From Valentine’s Day to Everyday: Caring for Your Jewellery
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, bringing with it an avalanche of sweet treats, red roses, and teddy bears. Some lucky people might be treated to an extra-special gift on this big day, whether it’s a classic watch, a glittering necklace, or even a diamond ring. In fact, recent Irish banking figures show we spend an average of €153 on jewellery in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, making it one of the country’s favourite gift choices.
If you’re the lucky beneficiary of a high-value gift, it’s important to pause and think about how you’re going to protect and care for your new treasure. To help you, we’ve put together this simple guide, with information on how to store, clean, and insure your rings, watches, and more.
Storing jewellery at home
Once the excitement of Valentine’s Day settles down, proper storage is one of the easiest ways to protect your jewellery. Valuable items are often small and easy to misplace (particularly if you have children or pets at home), so having a dedicated, safe place for them is a good idea.
A lined jewellery box with separate compartments can help prevent scratches and tangling and keep damaging sunlight or moisture at bay. A big no-no is leaving jewellery in bathrooms, where they’re at risk of damage from high humidity - or getting lost down a plughole!
For more precious items, such as engagement rings or luxury watches, you might want to think about investing in a discreet and secure home safe that’s fireproof. Keeping jewellery out of sight also reduces the risk of opportunistic theft, for example when a thief spies rings resting on a shelf above a sink. In fact, cash and jewellery make up more than a third of items reported stolen in Ireland.
It’s worth noting that depending on your home insurance policy, you may need to store expensive jewellery in a safe when you’re not wearing it. You can find out more in your policy terms and conditions, but we’ll also look into home insurance in more detail next.
Insuring your valuables
The average Irish household owns jewellery worth €4,243, but this is likely a low estimate as around 70% of people have never had their jewellery valued. In fact, almost one in 10 homes own jewellery worth more than €10,000, most often including wedding rings and watches. This means that they stand to lose a substantial amount if their home or rented property is burgled or damaged.
If you have a home insurance policy as a homeowner or a tenant in Ireland, you probably have contents cover, which protects items inside your home or rented property that aren’t part of the fixtures and fittings.
At RedClick Insurance, for example, our contents insurance includes cover for valuables such as jewellery, furniture, precious metals, timepieces, photographic equipment, works of art, antiques, musical instruments, and more.
It is important to note that if you wish to cover any item of significant value, inside and outside the home, you should consider specifying them on your current or new policy to ensure they are covered correctly.
So, if you’re lucky enough to get an expensive Valentine’s Day gift - like a watch, necklace, or engagement ring - you should contact your insurance company straight away.
Keeping good records of high-value items
It’s surprisingly easy to forget the exact cost of jewellery, especially for pieces bought or inherited years ago. Make sure you have up-to-date valuations for all your important belongings so you can avoid being underinsured.
Keeping good documentation can also make all the difference if you ever need to make a claim on your home insurance policy.
Your insurance company will be able to advise you of exactly what you need for your specific policy, but it’s always a good idea to:
- Photograph the item in detail, along with its box, certificates, and any receipts
- Store valuation or certification documentation carefully
- Update valuations regularly, especially if required by your insurer
Clear photographs that include close-ups of distinguishing features might be helpful, especially if your valuable item is stolen. When items are recovered, Gardaí sometimes release images in an attempt to reunite the items with their rightful owners. If you have matching date-stamped photographs, these could help get your valuables back in your possession fast.
Store copies of these records digitally and physically but keep them separate from your valuable items and safe from prying eyes.
Cleaning and safeguarding your jewellery
No matter how much it sparkles and shines in the shop, wearing jewellery in everyday life can make it dull and dirty. This is especially true if it comes into contact with natural oils, cosmetics, perfume, and cleaning products.
For day-to-day care at home, jewellers usually recommend gentle cleaning using warm, soapy water and a soft toothbrush. This is usually enough to remove surface build-up without risking damage to the structure.
However, it’s a very good idea to have Jewellery cleaned professionally too, at least once a year. Jewellers have the specialist equipment and expertise to deliver an in-depth clean that will leave your ring, bracelet, watch, or earrings as bright and beautiful as the day they were bought.
If you ask, the jeweller can also inspect settings, clasps, and claws for signs of wear or looseness. Catching these small issues early can often help prevent valuable stones from falling out or pieces being damaged or even lost. Regular professional inspection may well be a requirement of your home insurance policy too - check when you request a quote for specified items ‘All-risks Cover’.
Protecting your precious items and your memories
Jewellery often carries far more than a price tag, it’s a reminder of special occasions, meaningful moments, and sometimes even a life-changing question. Taking the time to protect these pieces means they can be enjoyed in everyday life, rather than tucked away in a dark safe.
By storing jewellery carefully, keeping records up to date, having it professionally cleaned and checked, and ensuring it’s listed on your home insurance policy, you can make sure your Valentine’s Day gift is one that can be enjoyed for years to come.
If you’d like to talk to us about adding engagement rings, watches, or jewellery to your contents insurance or switching your home insurance, you can get an instant quote now, speak to our team online on 'Live Chat' or call us on 01 5534040.
We’d be happy to help you celebrate this day of love - with cover and care in just a click.
Other useful links: