry anyway, like the beach, you might as well not wear them in the first place. If you’ve decided to take a security deposit box to store your items, keep them there if your itinerary involves going out for a swim.

Conceal It

Sometimes you’re bound to travel through a rougher side of town, or maybe in a really crowded area. Before you do, try to conceal whatever jewelry you have with you to avoid attention. Keep your necklaces or pendants under your shirt, turn your jeweled rings on the inside of your palm, and try to cover your watches or bracelets with your sleeves. If none of this is possible, then it’s best to remove them and place them somewhere secure until you find yourself in a much better, and safer, area.