Safeguard your jewelry and home

If you’re going away for the holidays, don’t leave your house and valuables, specifically jewelry, unprotected. Mike Maley, Vice President of Personal Lines with Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company says, “Precious metals, such as gold, are particularly appealing these days because they have increased in value over the past few years.” Here are some tips to safeguard your home and jewelry.

Home:

1. Use automatic timers to turn on the lights, television, and radio at different times to make it appear you are home.

2. Install energy-efficient outdoor lights with motion detectors. Make sure entrances to your home are well lit.

3. Trim tree limbs that provide access to a second story window. Plant thorny shrubs near windows.

4. Stop newspapers and mail delivery, or have a neighbor pick them up on a daily basis.

5. Have the lawn groomed or snow removed while away.

6. Install quality deadbolt locks, with one-inch throwbolts and reinforced strike plates on all exterior doors. Many burglaries can be eliminated if people properly lock doors and windows.

7. Secure windows with pin locks on the upper and lower sashes.

8. Don’t forget to lock the garage door.

9. Conduct security inspections of your home on a regular basis. Inspect locks on doors and windows for wear and tear, and look for burned-out light bulbs.

Jewelry:

1. Avoid obvious hiding places such as jewelry boxes, dresser drawers, and pretty much any other areas in the bedroom. These are the first places burglars look for valuables.

2. An optimal place for storing jewelry is an in-home safe. A good safe should be at least 150 pounds, immobile (or bolted to the floor), inconspicuous (avoid bedroom closets), and have a combination lock.

3. Store infrequently worn jewelry in a bank safe deposit box.

4. Make sure jewelry is adequately insured, either through your homeowner’s policy or with a specialized policy.