Look Book

J E W E L E R S U N B L O C K E D I N S U R A N C E Wedding season is a joyous time for many. The idea of starting their lives together, and the pledging of eternal love, can be an exhilarating experience for the bride and groom, their family members and friends. Unfortunately, many criminals view this season as the perfect opportunity to cash in on others' goods or valuables. Jewelers need to always remain vigilant in order to protect their store, goods and employees. A height- ened sense of awareness is critical for all involved in the jewelry industry during this profi table and exciting season. Jewelry store owners must be mindful to review memo and stock coverage provided by the Jewelers Block policy prior to the start of the wedding season. It is critical to be certain that the policy adequately covers all merchandise: memo coverage for prod- ucts that will be sent to and from other businesses or customers, as well as stock coverage for the goods that actually remain on the business premises. It is typical to anticipate increases in volume of business during this time of year, so store owners must prepare to handle the supply and demand fl uctuation of the jewelry business in order to be properly protected. This time period is very busy and stress- ful for jewelers (and their employees), as they work to accommodate the needs of their customers. Criminals may employ more creative methods designed to pilfer goods from a jewelry store, rather than using the typical "smash-and-grab" or armed robbery techniques. Thieves may stray from their usual tactics in favor of subtlety, and instead of resorting to the brute force methods they could take advantage of the increased activity by hiding in plain sight. Review of possible scenarios of criminal techniques prior to the start of a busy day can assist jewelry professionals by heighten- ing their awareness as they work. An exam- ple: bandits often pass themselves off as couples shopping together in order to get access to goods. Many have been daring enough to pull a slight of hand switch right in front of an employee or store owner as they "shop" for an engagement stone. Pausing to consider hypothetical situations such as this can help by being mindful of the more subtle criminal acts. Daily review of standard operating procedures before opening for business can help to reinforce that cutting corners in an attempt to accommodate increased customer traffi c is not an option. Removing one piece of jewelry at a time from the case when assisting a customer is a procedure from which professionals should never deviate. Likewise, the relocking of the case during the process should also occur every time. These procedures hinder a criminal's ability to divert the employee's attention and reach into the case to "help themselves." A good resource for jewelry professionals is the Jewelers' Security Alliance (JSA). JSA is a non-profi t trade association with 21,000 members that has been providing crime information and assistance to the jewelry industry and law enforcement since 1883. JSA fulfi lls its mission of informing and alerting jewelers about crime through frequent E-Mail Crime Alerts and print publications, a website, seminars and consulting activities. JSA also works closely with the FBI and local law enforce- ment agencies, sharing its data and analysis in order to further the war on jewelry crime. About Jewelers unBLOCKed™ Jewelers unBLOCKed Collector Edition™ offers tailored insurance programs created to meet the heightened exposures of the discern- ing private client. For more information about Jewelers unBLOCKed™, please visit www.jewelers-unblocked.com. Patricia K. Low President and CEO, Jewelers unBLOCKed™ and Jewelers unBLOCKed Collectors Edition™ Patricia K. Low has over 30 years' experi- ence in the insurance industry and holds over 40 insurance licenses. Ms. Low has an extensive background in the luxury goods industries, and has represented leading jew- elry fi rms for over 25 years. Jewelers un- BLOCKed™ is an outgrowth of her long- term and in-depth involvement in the jewelry industry. JB Star By Patricia K. Low President/CEO Jewelers unBLOCKed TM Wedding Season 50 www.thejewelrybook.com

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