In My Infinite Wisdom...

[mogster]

We were supposed to go rock climbing with my cousin and her boyfriend tonight. I had been looking forward to it. Not wanting to damage my engagement ring, and having been burglarized before, and being the overly paranoid person that I am, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to hide my ring in an electrical socket behind the switch plate. As I was putting it in, I saw a spark and heard a pop. FI pulled the ring out for me to discover that half of it had burned and melted. The setting is damaged. I just filed a claim with Jeweler's Mutual and hoping that they cover Acts of Stupidity.



Half an hour ago, I was livid that I had the worst luck ever, that such an awful and ridiculous thing could happen to me. Both FI and my friend pointed out that it could have been ME that was fried. That put things quickly into perspective.

Also, FI has acknowledged that I can't live with this setting forever ( ). It makes me feel a little bit better, though, I may still wear it for the wedding to always have a reminder of my infinite wisdom.

 

[movie zombie]

yes, better the ring than you!
chalk one up for the school of hard knocks!
the romantic in me loves that you're thinking of wearing the ring for your wedding anyway.

 

[rosetta]

Oh no!

I was thinking "that's a good hiding place" until I got to the oh no bit.

So rest assured you're not the only one with infinite "wisdom".

Hope the insurance pays out for you mogster!

 

[GemFever]

Awww! Glad you're ok though. What does it look like on the other side?

I'm always looking for good hiding places for jewelry. Thanks for sharing, I'll cross this one off the list!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Holy crap it's a good thing it didn't zap when you were holding it!!!! Next time, sock drawer!

 

[AGBF]

in my infinite wisdom, I decided to hide my ring in an electrical socket behind the switch plate. As I was putting it in, I saw a spark and heard a pop. FI pulled the ring out for me to discover that half of it had burned and melted. The setting is damaged. I just filed a claim with Jeweler's Mutual and hoping that they cover Acts of Stupidity.

Thank you so much for sharing the entire gruesome story with all the gory details, mogster. It made me feel better about some of the things I have done! Your ability to write about the mess with so much wit so soon after the disaster is remarkable! I hope all is covered by insurance and that you are very happy with the results! Please keep us apprised!

Big hugs,
Deb

 

[Cozystitches]

Hugs!!! As someone who has been burglarized, I understand your fear!!! Sock drawer is not a good place to hide things, as my drawers were the ones pulled out and rummaged through when they came into my house. Maybe a better place to hide is a "normally" cluttered place? I have a piggy bank right next to my laptop, the thief grabbed my laptop but not the piggy bank. Thankfully he couldn't get out any of the doors, so he left most things jsut took the jewelry box.

I have new hiding places, but out in the open seems to be better, anything that doesn't scream jewelry box or saleable items. I'm thinking of making those cool book safes.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I kind of think it would be fun to work at Jeweler's Mutual and hear stories like this! I'd suggest somewhere like the refrigerator next time, as long as you don't put it in food and then eat it!

 

[GemFever]

I have a piggy bank right next to my laptop, the thief grabbed my laptop but not the piggy bank.

My parents' house was burglarized in the middle of the day, and the thieves were *very* systematic. My mom had a ceramic vase with coins in it (not even an obvious piggy bank), and they took it! I guess that's a super easy source of cash for them, if they have the time to take it. And I agree -- anything near your bed (drawers) will be likely places the thieves will check. Now every time I try to hide something, I go through this mental loop where I think I'm outsmarting them, but then I have to consider whether my "clever" place isn't everyone's clever place, and the first place the thieves (who are probably pros) will look. Uff.

 

[Polished]

We were burgled too. It made me think of the places that didn't get hit. I had some money hidden behind some books on a bookshelf. They didn't touch that. So there might be a good spot - as long as you remember which book you hid it behind! Places that would take an effort for probably no return tend to get left. It's obvious from the state your place gets left in, what a quick grab and run it is.

 

[ame]

OMG. WOW. Well. I hope JM covers it but...now I know not to hide things there!

 

[AprilBaby]

Wow! Good thing you didn't get a permanent perm from the outlet! Hope you are covered!

 

[VRBeauty]

I'm sorry about the ring - and very glad it wasn't you!

BTW I've been there - having been burglarized, trying to hide valuables someplace the bad guys wouldn't look. My mother hid her favorite pendant that way about two years ago - we're hoping it will turn up one day soon! I'd suggest you scout out a safe place now - when you're not pressed for time - and be sure to let your fiance know what you came up with, just in case!

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow! Glad you're OK!

I've heard thieves will sometimes bring in a metal detector to go in through closets (which is why sometimes they'll find that ring tucked in a pants pocket.

So I hide my stuff somewhere where there's metal...so thieves assume the metal item is what is what they've found, not my jewelry.

 

[missy]

I'm sorry about the ring - and very glad it wasn't you!

