But first things first. Always keep your receipts. Get your jewelry appraised and insured. And take lots of pictures. Finding stolen jewelry is incredibly difficult. But when you have documentation, the likelihood of finding it greatly increases.
If you need to insure your jewelry, there are a few options. If you have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, you can have a jewelry policy bundled into your current policy. If you buy an extension, keep in mind that filing a claim could raise your premium for the entire policy.
If you don’t want to purchase an extension, you can always obtain insurance through a jewelry insurer like Jewelers Mutual, JIBNA Personal Jewelry Insurance, and Lavalier.
Whatever policy you choose, make sure it covers stolen, damaged, and lost jewelry.
Now let’s get to the steps. We’ll start with the worst scenario first…
Your jewelry has been stolen. What do you do?
Call the police where the theft occurred. Even if the police can’t find the thief, they can check their own and neighboring departments’ inventories of recovered items. Your jewelry may be turned in or found in the future.
Contact your insurance company to report your stolen jewelry. They will help you through the claims process. You will need documentation of the missing pieces such as an appraisal, pictures, and receipt. The more documentation, the better.
Check local pawn shops. Jewelry thieves will try to turn their loot into cash quickly. Check local pawn shops to see if your pieces have shown up.
Search Craigslist and eBay. Many stolen items are found on these sites. If you suspect you’ve found your jewelry in a pawn shop or online, do not attempt to buy it back, and do not confront the seller. Instead, report it to the police as soon as possible.
Search Social Media. Law enforcement uses social media to locate stolen property. If you find your jewelry on any social media platform, report it to the police immediately. They have protocols in place to retrieve it.
Try lostmyring.com. This website allows you to report a lost item and check for items found nearby.
If you don’t suspect theft, it’s more likely you misplaced it.
