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As a jewellery insurance provider, we’ve just about seen it all when it comes to the strange ways people have damaged or lost their jewellery. Of course, we like to provide expert advice on how best to avoid these heartbreaking situations, but the reality is that accidents do happen.
Stories about jewellery claims are like watching a soap opera. They are weird, shocking and clearly upsetting to those involved. And if you haven’t seen as many as we have, you would think they were made up.
The solitaire diamond ring above was set in a solid white gold rubber over (or often described as a bezel setting). Our customer was getting out of the car when her youngest ran past and slammed the door. The top of her ring suffered the full brunt of a heavy car door, which literally sheared off the top of her ring. Incredibly though, she snatched her hand away and didn’t feel any direct impact. As they were in a rush, they only noticed the diamond missing some hours later.
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On the left, you can see a beautiful combination of diamonds both round, square and baguettes. This was a case where a customer suffered an insect bite on her finger, which caused her fingers to swell beyond recognition. The swelling was so severe that she was rushed to hospital to have the rings cut off her finger. In this case, due to the design of how the diamonds were set in a semi-rub over mount, Q Report (due to its extensive jewellery knowledge) commissioned new rings to be made, rather than repairing the rings. Our experience told us that the integrity of the metal would never be the same and therefore new rings needed to be manufactured.
This isn’t as unconventional a setting as it looks. This customer made some unintentional alterations to her engagement ring after she drove over it with her car. This was a case of a little bit of hand cream (or maybe a bit too much), and the ring flying off her hand as her husband was reversing into the driveway.
Here’s another example of a ring that had to be cut after a customer’s hand swelled up while she was wearing it. In this case, a customer had cut her finger which, over the course of a week, got severely infected. The ring ended up needing to be cut off her finger.
Although this ring seemed very well-made and the centre stone very secure, the exceptionally fine claws holding in the centre stone were no match for a day at the gym. Wearing your diamond rings while pumping weights is not the best idea. The centre diamond popped out of this ring without the customer realising. An expensive mistake for sure!
Here’s an assortment of broken engagement rings, all of which used to have precious stones in them. Good thing they were all insured!
The white gold ring in the top left corner had its claws snapped off. The customer had no recollection of even hitting anything. The yellow gold ring on the far right and the one below it were in a satchel of jewellery which was stolen, and subsequently recovered as part of a police operation… minus the diamonds. The diamond ring at the bottom on the far left had a substantial diamond centre, which although difficult to see, suffered a serious hit whilst the customer was boating. It forced two claws backwards and the diamond to catapult into the ocean, only to give a shark a toothache… we hope.
Losing or damaging a piece of jewellery often has serious consequences — not only because it can be expensive to replace or repair, but because of the high sentimental value that most jewellery has for its owners.
While home and contents cover does protect items that stay inside your house, like furniture or clothes, that’s where the protection stops: the moment you leave your house, those items are no longer covered. Additionally, many home and contents insurance policies only cover a maximum of $1000 per item, and a total of $5000 for the entire claim, which is insufficient to cover even a moderate jewellery collection.
Harsh chemicals like toothpaste can cause serious damage to your jewellery, as they’re abrasive and can scratch stones and metal. If you want to extend the life of your jewellery, only use the recommended cleaning products.
It might seem like obvious advice, but don’t clean your jewellery where there’s a chance it could slip somewhere impossible to retrieve — we’ve seen too many rings just disappear down the plughole!
Using excessive force when cleaning your jewellery might cause fibres to come loose and get caught in between the prongs, or cause your stone to loosen and eventually fall out altogether.
The professionals know how best to handle your jewellery, so make sure you’re getting their opinion at least once a year. If you’ve insured your jewellery, you might also want to get it revalued annually to make sure you’re covering it for its true worth. If you insure through Q Report or one of our Q Certified Jewellers, you’ll receive an annual revaluation free of charge as part of our policy.
Want to know more about protecting your jewellery collection? Get a free, instant quote on our website today.
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