Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Need some help: Wife's engagement ring was stolen in a burglary

S

S1C EM

Rough_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Messages
74
My wife came home last Tuesday to find our home broken into and, after the police cleared the house, we found that among the things taken was her engagement ring. So, now we've got to replace it (thankfully had an insurance rider for it for $10,000), but not really sure where to start. We want it to pretty much be the same size as the previous stone, though larger is fine. The Cs were as follows:

Round brilliant
1.26 cts
G color
VS1

If anyone has any insight on where would be good to look and get the most for our money, that would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks in advance.=)2
 
Oh no. That is horrible. :oops:

Just because you have a rider for 10k, doesn't mean the ins co will pay out that much. They might also require that you work with (only) jewelers that they designate.

You'll have to read the fine print and/or discuss with your agent.
 
Yes, you must contact your insurer to see what the replacement arrangement is. They may 1. replace the ring / diamond according to the insured specifications as they choose 2. tell you where you can get a ring/ diamond according to the specifications from their designated vendor or vendors or 3. give you the insured value in $$ to use as you wish. Obviously it all depends on your policy wording.
 
ringo865 said:
Oh no. That is horrible. :oops:

Just because you have a rider for 10k, doesn't mean the ins co will pay out that much. They might also require that you work with (only) jewelers that they designate.

You'll have to read the fine print and/or discuss with your agent.
Click to expand...

Yes, they will give an appraisal based on the grading card, but I have also requested the appraisal from the grader (IGI). Have never actually seen it, so will be interested to see what it says. They did tell me that their jewelry appraisers CAN source another diamond of like quality for us, but that we didn't have to do that and were free to select our own. Main thing is, they aren't going to pay past the appraisal.
 
5551212JS said:
You need to get an alarm system, CCTV and a firearm preferably with a concealed carry permit.
Click to expand...

Have a security system being installed on December 6th with a camera as well.

Already have a CCP (actually have to renew it next year, so have had it for a while now) and HAD a firearm that was also part of the burglary. Have already replaced it and looking at another. One to stay at home for the wife and one I will have with me.
 
That's the sum of all fears to have you gun stolen. They sell really good gun safes at Costco if you think you should get one. Good luck with the recovery. Just a matter of time so hang in there!
 
Once you get the appraisal from the IGI card, you should have a budget. Don't get the diamond via the appraiser or a local source right off the bat. Come back with a budget and we can have a look. Just keep in mind that IGI is rather lax on grading as compared to GIA or AGS. The appraiser will know that, so the value they give will reflect that softness. In general, IGI grades are 1-3 off from GIA. So, if the value comes in below what you paid, the appraiser may still be correct and it not trying to pull anything shady.

Looking online for comps, I looks like an IGI stone with the same basic specs ranges from JamesAllen is $7-8k usd (2 h colors). GIA graded stones in the same species range from $9300-11k.
 
5551212JS said:
That's the sum of all fears to have you gun stolen. They sell really good gun safes at Costco if you think you should get one. Good luck with the recovery. Just a matter of time so hang in there!
Click to expand...

Yeah, they stole the safe with the gun and ammo in it. But it was a small one, really only intended to keep prying children out. Lesson learned for me.:wall:
 
rockysalamander said:
Once you get the appraisal from the IGI card, you should have a budget. Don't get the diamond via the appraiser or a local source right off the bat. Come back with a budget and we can have a look. Just keep in mind that IGI is rather lax on grading as compared to GIA or AGS. The appraiser will know that, so the value they give will reflect that softness. In general, IGI grades are 1-3 off from GIA. So, if the value comes in below what you paid, the appraiser may still be correct and it not trying to pull anything shady.

Looking online for comps, I looks like an IGI stone with the same basic specs ranges from JamesAllen is $7-8k usd (2 h colors). GIA graded stones in the same species range from $9300-11k.
Click to expand...

I hear this about IGI, but I have also read different in numerous places. I've seen a few comparisons done where numerous stones were sent to both and while GIA was lower on one area, IGI was lower on another and in most cases, they graded evenly. They were not generally more than 1 grade or so off. This particular stone was one of the nicest I have seen, and it's been put side-by-side with other GIA and AGS stones of like grades and just looked better and had more fire. The clarity seemed crazy good on it. I personally compared it to many other stones when I chose to go with it and it just seemed like a true "diamond in the rough" (pun sort of intended).

An example of what I am referring to: https://www.diamondscreener.com/edu...ification-labs-gia-vs-igi-grading-and-prices/

Granted, it doesn't change what you're saying being true. I am sure that you're correct in how they will approach this, so just waiting to see now. I appreciate the input and I will update with whatever value they come back with.
 
Fingers crossed!
 
