How to Assist with the Recovery of Your Stolen Jewelry

The SunHerald reports on the recent apprehension of a suspect in a stolen jewelry case. The alleged thief was said to have taken stolen pieces to pawn shops and similar types of businesses to sell them. If it had been your jewelry, would you have been able to assist in the recovery of the stolen pieces?

Put Together an Inventory

If you have multiple jewelry boxes, inventory each of them separately and then put together a master list that contains each item you own. Your insurance company undoubtedly already asked you for this list when you insured your collection. For those of you who have not yet done so, we recommend listing as much information as you have on each piece. When you buy a vintage jewel from us, you already have a description as well as gem lab’s detailed description of any stones your items feature.

Document Flaws

Each jewel has flaws. When you read a gem lab’s documentation of your diamond ring, for example, it will discuss flaws that are visible with the eye or with specialized equipment. The report may also mention inclusions. These details set your diamond ring apart from all others. When you buy vintage jewelry, there are sometimes the flaws that the decades or perhaps centuries of use have caused. A minute scratch on a setting or a patina that has formed around a prong basket can be part of these “flaws” (although, for the real collector, they really are not).

Take Photos

While you may be able to help the police with photos that show you wearing any jewelry you believe is stolen, it is a better idea to have a photo taken of each piece on its own. When you look through our online inventory, you see how we photograph each jewel from several angles. Doing so with pieces from your collection is a good option because it gives law enforcement the tools needed to approach local pawn shops when searching for items.

Of course, none of these suggestions works if you do not file a police report as soon as you notice that one or more jewels are missing. Don’t laugh! Plenty of folks we talk to report looking around for a few days and asking friends or family members – over the course of a couple of weeks – if they have seen the missing pieces. By that time, the jewelry has been pawned, bought or melted down for the gold.

At Peter Suchy Jewelers we are experts in all types of vintage, estate and antique jewelry. We hope you’ll stop by our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

Or, hop on over to our top-rated BigCommerce Store where you’ll find all the vintage gemstone jewelry you see here. If you find a listing has ended, please email us at info@petersuchyjewelers.com as we may still have the item in stock.

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