Claw Check — Protect Your Claim Before It Happens
Online claw check service from £30. Protect your insurance claim by verifying ring claws and settings are secure — from four photographs taken on your phone.
Why a Claw Check Matters
Settings on a ring or pendant wear down over time. Usually it goes unnoticed until the stone has already been lost. That's frustrating enough — but the bigger problem is what happens next. Many insurers will decline a claim where worn settings could have been identified in advance.
A common clause from major UK insurers reads: "In the event of loss or damage we may request sight of the examination documents or written confirmation from the jeweller that all settings were in good order." A simple claw check protects you against exactly this risk.
How the Online Claw Check Works
Modern phone cameras are good enough to identify loose claws and unsafe settings from four clear photographs. We've created a streamlined online process that takes almost no time on your part.
Take four photos of your piece without magnification, upload them, and our valuers will examine the images and issue a certificate confirming the condition of your settings. The fee is £30 inc. VAT per item, including the certificate for your insurer or broker.
Why Have Your Setting Checked by a Valuer
A high street jeweller offering a free setting check has an incentive to find work. A valuation house doesn't. We don't carry out the tightening or re-tipping ourselves as part of this service, so our assessment of your settings is the assessment — not a quote in disguise.
It also matters to your insurer who signed the document. Prestige has produced valuation and condition reports for UK insurers and brokers for over 35 years. A certificate from an established independent valuation house is the kind of evidence that gets accepted without argument at claim stage.
How to Take the Photographs
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Photo 1 — Top-down view of the setting
Hold the camera directly above the piece, looking straight down at the stone. This shows us the claw tips and how they sit over the girdle of the stone. It's the view that reveals lifted or shortened claws, and whether any are missing.
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Photo 2 — Side profile
Place the piece so you're looking at it side-on, level with the setting rather than down at it. This is where claw wear shows most clearly — we can see how much metal is left on each claw and whether the stone is sitting properly in the mount.
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Photo 3 — Underneath the setting (the gallery)
Turn the piece over and photograph the open framework beneath the stone. This is the part nobody looks at, and it's where a surprising amount of damage hides — distorted galleries, thinning metal and wear from years of contact with the finger.
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Photo 4 — Close-up of any specific area you're concerned about
If something has prompted you to book the check — a stone that feels loose, a claw that catches on clothing, a knock — photograph that area as closely as your camera will focus. Tell us what you've noticed when you upload, and we'll look at it specifically.
What We Check For
Our valuers examine each photograph for the specific failure points that lead to lost stones:
- Worn, thinned or shortened claws
- Lifted or bent claws no longer gripping the stone
- Missing claws
- Movement in the stone within the setting
- Worn rub-over and bezel edges
- Damaged or distorted galleries
- Thinning shanks and worn shoulders
- Loose or lifting pavé and channel-set stones
- Wear at the point where a pendant meets its bail
Your certificate records what was examined and the condition found, item by item.
When to Have a Ring Claw Check
Every two years is sensible for a piece worn daily. Annually if you wear it while working with your hands, exercising or gardening.Worth doing sooner if:
- You've knocked the piece and want reassurance
- You can feel or hear the stone moving
- The ring is over ten years old and has never been checked
- A stone has already been lost from a similar piece
- Your insurer or broker has asked for setting confirmation
- You're renewing cover on a high-value item
Engagement rings are the most common piece we check, and the most commonly worn thin — they're worn constantly, often for decades.
If We Find a Problem
If the photographs show worn or unsafe settings, your certificate says so plainly and describes what needs attention. You can then take the piece to any jeweller you choose.
If you'd like us to handle it, our Hatton Garden workshop carries out claw re-tipping, claw replacement and setting work on site — with a written estimate before anything begins. You're under no obligation to use us.
Frequently asked questions
£30 including VAT per item, which covers examination of your photographs and the certificate for your insurer or broker.
Most certificates are issued within two working days of upload. If your images aren't clear enough to assess, we'll come back to you and ask for replacements at no extra cost.
For the wear patterns that cause stones to be lost — thinned claws, lifted claws, worn bezel edges, distorted galleries — yes, provided the images are clear and taken from the right angles. That's why we specify four particular views. If the photographs don't allow a confident assessment, we'll tell you and recommend an in-person inspection rather than issue a certificate we can't stand behind.
Insurers generally accept written confirmation from a qualified jeweller or valuer that settings were in good order, which is exactly what the certificate provides. Policy wordings vary, so if your insurer has specific requirements, send them to us before you upload and we'll confirm we can meet them.
No. A claw check assesses the condition of your settings only. It doesn't establish or update the value of the piece. If your cover is out of date as well, a full insurance valuation is the right service.
We check any piece with set stones — rings, pendants, earrings, brooches and bracelets. Watches with stone-set bezels can be assessed too. The £30 fee applies per item.
Daylight near a window, phone camera on standard mode, no macro or zoom, and steady hands are all it takes. If your images still aren't usable, you're welcome to bring the piece to our Hatton Garden office instead.