Social Media and Jewelry Pics?

[Diamond_Hawk]

I recently had a colleague of mine tell me she never does posts on her twitter, facebook or instagram accounts when she is wearing her best jewelry (aside from her wedding band). She is worried on two fronts:

1 - she has no idea with whom the posts are being shared, and it isn't too far-fetched to believe a friends friend could figure out who/where she was and target her house for a theft (she does have a safe she keeps her most expensive jewelry in at at home).

2 - she has friends off all socioeconomic strata and does not want to feel like she is 'bragging' about her disposable income and ability to make large jewelry purchases.

What's your take - is she over-reacting?

 

[OoohShiny]

I think she is very sensible - I am not on social media because, once posted, any text or pictures are effectively completely out of your control, and publically available information (such as a Voter Register or historic telephone directory listings) combined with seemingly innocuous information posted, can make it easy to find a person.

I recall an anecdotal recollection on another forum by a person who spoke freely about their life and children online, who then decided it wasn't such a good idea when someone collated all that info and showed the person they could work out their daily movements and find them and their children...

If one does want to 'show off' / 'brag' / post pictures or information for the benefit of the wider community, there is a lot to be said for posting anonymously and taking pictures against plain backgrounds.

 

[mary poppins]

Sounds prudent.

 

[lyra]

Sounds like a good idea in general. I do enjoy watching dedicated bling instagrams, but most are there for sales purposes. I never post bling anywhere. I rarely post anything here either because I suck at taking photos of bling, and there are such beautifully taken pics here.

 

[bludiva]

I recently had a colleague of mine tell me she never does posts on her twitter, facebook or instagram accounts when she is wearing her best jewelry (aside from her wedding band). She is worried on two fronts:

1 - she has no idea with whom the posts are being shared, and it isn't too far-fetched to believe a friends friend could figure out who/where she was and target her house for a theft (she does have a safe she keeps her most expensive jewelry in at at home).

2 - she has friends off all socioeconomic strata and does not want to feel like she is 'bragging' about her disposable income and ability to make large jewelry purchases.

What's your take - is she over-reacting?

I don't think she's overreacting at all. I think its smart to take the same caution with sharing big ticket items like new cars, designer bags, etc.

 

[vintageloves]

I have an Instagram account, but I don't post pictures of things I own. I would definitely worry about #2 more than #1.

Honestly, I get bored with accounts that are just about showing off. Vendor/designer accounts are different, but, girl, I do not care to see the 985 ways you wear that Louis Vuitton bag with that Hermes belt and Chanel earrings and the steering wheel of your 'cedes just always happens to be in the background when you take a picture of your daily bracelet stack.

 

[whitewave]

I completely agree. I only post my bling here and on IG because they are both anonymous (I assume though I suppose someone could figure me out if they were obsessed and motivated).

It’s the wealth gap. I never want to appear showy to my friends and family. Many of the people on FB I actually don’t know, but they know my husband from the hospital. Some are students I taught in the early 90s who found me. I have no idea what many are doing in life— though I have unfriended a few over what I perceived to be severe mental illness.

So it’s a hard pass for me posting jewelry or anything that would be perceived as showy on FB. My Twitter is private and only for political things. My IG is for diamonds and dogs. I don’t have friends and family on either of those.

 

[JPie]

Your friend is being quite sensible. My personal IG account is primarily food, cat, and vacation photos. I don't use it to showcase material wealth.

I do, however, keep a public account of bling-only photos. I'm an amateur photographer and I enjoy taking photos of bling. I don't include any personal info, nor do I share it with people I know.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Haha pricescope is as close as I come to social media. I’m not a big fan of being hyper connected. I prefer a small group of close friends and they all know what’s going on with me without the use of social media because I see/talk to them and catch up on a weekly basis.

 

[Indylady]

I think it makes sense. It’s all about what you feel comfortable doing. I like jewels but I don’t like being flashy; the jewels are just fun for me and not a status symbol. I also would wear bling in social media but I wouldn’t zero in on it or anything.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Ok, I'm weird.

...I don't have a twitter, facebook or instagram account.

 

[OoohShiny]

Ok, I'm weird.

...I don't have a twitter, facebook or instagram account.

I am happy to also be weird!

 

[Karl_K]

No she is not over reacting.
Before I sold it off to pay for medical treatment, I never posted pictures of my gun collection for the same reason.

 

[Phoenix]

I have posted a few - very few - pics on FB with me wearing bling. But that was to share pics, like other pics, not with the primary purpose of showing off bling. I had an IG a/c but have now deleted all the pics on there, can't be bothered with it.

As for security, most of my stuff is in the bank safety deposit box. I only keep at home what I wear daily. I have a safe screwed to the floor and I also have a state-of-the-art alarm system and 3 very fierce cats!!

 

[AV_]

I keep telling myself that for much of history almost no one had their faces on public display & it was well known to be a darned burden.

 

[MarionC]

I don’t post anything to social media [except here] because many of my friends’ lives involve worrying about paying their bills!

 

[LJsapphire]

My public instagram is about clothes, nails, hair and makeup mostly, I only have 2 pieces that aren't fashion jewellery anyway.

 

[yssie]

I have posted a few - very few - pics on FB with me wearing bling. But that was to share pics, like other pics, not with the primary purpose of showing off bling. I had an IG a/c but have now deleted all the pics on there, can't be bothered with it.

As for security, most of my stuff is in the bank safety deposit box. I only keep at home what I wear daily. I have a safe screwed to the floor and I also have a state-of-the-art alarm system and 3 very fierce cats!!