Get 2 safes. One should be a low cost one and that can clearly be carried out. Maybe even leave it open all time in your bedroom closet floor with costume jewelry and some cash. Thieves grab low hanging fruit, want to be in and out, but they are also dumb people IMO. Once you get the cams and alarm I doubt you will ever have this problem again though. Make sure you have a cam at your front door or pointed toward it as the first step for these criminals is to do a knock knock. IF you have a visible cam, you get to ID anyone going to your front door. When they see that cam they wont even approach the door.
 
5551212JS said:
Get 2 safes. One should be a low cost one and that can clearly be carried out. Maybe even leave it open all time in your bedroom closet floor with costume jewelry and some cash. Thieves grab low hanging fruit, want to be in and out, but they are also dumb people IMO. Once you get the cams and alarm I doubt you will ever have this problem again though. Make sure you have a cam at your front door or pointed toward it as the first step for these criminals is to do a knock knock. IF you have a visible cam, you get to ID anyone going to your front door. When they see that cam they wont even approach the door.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wish I had put a GPS transponder in that locked safe....:twisted: But I'm like you, I don't think I'm going to have to worry about after this. Hindsight is 20/20.

And yes, the camera will be positioned to get people coming up to the door and will alert me when they do. They might try to wear masks to hide their faces, but I'll still get a ping that will let me call the cops. Hopefully just knowing the system is now in place will be enough to send them on. Being that these weren't kids, I think knowing there is extra risk would deter them moving forward.

We were the only house that's had a break-in in the area/county in the last six weeks. This tells me it was someone who's been in the house already and knew what was available and easy to get to. I have a suspicion of who, but it's all circumstantial so there's not much we can do.:angryfire:
 
I think you are street smart enough to avoid this in the future. IMO your hunch on who did it is probably correct.

For the benefit of others, a lot of people make the mistake of using different vendors with regard to their home. IMO, unless there are compelling reasons, always use the same handyman, plumber, gardener, electrician etc. And they need to be pre-vetted by people you know that have used them for years. I'd rather do the work myself, even if I make mistakes and it costs me more, than let some one off plumber etc. come into my home.
 
S1C EM said:
This particular stone was one of the nicest I have seen, and it's been put side-by-side with other GIA and AGS stones of like grades and just looked better
Click to expand...

If you were OK with IGI's 'G', this tells me that GIA's H & I will be OK for colour & no more.

It is impossible to tell what - about its proportions - made that diamod stand out as the most fiery one ! For what it is worth, 'Fire' it is also a technical term, reffering to how obvious dispersion is - there is too much talk about it here & a few way to keep score.

2c
 
valeria101 said:
If you were OK with IGI's 'G', this tells me that GIA's H & I will be OK for colour & no more.

It is impossible to tell what - about its proportions - made that diamod stand out as the most fiery one ! For what it is worth, 'Fire' it is also a technical term, reffering to how obvious dispersion is - there is too much talk about it here & a few way to keep score.

2c
Click to expand...

I'd have to see an H or I from GIA, but I assure you, you would not have been able to detect any color looking at it next to any other stone (and certainly not by itself). My wife's original diamond, which we still have, is a GIA 'E', and you couldn't tell the difference side-by-side.

EDIT: I should add to that, if you check the link I posted above, color was a grade where IGI graded STRICTER than GIA in the majority of the comparisons. I think the actual differences are really blown out of proportion.
 
So sorry that this happened to you!! The silver lining is that no one was home when it happened.
 
S1C EM said:
I think the actual differences are really blown out of proportion.
Click to expand...

Of course, comparing diamonds is all that does matter. The labels they receive via grading reports serve to pull options ... perhaps relevant for paper wrangling & no more.
 
metall said:
So sorry that this happened to you!! The silver lining is that no one was home when it happened.
Click to expand...

Yes, and I am rather certain that was intentional. I don't think they had any interest in harming anyone. They just wanted the easy-to-sell items prior to Black Friday. There's plenty of people who may not be able to go out and by retail for the holidays, so there's definitely a market for the stuff they took.

FYI, I had a rep from Artigem Replacement Services that called about the diamond. He's the one doing the "market evaluation" on the stone. I did send him the appraisal report from IGI and he did explain they look at the stone from a "cost" value plus a small mark-up, less than a normal retailer. I will be free to take my settlement, whatever that is (will know tomorrow) and buy anywhere, but it was implied that I will get more for my money by allowing them to source a replacement. Replacement will be equal or better in terms of grading, quality, etc and they actually send you the stones to view in-person before you make any decisions. Given all of that info, what are your thoughts? Should I consider having them source a GIA stone as close to the original's grading as possible? Since we get to look at it before committing, it doesn't sound terrible. Anyone else know anything about them?
 
S1C EM said:
Yes, and I am rather certain that was intentional. I don't think they had any interest in harming anyone. They just wanted the easy-to-sell items prior to Black Friday. There's plenty of people who may not be able to go out and by retail for the holidays, so there's definitely a market for the stuff they took.

