Is your jewelry store security better than a colleague's on the other side of the country because you have a guard and they don't? Or is their business better off because they're in a smaller town and don't carry the high-end luxury watches that are frequently targeted by criminals?

Don't spend too much time debating. There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to comparing the strengths and weaknesses of jewelry store security.

The Jewelers Security Alliance Crime Message Center shows that thefts led the way for jewelry crime in October, but violent robberies and burglaries are still prevalent.

Along with the past few months, these crimes are not limited to certain geographic areas and luxury watches remain the primary target for more brazen crimes.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

You'd be hard-pressed to find better wisdom about insurance or crime prevention, especially from a source more respectable than the man who founded the oldest, continuously active insurance company in America.

The Clarity Blog was launched a year ago with the sole mission of helping jewelers be safe, secure, and successful.

With the current trend of criminals targeting luxury watches, retail jewelers need to have security at the top of their minds 24/7.

Smash-and-grab and armed robberies have increased in frequency and severity during the day — and some burglaries have resulted in devastating losses overnight.