New Travel Trend: Bringing Replica Rings

If you see somebody flashing jewelry in a vacation spot, it appears there's a decent chance it's fake. Axios reports on a booming business in duplicate rings among travelers worried about losing them or having them stolen. Further evidence of the trend is suggested by a nearly 500% surge in posts tagged #TravelRing on TikTok. The idea is growing in popularity as faux diamonds improve in quality, particularly the lab-grown variety. What's more, people are making use of the dupes even when their actual rings are insured, Kegan Fisher, the CEO of jeweler Frank Darling tells Axios.

His company and others offer replicas for about $300, but BuzzFeed (also reporting on the trend) finds several on Amazon and other online retailers for under $20. "Because you know what could ruin a trip to Greece?" writes AnaMaria Giavan. "Diving into clear blue water to discover that your diamond ring slid off and swam away." Bride magazine also dug into this, noting that traveling with a dupe engagement ring can be smart—unless the destination is prone to crime. If so, "your fake can easily be mistaken for the real thing and put you in danger." (More travel stories.)