Important Facts Why Your Jewelry Needs to Smile for The Camera

Whether your jewelry is sentimental, an heirloom piece or very valuable, having up-to-date pictures of them and hiding the pictures are very important for the following reasons:

When you are purchasing extra insurance for your jewelry, most insurance companies will request that each piece (especially if it is a very valuable jewel) be accompanied with a professional appraisal certificate and picture. Detailed descriptions and photographs go hand-in-hand.

If you went out for the afternoon with a friend for lunch and knew you had on your vintage gold bracelet when you left the house and upon returning home you noticed it was missing from your wrist, a picture of it would certainly make it easier for you to distribute photocopies, fliers, within your community.

Now if you had a break-in and your jewelry was stolen, you certainly would not be in the frame of mind to accurately describe each piece that was missing. You might not even be able to remember all the pieces that were stolen. With pictures, law officials would be able to track them down easier, especially if they apprehended the thief(s) or if they turned up at a pawn shop.

If your jewelry cannot be found from the above scenarios, with a good picture, you could have them replaced with similar or identical pieces.

A few years ago, one of our customers had a very high strung puppy that was very oral. Besides the numerous holes in the walls, chewed furniture legs--this puppy also had expensive taste. She somehow managed to reach for a very expensive multi gemstone, custom made, cocktail ring and chewed it to unimaginable damage. Luckily, the owner had several pictures of the ring and was able to have it remade. And what happened to the puppy, she's an older girl now, calm and prefers her rawhide bones these days.

If any jewelry piece needs any major overhaul or repair, a picture will help a jeweler to restore or reassemble it to its like condition.

If you ever have to sell your jewelry, remember that expression, "a picture is worth a thousand words"--the more detailed, the more close-ups, the clearer the picture and the easier it will be to sell. You want a potential buyer to almost be able to touch it and to get excited about it which can result in selling your piece(s) faster.

You need not go out to purchase an expensive camera. If your camera has a 10x optical zoom, that will do the job. Or if you do not have one, perhaps you can ask your friends if they have one.

When taking the pictures, make sure that they are taken in natural sunlight to capture the true colors of the gemstones, as well as taking shots from every angle.

If you have a safety deposit box or home safe, keep the pictures locked up. If not, then find a very good hiding place within your home.

Look within your jewelry collection and see what is precious to you and start clicking away.

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A Traveller's Guide for Jewelry Safety Tips

With vacation around the corner for many people, I wanted to share some suggestions and ideas for safeguarding your jewelry while you are travelling. Taking precautions to minimize loss or theft of your jewelry is very important.

There are two groups of travelers: the minimalist who packs just a few key pieces and then there is the opposite, call this person Maxie, who brings everything. This also applies with jewelry. Some travelers will not wear any jewelry, or if they do, it would be something inexpensive and simple, while others will not part with any of their jewelry.

I am always so surprised to see so many ladies wearing their most expensive diamond jewelry when they are on the beach, or wearing so much gold when I travel to beach destination vacations. Many of these beautiful and tropical beaches are in 3rd world countries where the poverty is very high. Do you know who they are going to look at for their livelihood? Bingo!

If you are heading to any beach during the summer months, a wise idea would be to not wear any jewelry, especially rings because the only person who will be laughing to the bank will be the person who is scouring the beaches with his metal detector. Suntan lotion makes your fingers slippery and rings can slip off easily as well as swimming in the cold ocean, lakes, rivers--your fingers shrink and your rings will slide off.

Tourists who wear a lot of jewelery stand out and are a potential target. Your safety is more important than wearing your blinfg bling. I cannot stress it enough, that when you travel, please keep it simple. I love my jewelry, but when I travel, I am the minimalist. I wear only my wedding band, a simple pair of gold hoop earings and a plastic watch. Blending in with the locals and not drawing attention to yourself can sometimes be a challenge. In some countries, I definitely would not blend in since I am blond and almost 6 feet in height.

On the flip side, for those who choose to travel with their jewels, while in transit, keep your jewelry in your handbag or carry-on bag. If you are a frequent traveler, i.e. business traveler, you may wish to invest in a traveling jewelry case because they have the proper compartments that keep your jewelry organized and protected. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a travel case is how much jewelry and what type of jewelry you will be traveling with since there are so many different types available. You want to make sure you purchase the appropriate type.

When staying at a hotel, a wise idea would be to keep your jewelry in the hotel's safety deposit box or in your room's safe. It is also advisable to take copies of sales receipts, appraisal certificates or insurance papers as proof of ownership; by doing so, you will avoid any potential problems with customs with regards to import taxes and customs declarations.

At night, when you are retiring for the evening, you can keep all your jewelry organized quite simply--slip your rings through your watch band and then close the clasp. At the same time, if your strap is made from leather, you can press your earrings through their holes.

Your safety and security are #1. By taking some precautions you can minimize the risk of being a target.

Wishing you all safe travels and a wonderful time.

Any questions, my pleasure to answer them.

Baya

Hiding Jewelry Within Your Home - Part 3

Many people invest in actual safes—keep in mind that a small safe that can hide in a closet is portable and can easily be carried away. A larger safe is very heavy, and while it can’t be carried away, they are harder to hide and take up a lot of space.

I personally favor safes that have a drilled space in a floor—a.k.a. floor safes. They are not portable, they are hidden and you can cover them. Ideally, they are located in basements because they can be drilled through concrete. These safes are smaller than your average wall or full standing safe, but they cannot be carried away, they are out of visual sight and therefore, concealed from a potential thief.

Many people have home alarm systems and while there are no guarantees that your home would not be burglarized, it could deter from a potential home invasion since signs are posted on windows or doors. However, if a burglar broke into a home, he would only have 2-3 minutes to find the valuables before the police would show up. If they would come across a safe, they wouldn’t have the time to open it, nor the time to ransack a home to find jewelry, if they are hidden out of sight.

Outside your home, a safety deposit box is the next securest place for your jewelry. Your financial institution will have an area for safety deposit boxes. You can keep all your jewelry as well as certificates together and bring home a few pieces every month and interchange them as you wish.

Your safety and security are #1. By taking some precautions, you can minimize the risk of being a target. Be sure that your pieces have updated appraisals which reflect the current market value of your piece(s). Having adequate coverage on your most valuable pieces will guarantee that if a jewelry item is lost or stolen, you can have it replaced or be financially indemnified. Safekeeping your jewelry wisely within your home will minimize the risk of any potential theft.