Ring selfies are fun. They are great advertisements for our product. Many brides-to-be use them as engagement announcements.

But Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co. warns that they could make  posters a potential target for thieves. 

While most jewelers are thrilled when their customers post ring snapshots to social media, they should also warn them to take proper precautions, the insurer advises.

“Social media has become such a popular way to share information,” says Jessica VandenHouten, company spokesperson. “In a digitial age, people want to share everything. But it can also put people at increased risk.”

For instance, posters should be cautious of who sees their ring pic. Is it visible to just family and friends? Or is it also visible to friends of friends?

Consumers should definitely not display expensive ring snapshots to the general public, she warns.

“It is always something to take into consideration: Who is seeing that news feed?” says VandenHouten. “The more focused you get, the safer it will be. Keeping it out of the public posting is advised. That just makes you an easy target.”

That is especially true for customers who have their location settings enabled.

“That identifies where you are and it makes it easier for criminals,” she says.

Jewelers often post engagement ring photos to their social media pages, but Jewelers Mutual recommends removing identifying information, such as last names and cities of residence.

That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t tag the consumers—which would, in most cases, include their last names—but jewelers need to get customers’ permission first, VandenHouten says. 

“I think that is something to be cautious of,” she says. “Let the customer decide how she wants to handle sharing that picture. It is always a good idea to get the customer’s approval.” 

She says she doesn’t know of any instances of thefts due to ring selfies, but there have been stories of houses being robbed after people announced on social media that they were going on vacation.

“We don’t want to frighten people or cause fear,” says VandenHouten. “But with wedding season coming up, it is just something to be cautious of.”

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