5 Tips To Keep Your Jewelry Safe At Home
Twenty years ago, the cheapest piece of jewelry would have been the most expensive item you’d consider carrying on your person. Times have changed, however, and we’re all used to carrying around thousand dollar devices everywhere we go. People are no longer as wary of wearing jewelry out as they once were for this reason.
But that hasn’t changed the status of jewelry at home. While phones and laptops are easy targets for thieves, jewelry is far easier to steal and more lucrative. A thief can stuff expensive jewelry in their pockets, and you won’t be able to track it down using built-in GPS capabilities. A small diamond ring that can fit in your hand may be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Also, its value does not decline when a newer version is released!
It is crucial that anyone who has expensive jewelry knows how to keep it safe at home. While you personally may be more at risk when out wearing a necklace, the jewelry box at home is always going to be the more attractive loot.
Here are 5 tips to keep your jewelry safe at home.
1. Get the right insurance
The fact is that there is no way to guarantee your jewelry is never stolen. No matter how good your security is, you need to have insurance on your precious items. Get jewelry insurance as soon as possible, so that a break-in does not cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
Jewelry insurance is available as an extra on your homeowners or renters insurance policy. You’ll need to insure each piece of jewelry, as they are expensive on their own.
2. Use a safe
Safes are not foolproof. They certainly don’t work if burglars break in when you’re home and hold you up. However, they are excellent deterrents. A safe with a four-digit code will not be cracked by your average burglar. They won’t be able to physically break into a strong safe, either.
Make sure your safe cannot be easily removed and carried off on its own. Otherwise, you are providing a perfect package for burglars to take.
3. Set your alarm
Alarm systems are very effective deterrents of break-ins. The moment the alarm starts sounding, the burglar’s position is already tenuous. Most will leave immediately if they can.
The problem is that many people forget or neglect to set their alarms, especially when they are going out spontaneously or for a short outing.
Modern alarm systems can be activated with a phone app. This gives you added incentive to set your alarm whenever you go out, no matter how long you’ll be gone. Speak to your security company about app capabilities if you don’t already have access to them.
4. Secure your home when you’re home
Humans can be complacent. Most of us have this impression that our presence alone keeps our home safe. When we’re sitting at home watching TV, we leave the door unlocked or neglect to set the alarm.
It is crucial that you secure your home when you are present. After all, you are better placed than anyone to get into your safe. You know better than anyone where other valuables are kept. A burglar who breaks in while you are home has this advantage. You are the incentive to break in, rather than a deterrent.
This is particularly important if you are in a part of the home that is some distance from the entrances. By the time you know someone is there, it will be too late to do anything.
5. Split your jewelry
Finally, keeping all your jewelry in one place is not a good strategy for keeping it safe. If you’ve split your jewelry and kept it in different parts of the house, a thief is less likely to get to it all. They may well assume that what they’ve found is everything you have got, especially if they are worried about sticking around too long.
There is no guaranteed way to keep your jewelry safe at home, but you can take measures to ensure you have the best possible security in place. Check whether your jewelry is covered by your homeowners or renters insurance, and that each piece is individually added.