FYI, I had a rep from Artigem Replacement Services that called about the diamond. He's the one doing the "market evaluation" on the stone. I did send him the appraisal report from IGI and he did explain they look at the stone from a "cost" value plus a small mark-up, less than a normal retailer. I will be free to take my settlement, whatever that is (will know tomorrow) and buy anywhere, but it was implied that I will get more for my money by allowing them to source a replacement. Replacement will be equal or better in terms of grading, quality, etc and they actually send you the stones to view in-person before you make any decisions. Given all of that info, what are your thoughts? Should I consider having them source a GIA stone as close to the original's grading as possible? Since we get to look at it before committing, it doesn't sound terrible. Anyone else know anything about them?
Click to expand...


If this was intentional...then it was an extra crappy thing to do! Especially right around the holidays! I think that if you had an inkling who it was, when you filed the police report you should explain to the detective on your case who you thought did it and the reasons why. If it is a compelling enough reason, added to the fact that a firearm was involved they might be more likely to investigate.

If you go with the second route and they are not able to source a stone that meets your expectations... will they allow you to take the settlement after x unsuccessful attempts?
 
Believe me, I went over everything with the investigator. Unfortunately, most cases like this are dead ends and law enforcement treats them as such. The gun is inconsequential since most burglaries do involve a firearm. It's one of the things seasoned thieves look for.

From a post of mine elsewhere, here's my theory and why:

An A/C tech from a previouslunch used company came out and ultimately diagnosed a bad defrost board. Had to order part. Took a while to figure out the problem, but his diagnosis did turn out to be correct. Found out he'd only been with the company for 6 weeks. Here's the catch and why this guy is my focus right now: When he called me to let me know he was on the way, his number came across with a female's name whose last name didn't match his (mother or girlfriend, presumably...and thanks, Verizon, for your caller ID service). I find it odd for a grown man to have his cell phone in his mother or girlfriend's name and think it could indicate credit issues which could indicate other things. Also, there was a piece of attic insulation tracked into one of my kids' rooms where he never should have been. And he had a chance to see everything in the house, including where the jewelry box was as that's where the main floor thermostat is. Additionally, he straight-up lied about changing an air filter I asked him to change on the second floor. Caught that while he was still there, but figured I'd report it to the company afterward. Interestingly, the intruder made no effort to open a third door on the second floor that goes to the walk-in attic/unfinished bonus and that leads me to believe that whomever came in knew there was nothing worth taking in the attic and left it alone. The second floor air handler is in the attic........
 
Maybe I watch too much TV:
1) You have an obvious suspect
2) I hope 5-0 looked for fingerprints. I'm sure some of those prints may be in places he should not have been or should not have touched if he was just there to fix the AC.
3) Seems all they need to do is interrogate the guy or get a search warrant for his home.
It really irks me to see people brazenly steal without thinking how it hurts the victim. Anyway, I guess we should focus on your diamond search.
 
Yes, I do think I have a good idea on who might be connected to it. Not necessarily the perpetrator, but he could have passed on the address and info on the house and what was in it.

Unfortunately, fingerprints are hard to get off of most surfaces in a household unless they've been cleaned within the last couple of days. Likelihood is they were also wearing gloves. There was one item that could have something on it and I am giving that to the investigator, but it's still a longshot.

I have the guy's name and number, but with only circumstantial evidence, there is no way to get a warrant issued. The investigator knows the owner of the A/C company and was going to chat with him and get his impression of the guy, but again, it's not likely to lead to anything. Cases like this generally go unsolved. Take it as a lesson if you haven't invested in a security system. Even if you don't think you need to, you probably do. We don't live near any bad neighborhoods or anything and are in a nice, quiet place. But clearly, you're no safer or more protected there than anywhere else.

Still waiting on the diamond valuation. I'm sure this will be interesting. And to the poster who asked, they will let take the settlement and shop at anytime I want to, so I'm safe on that. I can go shop first and then come back and go with their preferred jeweler if I choose. It just sucks that in spite of a rider and appraisal, they are going to go with an appraisal based off of the market COST of the diamond now. Not the retail price, but what a jeweler would buy it for. They will allow an insurance mark-up, but not the same margin a jeweler would charge. That's ridiculous to me and is a way to really funnel you to the preferred jeweler.
 
Just out of curiosity, what insurance do you have?
 
I'm glad the investigator is talking to the AC company - I wouldn't be at all surprised if other customers are also victims
 
Tophat1 said:
I'm glad the investigator is talking to the AC company - I wouldn't be at all surprised if other customers are also victims
Click to expand...

My guess is he has been the "info" guy. He probably finds a place here and there that he observes things sitting out, no security system, dog in the back yard and not in the house (like ours), tucked away and with line-of-sight coverage from neighbors and passes that along to the actual thieves. They probably case it a time or two to figure out if the people use their garage. If they don't, they look for a time when both cars are gone and make it happen. Because A/C techs cover large areas in various counties, it would be hard to see a connection. But I would bet you that it's there if people were connecting the dots.
 
Veering off topic but it might be of interest given entails theft and jewelry:
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top