Do you have special pieces of jewellery? Some that are very valuable, or maybe have some sentimental value to you? Then you need to protect them properly. Jewellery is the second most commonly stolen item in a burglary because it’s easy to grab, high-value, small and difficult to trace. Even if you have it insured, you still need to keep it somewhere safe, and hidden if possible. And today we’re going to show you what that looks like.
Does Your Security Meet Your Insurance Standards?
If you have valuable jewellery in your home, then you probably have it insured, either under your contents insurance or with its own separate policy. But did you know that the security measures you take to protect it can have an impact on your insurance? Having high-quality security in place can reduce the premiums you have to pay, and it can prevent issues if you do ever have to make a claim – so it’s worth taking the right precautions.
For jewellery, this means keeping it locked away in a safe. All safes are tested and given an Insurance Cash rating, and most insurance companies issuing a policy on higher-valued jewellery will insist on the items being kept in a graded safe has a valid independent test certificate and has been approved by the Association of Insurance Surveyors. So before you buy any safe, check with your insurer that it meets their requirements, or else you might invalidate your policy.
The most common test certificates accepted by most insurers are:
- EN14450 Standard – This has 2 ratings. S1 gives a £2,000 cash rating, while S2 gives a £4,000 rating.
- Eurograde Standard EN1143-1 – The Eurograde standard has 7 grades, from Eurograde 0, which offers a £6,000 cash rating, to Eurograde 6, which offers a £150,000 cash rating.
As you can see the higher the cash rating, the more secure your valuables will be.
Where To Store Your Jewellery Safe
The next question you might have is where to install this special safe. After all, there are lots of places in your home you could put it, but is one better than the other? We would usually recommend you go for somewhere discreet that will be difficult for a burglar to find, especially if they’re looking when someone is in the house. A wardrobe is a good option for this, as it means they will have to come into a bedroom and then a wardrobe – where valuable items aren’t usually hidden. Some people will also opt for an innocuous cupboard in their home, like a coat cupboard, where it can be hidden.
The main consideration when choosing the place for your safe is the atmosphere. Extreme temperatures (either too hot or too cold) and extreme humidity changes can damage jewellery and affect its value, even while it’s in the safe. So, choosing somewhere that’s going to get very hot (like a boiler cupboard) or that’s cold and damp (like a basement) isn’t a great idea. Instead, pick somewhere that will be at a stable temperature and out of direct sunlight.
At My Locks we don’t just deal with broken or lost keys. We also help install a wide variety of home security measures, including safes of all shapes and sizes. We can help you understand which type of safe you need and even guide you through the buying process before installing it safely in your home. If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.