BTW I've been there - having been burglarized, trying to hide valuables someplace the bad guys wouldn't look. My mother hid her favorite pendant that way about two years ago - we're hoping it will turn up one day soon! I'd suggest you scout out a safe place now - when you're not pressed for time - and be sure to let your fiance know what you came up with, just in case!

Yes, thank goodness you are OK! It could have been much worse.

VR, that is exactly what has happened to me. I put things in a "safe" place and then I promptly forget about it- never to find again.
In fact, that's how I lost my favorite pair of Rx sunglasses! I wasn't trying to hide them from burglars but just trying to put them in a safe place LOL and now 6 months later I have turned everything upside down and they seem to have vanished. I just cannot remember where I put them!

Anyway, seems for forgetful people (and even not so forgetful people since criminals can find anything if they really want to it seems) an alarm might be best. We just got one at our house and so far I am liking it. You can arm and disarm it remotely which we do all the time.

Hope JM will cover the damage mogster!!

 

[tyty333]

Ouch! Poor ring...they could probably put a new shank on it but if you want a new setting I wouldn't bring it up!

 

[mogster]

Deb/AGBF, you said that it was remarkable that I was able to post here so soon after the incident. I actually wasn't going to because I was so, sooo embarrassed. I went from being in shock and disbelief to being upset and angry (and maybe even petulant ) to being a bit more rational when my FI pointed out that I could have died ("I'd be crying a lot harder than you were right now") and also when I calmed down enough to remember that my ring was insured. I found explaining my ridiculous situation to JM strangely cathartic and so I decided to share it here as well.

So thank you very much to everyone who responded.

Three summers ago, a string of just awful things happened to me -- my car was broken into, then my brother was hit by a car the same day (he's alive), I was in a bus accident while on vacation in Spain, my house was broken into, and then I was in a car accident that knocked down a metering light -- things that left me feeling very vulnerable and traumatized and leery and paranoid. I've been living like a crazy person since. FI thinks I am a nut, and while I'm not a particularly fatalistic person, I think this is a good reminder for me to take things in stride and that I can't be as neurotic as I am about trying to safeguard myself from the worst possible scenarios. Life just doesn't work that way. A few months ago, FI accidentally ripped the bumper off of my mother's car with a U-Haul. I was livid and absolutely certain that it wouldn't have happened if he had been more careful. Here I am now and the damage I've caused (from trying to be too careful) is comparable $-wise. Irony, I suppose?

GemFever, this is what it looks like on the other side:



When FI first recovered it, the whole ring was brown and I thought, Great, I've effectively changed my diamond from a G-color to a Fancy Brown. Most of the soot has washed off except for what's under the pave diamonds you see above.

I'll probably hear back from JM on Monday and am hoping for the best.

 

[JewelFreak]

Mogster, dust for you tomorrow with JM. And relief YOU are ok! I'm sure the insurance co. has heard MUCH dumber stories than yours; at least there was logic behind your hiding place.

Great info here -- never heard about burglars w/metal detectors. Hiding something in (kind of) plain sight makes good sense. I'm tempted to take my jewelry box to my next-door neighbor when we go out of town -- he's so paranoid, he has electronic combination locks on everything in his house; it would be safer there than anywhere I came up with here.

Let us know what JM says, please.

 

[yennyfire]

Yikes! So glad that you're ok and hope that your insurance company covers you...after all, you WERE hiding the ring to prevent it being stolen, which would have required you to file a claim...so either way, they were going to be payin'.....

 

[Enerchi]

Holy cow! Looks like 4 pave are missing? It seems like all the places we think are safe and So creative that the "bad guys" won't get things...theyve already thought of!

You are VERY fortunate that it wasn't you and that your house didn't experience an electrical fire either!

Hope it all goes smoothly for you with the insurance company...

 

[Fly Girl]

Thank you for sharing your story, and that you are o.k. Rings can be replaced much easier than people.

I'm wondering if the 4 diamonds that look black are charred? I remember my college chemistry teacher pointing out that diamonds, like coal, are a form of carbon. Since carbon can burn, diamonds could be used to have a very expensive weeny roast!

 

[decodelighted]

I'm thinking maybe you have electrical problems & this incident with the ring might end up saving both of your lives & your home! Forget fixing the ring until you get that outlet checked out ASAP!!!

 

[armywife13]

I am glad you are safe! I am very sorry about your ring and will be sending lots of dust that JM will cover it!

 

[ponder]

Mogster,

Your idea was good in principal, but obviously not in practice . If you would like a good similar place to hide jewelry, they do make fake electrical outlet plates with an empty plastic box that snaps closed to hide small valuables. You cut a hole in the drywall and slip the box with attached plate in place and it looks like a regular outlet. You can pick one up on Amazon for under $10.