Like most jewelers, John Carter remembers exactly where he was the first time he needed to use his jewelers block policy. “It was a late-night call,” he says. “There was shattered glass everywhere and quite a bit of damage.” His store had been burglarized and what wasn’t locked up or nailed down was gone. Luckily, Carter—the owner of Jack Lewis Jewelers, a retail institution in Bloomington, Illinois—stored most of the expensive gems and jewelry in a walk-in safe for the night. He also had a policy with Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, a member insurer of Jewelers Mutual Group.

“Their response was tremendous,” he said.

With broken cases and stolen merchandise, there was considerable loss. “When something like this happens, you’re so emotional and frustrated,” says Carter. “You’ve got to remember what jewelry is missing, what it’s going to cost to replace what’s broken. Sometimes an insurer becomes ‘questioning.’ Jewelers Mutual never did.”

Founded by jewelers in 1913, Jewelers Mutual is another midwestern institution. It’s been a part of this industry’s day-to-day for so long that it’s easy to forget just how intrinsic it’s become to running a jewelry business that’s safe, secure and successful. For John Carter, Jewelers Mutual’s true value came through loud and clear when he needed them most. And the break-in wasn’t the only time he needed to file a claim. A near four-carat diamond was lost in the mail a few years back. The check for the loss was delivered within a week. “To be with a company that understands my business is just amazing. You have a true assurance with their insurance.”

Watch John and other leading jewelers who are Jewelers Mutual customers share their stories.

In addition to a wide variety of coverage options and an industry-leading Loss Prevention program, Jewelers Mutual offers innovative programs that focus on growing revenue and cutting costs. JM Shipping Solution™, for example, simplifies processes by comparing pricing from different carriers, so it’s similar to booking a trip on a travel website. It also allows users to buy labels and insurance from a single dashboard. “Their shipping website is a Godsend,” says Carter. “It takes the guesswork out of the process and saves us so much time and money.”

And though Jewelers Mutual continues to add to its breadth of products and services, Carter says he really appreciates the fact that the company uses independent agents and supports industry associations. “Having a good, local insurance agent who adheres to Jewelers Mutual’s standards gives our relationship a really personal feel. It’s also nice to know that I do business with a company that gives back. Those things get overlooked a lot of the time, but it means a lot to us.”