Missing rings - cleaner dilemma. Help!

[beguilingeyes]

I keep my rings in a small box on my dressing table. There are only a few. Wedding ring, engagement, my mum's engagement, a couple of others and some costume stuff.If I'm not wearing them that's where they live.
Friday morning I was getting ready for work and went to the box to put on a ring and two were missing. My wedding ring and a very old diamond solitaire.
My problem is...the fortnightly cleaning appointment was the day before. Nobody else has been in our house. Yesterday we turned the bedroom upside down, checked the hoover bag etc. Nothing.
It's really awkward. I can't directly accuse the cleaner of stealing them, but I can't think of any other explanation.
It's done through an agency and I've asked them to ask her if she remembers seeing them.
What now? Do I tell my insurers that they're stolen rather than lost? Do I need to tell the police? It's a horrible situation.

I was wearing my engagement ring. It wasn't in the box.
Believe me, I've looked everywhere. Our bedroom isn't huge and I even emptied out every single drawer where they couldn't possibly be, just to be on the safe side. They would have fallen on to carpet so couldn't have rolled that far anyway. I've checked inside shoes, in dressing gown pockets . Clutched every straw.

If it was anything else I own, I'd agree. But the only time I take my rings off is to put them in their box before bed. I don't take them off in the shower or anywhere else.

How does the cleaner get in your house? Could someone related to her have taken a copy of your key or got the code to your keysafe?

I am not sure this is any better tbh, but it could be another explanation.

Sorry OP. This has happened to friends of mine. Sadly one needs a safe for this type of stuff if other people have access to the house.
and Yes it’s the cleaner. Do not let her back into the house. Ask the agency to ask her if she knocked the box off as some of the rings are missing and does she know where they are.
They won’t reappear. And if you let her back in you may find more stuff walks.
scout out all the local pawnbrokers

if you claim on your insurance they will not pay out when it turns out the cleaner has had access. And without proof you cannot claim on the agency insurance.

sack off the agency at the same time. They clearly under pay their staff and treat them Badly.

when this happened to my mate the cleaner disappeared shortly afterwards and it was later discovered the cleaner had left the UK . Presumably cashing in their winnings to pay for it.

Happened to my daughter. Cleaner took her engagement ring. She involved the police but there was nothing they could do without proof. They did give her a crime number though which meant the insurance paid out.

Any news @beguilingeyes?

I left my mother's engagement ring in my jewellery box in my bedroom and it went missing one day. No cleaner. Nobody in the house at all, apart from me and the kids. I suspected the kids but all were under 14, and no ability to sell or otherwise dispose of rings.

It never turned up. I scoured that room, stripped it out and the house has been rebuilt since and that ring never turned up. No idea what happened. I hope yours turns up soon, OP.

Nothing good. The cleaner denies all knowledge, the police pretty much shrugged like that Alan Partridge meme and apparently it's not covered by our insurance.

This happened to my MIL and it was the cleaner, who never came back after taking a load of jewellery one day. My MIL was devastated as it was her mother’s jewellery. The cleaner had been recommended too.

Wonder if the cleaning company have had other clients who have had stuff go 'missing'...

So are all of the rings missing op or just a couple? Or did you have the others on your finger?

We had a cleaner who stole from our child's money box. She'd known us for years too. Caught her on camera after it happened more than once. I still get the rage thinking about it.

Why isn’t it covered by insurance? If you’re insured, you’re covered ?

My lovely antique ring went missing and either I lost it or it was one of the cleaners. I now lock all good jewellery away when they are here. I feel such an idiot for not doing it before. The insurance paid out, and I have a sparkly new ring, but it’s not the same.

Maybe it's an exclusion because OP let the cleaner into the house. It's not like she broke in.

Just two. I was wearing my engagement ring.
Apparently we're not insured for stuff that leaves the house.

Unfortunately you will have a theft exclusion that unless force and violence was used to enter your property

Sorry OP. That’s a sh!t situation.
do get a little safe for anything valuable before you get a new cleaner.
also consider if your insurance needs updating.
your engagement ring is not covered when you wear it out of the house? What? Surely you want that covered in case it falls off your finger or gets ripped off in a street mugging?

This is your best bet. They know her well and can speak to her. Tell the agency you won't press charges but you want the rings back, and if they don't appear, tell the agency you will get the police involved. The Agency is where you put the pressure on

Not at all. My friends cleaner stole a set of clothing that was handmade for her daughter, but incredibly resellable. The cleaner did not return the next week, and it was another week before she realised the item had disappeared

I mean this probably doesn't help, but you should never leave valuable jewellery out in jewellery boxes.

It's the #1 target for opportunistic thieves and burglars as it is valuable and easy to sell for scrap.

You should have a hidey hole for it.

I hope you manage recover it. With many of these kinds of things, even though the jewellery scrap value is quite high, the emotional value to the owner is much higher.

Stable door.Horse bolted.