Working from home provides a practical and cost-effective business model. A home-based jewelry business, however, comes with additional security risks that you and your family must address. For security purposes, many home-based jewelry businesses avoid signage and other external indications of their businesses. They also have limited customer contact at their home, preferring to meet at the customers' homes or offices.

Jewelers Mutual uses a flexible approach to security requirements and recommendations. The following chart provides a starting place for determining security requirements. Your particular situation may require more or less security. Before purchasing or upgrading your security, please contact your Jewelers Mutual agent or our home office.

JM distinguishes between businesses that are disclosed to the public, with signage and foot traffic, and those that are not disclosed. We also differentiate between a small town or rural location and a metro location. For this explanation, we are providing requirements for a metro area, whether disclosed or not. Businesses in a small town, rural area, or those that are non-disclosed may have fewer requirements.

To be considered for insurance, we recommend that a home-based jewelry business have:

~ fire safe or cabinet
~ deadbolt locks on all exterior doors
~ fire extinguisher
~ smoke detector
~ basic alarm system

Additional security requirements are based on the amount of insurance that you need, location, loss history, and other factors.

Safe requirements for metro areas


Limit of insurance

Less than $50,000 one-hour fire safe bolted to the floor

$50,000-300,000 TL-15 (tool resistant for 15 minutes)

$300,000-500,000 TL-30 (tool resistant for 30 minutes)


Alarm system requirements

Basic alarm system: An alarm system using UL-listed equipment that sounds a local bell or siren when triggered.

As your limit of insurance increases, your alarm system requirements will increase. Here are options that we will discuss with you to meet your business needs.

1. Alarm contacts on all doors and windows leading to the jewelry office/workshop
2. Alarm control unit with multiple zones to separate the living area from the jewelry office/workshop
3. Alarm connected to a central station or residential monitoring station via digital dialer or cellular link
4. Alarm contacts on all exterior doors
5. Motion detection that covers the safe, alarm control panel, and merchandise left out of the safe
6. Annual maintenance contract with a qualified alarm installer
7. Complete alarm protection on all sides of the safe with back-up cellular, one-way radio, or direct wire to the police department or central station.


For information about insuring with Jewelers Mutual, please contact Jennifer Hahnemann at (800) 558-6411 or jhahnema@jminsure.com.