Hi, I desparately need some advice.

I can't find my engagement ring anywhere. I wear it all the time with my wedding ring and only remove my rings to take a bath and when I'm washing up. Yesterday morning I realised it was missing and have spent the last two days retracing my steps and turning the house upside down. I know it ridiculous but I have had it 26 years and you just don't notice you're wearing it.

Apart from our home it's the most valuable thing I have worth considerably more than my car. It's current insurance value is £14,990 as a Specified Personal Belonging.

I have been in considerable debt over the last few years and still just about keeping on top of it. The ring and home are two of the few things I have been able to keep hold of.

The insurance policy states:

"It is a condition of the policy that you keep the 3 diamond ring with you or in a locked safe in the home at all times." By with you, I assume being in the same room counts.

It must have fallen off but this would be highly unlikely, so I'm pretty clueless at the moment. As I said I have searched the house completely, emptied and sorted through the bins and vacuum cleaner.

From the insurance companies point of view, if I they were to check our credit records they would think it was a fraudulent claim, but if they saw how much I had cried over the last two days, they would believe me.

If I was offered £100,000 or the ring, it would be the ring every time, it means too much to me, and I would never find one to replace it - and would never be able to insure it.

I do want to keep searching as I am 90% sure it is still in the house, but how long is it wise to leave it before reporting it to the insurance company? And anyone made a similiar claim to get an idea on whether they would accept my claim. I have paid household and contents insurance for 27 years without a claim.

Thanks for any ideas.

Unless it states in your policy, there's no hard and fast rule, looking it for a week, two weeks, does not seem that out of the ordinary, I think by then you would have had a pretty thorough look.

The debt issue will cause trouble, but if they suggest fraud, they would have to have a water tight case, and if you are genuine, you have nothing to worry about.

Regading he safe warranty, as you have stated it was with you, up until the point of loss,and the loss is in the house, not in a gym or a hotel for example.

I hope you find it, good luck.

Thanks Mwynci, I'd rather have a good look after going through the policy with a fine toothcomb. Even if I found it before they had looked at anything, I am sure they would whack up future years premiums.

As I said I'm 90% sure the loss occurred in the house, should I report it sooner rather than later as it could have been lost while I was out?

IF you believe you have searched every inch of your home and are now suspecting that you could have perhaps lost it outside then I would report it. Did you perhaps take it off to wash your hands in a restaurant, or at the office.

OK, I'll give it one more day of searching. I remember having it on Wednesday in Sainsbury for some reason. Between then and noticing it missing I have only been out shopping a few times. I work from home. Good point about the had washing but not been out.

My Christmas has come early, I just emptied my wheelie bins for the second time and it was stuck to the bottom of one of them having fallen out of a plastic bag. It's a shame rings don't have black boxes as I would love to know it's journey. I had really accepted it was lost and was ready for a fight with the insurance company this lunchtime.

Thank you for your advice.

Oh that is excellent news. I am really pleased for you

good news !!

Many thanks and thank you for changing the title of the thread! I'll never give up on something in the future.