Whether we’re trying to look good on the plane, have a meeting or dinner awaiting us at our destination, or simply enjoy wearing jewelry, we all have our reasons for keeping items on when passing through security. I’ve found myself setting off my fair share of metal detectors when wearing my rings or necklaces. But are you allowed to wear jewelry when passing through airport security?

Well for starters, unlike shoes and electronics, there’s not a specified rule stating that you can’t wear jewelry when passing through airport security. Chances are it’ll be alright to wear jewelry when passing through, as long as you’re okay with doing a full body metal detector search if the security alarm goes off. However, not all jewelry will set off the alarm. Let’s take a look!

What Can Be Worn Through Security?

In most cases, it’ll be okay to wear jewelry when passing through airport security. Most jewelry won’t set off any metal detectors due to the materials they’re made out of. Gold, platinum, and sterling silver will very rarely set off an alarm and if they do, it’s probably because they’re mixed with another metallic material. Pure, fine jewelry will likely pass through without a hitch.

Most earrings, rings, watches, and necklaces should be alright to keep on your person when passing through the metal detector. This allows you to avoid removing all of your jewelry and leaving it in a bin where it could get lost. There are a few exceptions to the rule, however, as too much material could still set off the alarm. Larger objects could still cause the metal detector to start beeping.

Removing Jewelry For Airport Security

If your jewelry is big enough to set off an alarm, we recommend removing it before stepping through the full-body scanner. If you wear it through the scanner, chances are you’ll set off the alarm and will be subject to a wand search or pat down. To avoid that hassle, take off your larger jewelry items and set them in the bin for luggage scanning.

You might encounter airport security agents that require you to take off your jewelry regardless. This is probably due to personal preference and not genuine fears of having the jewelry set off the alarm. If there’s jewelry, a false alarm can slow down the security process and become a headache for everyone.

Wearing Jewelry on a Plane

Once you’re through airport security, you can put your jewelry back on and wear it for the remainder of the traveling day. There’re no interferences caused to the plane by jewelry and it poses no risk of pressurization difficulties, so it should be perfectly fine to wear onboard the plane.

All in all, wearing jewelry through airport security should be totally okay. It likely won’t set off any alarms and even if it does, you’ll simply be asked to remove it and walk through again. Feel free to bring your jewelry along with you when traveling.