Earrings have been a costly casualty of New Zealand's mandatory mask wearing.
The crippling side effect known as "single earring loss" has seen many a Kiwi lose an earring after getting snagged on a face mask.
"Since Covid struck and our Prime Minister made masks compulsory we're getting an increase in people losing earrings," jeweller John Innes told Seven Sharp.
READ MORE: Masks - How other countries have fared after easing restrictions
"They're coming in trying to get another one made and in some cases that's possible but in a lot of cases, it's not."
It isn't just jewellers noticing the trend, with Tower Insurance saying they've seen a spike in earring claims.
"That really spiked in about September last year when that mask mandate came in for all indoor use," Tower Insurance's Steve Wilson said.
However, it's not just earrings causing problems.
"It's a bit problematic when you take a mask off. You also take the arm of your spectacles off and they get dropped, they get damaged."
Wilson said the "one that is most apparent is hearing aids, and that's quite challenging for those that require hearing aids".
Around 60% of mask-related insurance claims involve hearing aids, he said.
All up, more than $1.5 million in mask-related claims have been lodged with Tower Insurance - a 1000% increase since 2020.
Less mask wearing is expected to result in less loss.
But if you do lose an earring and can't find it after retracing your footsteps, Wilson says to call your insurer.
"We can find items that are already in production but if that can't be done, we have specialist jewellers that can take an image or a description from the person that's lost that item," he said.
"Or if they've got the other half of the earring, we can absolutely get those remade. As long as that falls within the policy, there's no problem."
Earlier this week the use of masks was made voluntary except in health settings.
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