Missing Some Jewelry? Here's How to Avoid an Awkward Situation

Feb. 26, 2015 — It happens to the best of us. We take off a piece of jewelry, put it down, and it seems to find the gateway to Narnia or wherever it is our socks go after we do laundry. In Brickunderground's latest Ask an Expert column, someone writes in about two missing gold bracelets. "I don't wear them often and don't always put them away after I wear them." Uh-oh. Despite searching the apartment top to bottom, the bracelets have yet to resurface — and then it gets really awkward. "I don't want to make false accusations, but … the super and the exterminator, who comes once a month, have access to my home." Brickundeground's experts offer solid advice: "without concrete evidence of theft, it's a bad idea to point fingers." One expert, a tenants' rights lawyer with Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph, points out that anything could have happened: "you [could have] lost [the bracelets], misplaced them, or a guest [could have taken] off with them." One way around this issue is to purchase additional coverage for jewelry. Jeff Schneider, president of insurance firm Gotham Brokerage, explains that having this additional coverage "allows you to avoid making an accusation of theft which might not be accurate." Other suggestions include getting a nanny cam, which feels a little Big Brother but might be what you need to set your mind at ease, or locking up all valuables in a drawer or small safe.