Jewels, Heirlooms and Artwork: Secure Your Family’s Valuables

Some items in our homes, like jewelry, family heirlooms and artwork, are more valuable than others from either a financial or emotional standpoint.

For these high-ticket valuables, we recommend a two-pronged approach to security focused on both your home and the item itself. Read on for tips to secure your family’s valuables for years to come.

Secure Your Home

Your first defense against theft is your home’s exterior. To secure your perimeter:

Install a home security system to alert you of suspicious activity and ward off potential intruders. Look for one with 24/7 monitoring, so that the police will be notified even if you aren’t present.
Always lock your doors and windows when you aren’t home (even if you’re just running down the street); most break-ins don’t require force.
Make it look like you are present. If you won’t be home for an extended period of time, make sure your home still looks lived in. Stop the mail, or have a neighbor collect it. Consider automated lights that can be scheduled to turn on without you being physically present. And keep your landscaping maintained.

Safeguard the Heirloom

While the above will likely ward off most thieves, you’ll also want to properly secure the valuables within your home. To do this:

Don’t store the item out in the open. If possible, place it in a safe box. Note: The type of safe will vary based on your item’s security needs; this article does a good job overviewing common safe ratings to help you make an educated decision.
Place motion sensors or image sensors on either the item or the safe, so that you’ll be notified in real-time via mobile alerts of tampering attempts. If the item is espescially valuable, consider pairing the sensors with video survillance.
Use temperature or water sensors to ensure the proper condition for the piece. Some valuables, like artwork, risk damage if exposed to temperatures or humidity of a certain level. These sensors will monitor enviornmental factors, and alert you if desired conditions aren’t met.
Insure your items to help recoup losses if they are lost, stolen or damaged. In some cases, these items may be covered under your homeowner’s insurance, but not in all. Have the item appraised in advance so you know its value, and photograph each piece, as this helps in the insurance-claim process.
Install video surveillance for a visual of the secured area. Place surveillance cameras where valuables are stored to view live or archived footage via smartphones, tablets or laptops.