Does homeowners insurance cover jewelry?

Most people keep their valuables, including jewelry, in their home. For this reason, many people may assume that homeowners insurance automatically includes enough coverage for jewelry, whether it is damaged or stolen. While standard homeowners insurance policies include coverage for personal property inside your home, standard limits may not provide adequate coverage for high-value jewelry. It is worth understanding your policy and what it covers so you can help prevent a financial loss if your jewelry is stolen or damaged in a covered peril.

When is jewelry covered by homeowners insurance?

Jewelry is included in personal property coverage but usually only up to a specified dollar amount. As jewelry can be both valuable and easy to steal, insurance companies usually cap jewelry coverage at a relatively low dollar amount. A common policy limit for jewelry is $1,500, but your policy may vary. Additionally, your deductible would apply to personal property losses, so keep that in mind. Any jewelry valued under your deductible would essentially have no coverage.

If you have jewelry worth more than your designated coverage limit, you may be able to increase your personal property coverage limit, or you could consider scheduled personal property. This coverage may be offered by your carrier as an endorsement and could be used to insure high-value items separately than other personal property.

Does home insurance cover stolen jewelry?

Theft is considered a covered peril for most home insurance policies, including HO-3 insurance (the most common home insurance policy), but only up to the policy limits. Whether you have one high-value item or an entire high-value jewelry collection, your home insurance policy will only pay up to the policy limit for jewelry coverage. Without increasing your personal property coverage limit or adding scheduled personal property coverage, your home insurance policy may not offer enough coverage to fully replace stolen jewelry.

Does home insurance cover damaged jewelry?

Homeowners insurance policies may cover personal property on a named perils or open perils basis. Depending on your policy, there are some perils that are typically not included or specifically excluded. Damaged jewelry may be covered if it is harmed in a covered peril such as a fire or windstorm, but only up to your policy limits. Jewelry covered under a scheduled personal property endorsement may have coverage in case of accidental damage.

Does home insurance cover lost jewelry?

When it comes to lost jewelry, insurance has some specific criteria. Coverage for personal property in a home insurance policy typically does not include lost items, but a scheduled personal property endorsement or stand-alone jewelry insurance policy could provide additional coverage against accidental loss.

How much personal property is covered by home insurance?

Personal property coverage is a component of standard homeowners insurance policies which covers belongings like clothing and furniture. It typically offers coverage up to a percentage of your dwelling coverage, which is the amount for which the structure of your home is insured.

Most insurance providers offer personal property coverage totaling 50–70 percent of your dwelling coverage. Your policy details may vary, but you can review your policy to check your coverage.

How can I increase my insurance coverage for jewelry?

If you are looking for a way to ensure that your homeowners insurance covers jewelry, you may be able to amend your home insurance policy in order to provide extra coverage. Depending on the value of your collection, as well as how many pieces you own, there are several options to achieve this.

Raise your coverage limits

If your existing personal property coverage limit on jewelry is close to the amount you need, you could contact your insurer to inquire about raising your coverage limit. This would likely increase your premium, but it could be a good solution if you don’t need to increase your coverage substantially. Keep in mind that your deductible still applies if you rely solely on your personal property coverage.

Homeowners insurance endorsement

Adding a scheduled personal property endorsement is another option to add coverage for specific items in your collection. Many people add this coverage to insure jewelry as well as other high-value items like art, collectibles, rugs and instruments.

When adding this endorsement to your policy, your insurance company will likely ask for the purchase receipt or a recent appraisal to insure the item for a specific dollar amount. Depending on your company’s endorsement specifics, a deductible might not apply for the item in a covered loss or you may be able to choose a lower deductible than the rest of your policy has. However, keep in mind that adding an endorsement to your policy will raise the cost of your premiums. The increase generally depends on how much coverage you add with the endorsement.

Jewelry insurance

Certain companies, including some major insurers, offer stand-alone jewelry insurance policies. A jewelry insurance policy may be helpful if your home insurance company does not offer a scheduled personal property endorsement. Jewelry insurance policy specifics may vary greatly between companies, but loss, theft and some damage are usually covered.

Frequently asked questions

• • What is jewelry insurance?

    Jewelry insurance is a stand-alone insurance policy that can be purchased from some companies to cover specific pieces. These policies usually list each insured jewelry item, along with its appraised or purchased value, and insure against damage, theft and accidental loss. Jewelry insurance policies may or may not come with a deductible and may have exclusions for things like wear and tear or pest damage.

  • Is jewelry insurance expensive?

    Whether you purchase a stand-alone policy, add a specific endorsement to your home insurance or increase your personal property coverage limits, increasing your jewelry insurance will be an added cost. The amount may vary depending on factors like the value of your jewelry and your existing coverage limits. It’s worth shopping around and comparing home insurance quotes to see which company offers the best jewelry coverage for the price.

  • Does homeowners insurance cover jewelry theft outside of the home?

    In general, home insurance covers jewelry theft if it happens outside the home, up to policy limits. However, there may be certain stipulations, such as if you’ve indicated to your insurance company that the jewelry is in storage, vaulted or not worn. You can check with your licensed insurance agent to understand how your jewelry coverage works in these circumstances.

  • Does renters insurance cover jewelry?

    Yes, typically renters insurance covers jewelry, though it will depend on your policy. Most policies also have a relatively low sublimit for jewelry, meaning that you will only be able to receive the maximum of the sublimit of your renters insurance policy regardless of how much value is lost.