2025 Jewelry Crimes Down But Total Dollar Losses Rise

By Karen Dybis | April 28, 2026

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) 2025 Annual Crime Report saw a 13.2% decrease in the total number of crimes committed against U.S. jewelry firms but an increase in the total dollar losses reported to the JSA.

The total dollar losses from crimes against U.S. jewelry firms was $144.7 million, a 1.5% increase from $142.5 million in 2024, the JSA crime report said. The total number of crimes in 2025 was 1,233, a decrease from 1,420 in 2024.

“Year over year, this report is the industry standard for analyzing crime within the jewelry industry,” president Jennifer Mulvihill tells JCK. “JSA has remained steadfast in its approach to protecting the jewelry industry by disseminating our weekly crime alerts and using our real-time text alert platform.

“Loss professionals, law enforcement, and jewelry executives rely on this resource to protect lives, assets, and businesses.”

Executive vice president and retired New York City police department Det. Sgt. Scott F. Guginsky says homicides are the No. 1 concern.

“The most important crime that we track and the one we don’t want to see is when a jeweler is the victim of a homicide. Two jewelers killed is too many,” Guginsky says. “Law enforcement worked very hard to bring that double homicide to justice.”

JSA recorded two homicides of jewelers in 2025 compared with four in the previous year. The two jewelers—Faustino Alamo Dominguez, 63, and his son, Luis Angel Alamo, 25—were shot and killed outside of their store in Chicago. Police have made an arrest in connection with their murders.

JSA also found more crimes involving violence against jewelry industry employees. This number rose from 16.9% in 2024 to 27.1% in 2025. Robberies involving vehicles and pepper spray were up in 2025 as well. Incidents of vehicles being driven into stores during and shortly after normal business hours hit 13 in 2025, while JSA said it had no reports of such crimes in 2024.

An example, in 2026, said JSA, is the April 18 vehicle smash-and-grab crime at a jewelry store in Sacramento, Calif. At approximately 4:30 p.m., a jeweler, his family, and customers were inside the store when subjects intentionally rammed a vehicle through the store’s front entrance. The crash critically injured and hospitalized an employee. The store’s armed guard brandished his weapon and confronted the subjects, prompting them to flee. No jewelry was stolen, but the store incurred significant costs as a result of the crash.

“We’ve had two to date; the jeweler is in critical condition. He’s fighting for his life,” Guginsky says.

The number of smash-and-grab incidents involving pepper spray rose to 14 in 2025 from 3 in 2024. The number of robberies in which robbers displayed guns also increased, from 19.6% in 2024 to 23.9% in 2025.

“We saw more guns, more pepper or bear spray, and vehicles used in the commission of a crime,” Guginsky says. “They’re going after a lot of the gold, especially 22k or 24k. It’s easier to fence than a diamond or a watch, which are easier to trace.”

On-premise burglaries declined—from 305 in 2024 to 262 in 2025—but the amount stolen was even, JSA reported. Most of these burglaries were less sophisticated with less planning; those of the highest severity were from highly mobile, transnational South American Theft Groups.

These burglary crews have utilized technology such as cellphone Wi-Fi jammers (which block the cellular backup signal from being sent to the alarm company), surveillance cameras situated outside of jewelers’ residences, and GPS trackers placed on jewelers’ cars.

Off-premises crimes decreased from 47 in 2024 to 39 in 2025. JSA received reports of three residential burglaries from jewelers’ homes in 2024 compared with 7 in 2025. In all, the report said, crimes occurring at jewelers’ homes, including burglaries and robberies, increased from 4 in 2024 to 11 in 2025.

Some additional data points from the report:

• The most active states by percentage of total burglaries in 2025 were California (24%), Texas (8.8%), Connecticut (6.9%), Florida (6.1%), New York (4.6%), North Carolina (4.2%), and Colorado (4.2%). (The Jewelers Board of Trade numbers show the states with the highest number of jewelry stores include California, New York, Florida, and Texas, so that may be why its numbers are so high. For example, as of April 2026, California has 10,723 jewelry retailers, while Texas has 4,577.)

• The most active months for crime are January, June, and July, with the least active being November. The greatest number of robberies occur between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. with the second most active time being between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

• The most active day for robberies is Friday, with Tuesday and Thursday tied for the second most active day. Sunday is the least likely day for this crime to occur.

• During high-tech burglaries involving a safe or vault attack, entry is often gained by cutting a hole in the roof or an adjacent unprotected wall or ceiling after the alarm and/or electrical system has been compromised. Subjects will also go through an adjacent bathroom, which would lead to the jewelry store’s bathroom. Bathrooms typically are not secured by cameras.

JSA classifies crimes in four categories: robberies, burglaries, thefts, and off-premises, which can include robberies, burglaries, and thefts. Robberies are defined as taking property from a person or business by use of force, fear, or armed with a weapon. Burglary is the entering or remaining in a building unlawfully and knowingly with the intent to commit a crime.

Theft is the taking of property without force or fear—examples include grab-and-runs, fraudulent purchases, distraction crimes, diamond switches, and sneak thefts.

Guginsky says to reduce or avoid these crimes such as robberies and vehicle smash and grabs, JSA suggests hiring uniformed armed security guards; adding steel bollards or flowerpots as a line of defense; adding burglary-resistant, laminated glass on the front and sides of showcases; and training staff to never resist during a robbery or chase after the robbers.

The New York City–based nonprofit organization prepared the report with its staff: president Jennifer Mulvihill, executive vice president Scott Guginsky, director of crime analytics Ryan O. Ruddock, and director of crime prevention and law enforcement liaison and retired ATF assistant special agent in charge James K. Liscinsky.

Logo courtesy of Jewelers’ Security Alliance