It seems as if crime is on the rise. I don’t know about you, but I feel like it’s getting harder to protect myself and my jewelry. Let’s face it, when you turn on the news, it’s never good. The top stories are all about people getting shot, mugged, raped and killed. So, how do we protect our jewelry and ourselves?
A few years ago, Jonathan’s Fine Jewelers was robbed in the middle of the night. We have pretty tight security, and our cameras run 24/7, and we can all watch them from our homes. But, that didn’t stop the crime from happening or the criminals from getting away with lots of diamonds. It shook us all to the core.
If you are in the diamond trade, you have to protect yourself. We have millions of dollars worth of inventory that is in a safe in our showroom and in our cases. We are in a building that has a security guard and you must check in to enter. All other doors you have to have a card key to get in. We have to buzz you in to our showroom and we all have several guns under our desks and that we carry on our persons. And, yes, we all have our concealed handgun licenses. We have to.
How do you protect yourself and your jewelry if you are the Average Joe?
- Keep your valuables in a safe hidden in your home. It’s always wise if you have expensive items to have a safe that is built in hidden in your home, and not in the usual places. Make sure you change the password often as well.
- Keep your valuables insured at replacement cost. It’s important that you do not insure your engagement ring or diamonds at the cost you pay for it, especially if you buy them wholesale. You need to insure them for replacement cost. Take pictures of every piece of jewelry you have, label the pictures and put the cost on the picture and keep it in a book for insurance purposes as well. Make sure you keep it up to date. It is also wise to get your jewelry appraised every few years because the value of your jewels will rise and fall over the years.
- If you don’t want a safe in your house or don’t feel safe keeping your jewelry in your house, keep them in a safe deposit box at the bank. Make sure you remember where the key is and that no one else has access to the box except for people that you trust.
- If you are wearing your expensive diamond ring out and about, it’s a good idea to get used to turning it around so the diamond sits on the inside of your hand while you are in a crowd. This will deter thieves, because they won’t want to steal what they can’t see. But, if you are approached, give them your jewelry. Your ring is not worth your life.
- Always be wary of your surroundings, and this goes for whether you are wearing your jewelry or not. It’s important these days to know how to protect yourself. Take a course in self-defense, learn some moves and be aware. And, remember, nothing material is worth your life!
