CrimeJun 27, 2022
JSA Warns of ‘Pandemic’ of Distraction Thefts Nationwide CrimeJun 30, 2022
What JSA’s Annual Report Tells Us About Jewelry Crime in 2021
Plus, JSA President John Kennedy talks about the trajectory of industry crime over the last 20 years.
New York—Last year was a “mixed picture” for jewelry crime in the United States, with the number of crimes increasing but dollars losses dropping when compared with pre-pandemic levels, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance’s annual report shows.
Released earlier this week, the report tracks crimes via specific case information reported to or obtained by JSA but excludes crimes the organization is unable to obtain a statistically valid sample for, such as internal theft, cyber-crime, and credit card fraud.
In 2021, the total number of crimes committed against U.S. jewelry firms was 1,687, down less than 2 percent from 1,718 in 2020.
Total dollar losses reached $70.1 million, also a decline from 2020, when dollar losses totaled $83.2 million.
However, 2020 was an anomaly for jewelry crime, with stores closed for months at a time followed by widespread civil unrest that caused the number of burglaries to spike that summer while not significantly impacting dollar losses.
In an interview Wednesday, JSA President John Kennedy said comparing 2021 to 2019, pre-pandemic, paints a more accurate picture of the current trajectory of jewelry crime.
In 2021, there were more crimes than in 2019—1,687 vs. 1,438—but fewer dollar losses. Dollar losses decreased by 31 percent from $101 million in 2019 to $70.1 million in 2021.
Dollar losses were unusually high in 2019 due to a surge in the number of professional gangs cutting power to jewelry stores and then cleaning out the safes.
In 2021, there were more crimes, but they were the types of incidences where dollars losses tend to be less significant.
Grab-and-run thefts, for example, spiked last year, totaling 842, up from 616 in 2019 and 581 in 2020.
The average loss from a grab-and-run in 2021 was $7,953 compared with $693,000 for a safe attack, which numbered only 17 in 2021, JSA’s report states.
Kennedy said the increase in grab-and-runs is due to the fact that people could, in many circumstances, conceal their faces with masks with few questions in 2021.
It’s also a relatively easy crime to commit, appealing to people left in dire straits following the pandemic, he said.
Related stories will be right here …
Released earlier this week, the report tracks crimes via specific case information reported to or obtained by JSA but excludes crimes the organization is unable to obtain a statistically valid sample for, such as internal theft, cyber-crime, and credit card fraud.
In 2021, the total number of crimes committed against U.S. jewelry firms was 1,687, down less than 2 percent from 1,718 in 2020.
Total dollar losses reached $70.1 million, also a decline from 2020, when dollar losses totaled $83.2 million.
However, 2020 was an anomaly for jewelry crime, with stores closed for months at a time followed by widespread civil unrest that caused the number of burglaries to spike that summer while not significantly impacting dollar losses.
In an interview Wednesday, JSA President John Kennedy said comparing 2021 to 2019, pre-pandemic, paints a more accurate picture of the current trajectory of jewelry crime.
In 2021, there were more crimes than in 2019—1,687 vs. 1,438—but fewer dollar losses. Dollar losses decreased by 31 percent from $101 million in 2019 to $70.1 million in 2021.
Dollar losses were unusually high in 2019 due to a surge in the number of professional gangs cutting power to jewelry stores and then cleaning out the safes.
In 2021, there were more crimes, but they were the types of incidences where dollars losses tend to be less significant.
Grab-and-run thefts, for example, spiked last year, totaling 842, up from 616 in 2019 and 581 in 2020.
The average loss from a grab-and-run in 2021 was $7,953 compared with $693,000 for a safe attack, which numbered only 17 in 2021, JSA’s report states.
Kennedy said the increase in grab-and-runs is due to the fact that people could, in many circumstances, conceal their faces with masks with few questions in 2021.
It’s also a relatively easy crime to commit, appealing to people left in dire straits following the pandemic, he said.
Only one member of the jewelry industry was killed while on the job in 2021, down from three in 2020 (two jewelers and one store guard) and three in 2019 (one customer and two bystanders).
Jamie Browning Iverson, 67, was shot and killed during an April 2021 armed robbery at the store she owned and operated with her husband in Indianola, Mississippi.
Two brothers were arrested in her murder.
JSA’s 2021 crime report also shows the continuation of a trend that’s held for two decades—overall, the number of crimes perpetrated against members of the jewelry industry and the associated dollar losses continue to drop.
The report notes that over the last 20 years (2002-2022), dollar losses from U.S. jewelry crimes have totaled $2.2 billion, with the biggest years for losses largely contained to the early aughts.
In 2002, losses totaled almost $190 million and peaked the following year at $195.5 million. This year’s dollar loss total, $70 million, is less than half that. (Historical losses are stated in inflation-adjusted dollars.)
“A big driver of that, a huge driver of that, is the off-premises losses,” Kennedy said.
“When I started here [in 1992], you would get one [off-premises incident] a day,” he said, noting that dollar losses from off-premises incidences, which include attacks against traveling salespeople and retailers at home as well as thefts at trade shows, used to total as much as all other crimes combined.
In 2021, there were only 34 incidences of off-premises crimes totaling $13.1 million in losses, down from $16.1 million in 2020 and $14.5 million in 2019.
Of the 34 off-premises crimes, 25 were robberies and nine were thefts. Seven of the nine thefts involved jewelry being stolen from unattended vehicles, a loss that is not generally covered by insurance, JSA noted.
The change in the way jewelry is distributed and sold over the years is the main driver behind the drop in off-premises crimes.
Companies of all sizes used to have multiple traveling salespeople on the road at all times. Now, there are only a handful of companies with employees going from store to store, and a lot of them aren’t even carrying product, Kennedy said.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
So far in 2022, JSA has seen an increase in the violence and frequency of jewelry crimes across the board, with Kennedy noting upsurges in smash-and-grab robberies and assaults.
The increase is due to in part to the lifting of travel restrictions, which has allowed international gangs to return.
“The opportunity now presents itself, so now they are here,” he said. “Just like there is pent-up demand to buy jewelry, there is pent-up demand to steal jewelry.”
To read JSA’s 2021 Annual Crime Report in its entirety, visit JewelersSecurity.org.
The increase is due to in part to the lifting of travel restrictions, which has allowed international gangs to return.
“The opportunity now presents itself, so now they are here,” he said. “Just like there is pent-up demand to buy jewelry, there is pent-up demand to steal jewelry.”
To read JSA’s 2021 Annual Crime Report in its entirety, visit JewelersSecurity.org.
More on Crime
The Latest
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRFJD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
Columbia Gem House Launches Winza Sapphires, RubiesThe new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.
SourcingAug 12, 2025
Gemfields Sells Fabergé for $50MAcquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2025
Higher Tariff on Chinese Imports Paused for 90 Days, Trump SaysPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.
CollectionsAug 12, 2025
Jacquie Aiche’s New Collection Harnesses the Energy of the ThunderbirdThe “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.