My five cats would happily sleep through a home intrusion and my two 75lb dogs would make the intruders their newest bestest friends - they’re completely useless!

 

[Phoenix]

My five cats would happily sleep through a home intrusion and my two 75lb dogs would make the intruders their newest bestest friends - they’re completely useless!

 

[missy]

My IG account is almost exclusively for my online friends ie PS for example. Most of my IRL friends don’t know I’m even on IG and if they do they wouldn’t be interested because bling does not interest them as it does me. My FB account is for my real life friends and I post no bling on FB. FB photos is just cats, friends , family and us.

Plus all my bling is safely locked in a safe if I’m not wearing it. And my true friends know I am a very modest person irl and never brag about anything. That’s not my style. But that’s what PS and IG is for...showing off our bling and enjoying others bling.
LOVE seeing what others share.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

,,, and the steering wheel of your 'cedes just always happens to be in the background when you take a picture of your daily bracelet stack.

This DOES seem to happen a lot in posts I've seen too. Astute observation

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

— though I have unfriended a few over what I perceived to be severe mental illness.

I smiled when I saw this.

S My Twitter is private and only for political things.

Then I read this - and couldn't help but think they are somehow related - LOL

 

[LJsapphire]

the steering wheel of your 'cedes just always happens to be in the background when you take a picture.

been guilty of that a few times, but I don't have the rest of the designer goods or expensive jewels. substitute bracelets for nail polish and you're there.

 

[Ellen]

I haven't read all the responses, but my immediate thought was this. I think some people on this site have posted way too much info. It may be hard for some to grasp the fact that some people will make a living from ripping people off, but it remains a fact. And when one posts their real first name, the area/town they live in/pictures of their front door/front of house/pictures of themselves with face showing/posts and pics of landmarks near their home, etc., and then proceed to post every beauty they own? It only stands to reason there ARE people out there smart enough to add it all up. I think some are truly jeopardizing their homes/goods. Just my humble opinion though.

 

[yssie]

I haven't read all the responses, but my immediate thought was this. I think some people on this site have posted way too much info. It may be hard for some to grasp the fact that some people will make a living from ripping people off, but it remains a fact. And when one posts their real first name, the area/town they live in/pictures of their front door/front of house/pictures of themselves with face showing/posts and pics of landmarks near their home, etc., and then proceed to post every beauty they own? It only stands to reason there ARE people out there smart enough to add it all up. I think some are truly jeopardizing their homes/goods. Just my humble opinion though.

I had a handful of photos purged from PS last year for exactly this reason.
I don't use my IG and don't have Twitter. FB... I have only one FB acct, a fake acct that I follow bling with and that I've never posted personal content to, and FB somehow still managed to figure out enough about me to recommend coworkers as contacts... that was an unwelcome reality check.

 

[Ellen]

I had a handful of photos purged from PS last year for exactly this reason.
I don't use my IG and don't have Twitter. FB... I have only one FB acct, a fake acct that I follow bling with and that I've never posted personal content to, and FB somehow still managed to figure out enough about me to recommend coworkers as contacts... that was an unwelcome reality check.

Wow, I guess so! Thanks for sharing this.

 

[lambskin]

I am happy to also be weird!

I am happy to also be weird!

ditto-me too

 

[Ellen]

I forgot to answer the question at the end of my post. No, she's not over reacting. imo

 

[TooPatient]

I don't have many pictures of me and even fewer posted. None of my jewelry is all that noticable so I don't worry much about what I post that way (since it is smaller pieces just incidentally in the picture and usually not even good enough to get a good zoom in). Most of my FB is cats/dogs and other stuff without me in the picture. No external photos of the house. Nothing more specific than Seattle area (except a rare mention of the city). I have a separate FB for watching bling to reduce the number of people who know I have any interest in jewelry. I have an IG but haven't figured out how to use it really and haven't posted anything. It is pretty easy to find information and tie it all together. A family friend had his house emptied while he was in Hawaii for his daughter's wedding because she had posted the wedding location and date on FB and knew he would be gone.

As for the second part, I do understand that well. I don't think people would care about jewelry that happens to be in the photo, but specific jewelry pictures could be hard for some to see. I face that as I would love someone local to go browsing with or get feedback on do I love this or that more but it is difficult when my family (mom, aunt, etc) are struggling financially. (I keep doing what I can to help them get to a better place that way, but no amount of help I can give will just fix it. Bad habits and bad choices...) I find myself starting to send a text/message with a picture then delete it to keep any feelings from being hurt.

 

[yssie]

I have an Instagram account, but I don't post pictures of things I own. I would definitely worry about #2 more than #1.

Honestly, I get bored with accounts that are just about showing off. Vendor/designer accounts are different, but, girl, I do not care to see the 985 ways you wear that Louis Vuitton bag with that Hermes belt and Chanel earrings and the steering wheel of your 'cedes just always happens to be in the background when you take a picture of your daily bracelet stack.

This made me laugh out loud

I will say that there is one individual in particular - a generous, intelligent, accomplished, beautiful woman who happens to also be a PSer - who is also quite well-off financially. She isn’t the least bit coy - if she and her partner buy a new house or car or bauble or kitchen gidget, or achieve something special, or make a noteworthy contribution to their community - she just invites everyone to enjoy their fortune. No “accidental” displays, but also no avoiding or explicitly downplaying those aspects of her life, and no trying to “keep it real”. The honesty of it all is completely endearing.