Best Jewelry Insurance Companies

Accidental damage coverage

Coverage for accidental damage means you don't have to worry if your jewelry breaks. It's a valuable addition to jewelry insurance that only focuses on theft because of the greater likelihood that precious metals or jewels are susceptible to damage over time.

• Broken clasp: Clasps on fine necklaces, bracelets and earrings can be bent or pulled apart accidentally with just a little force.
• Bent prongs: The prongs that hold in diamonds, emeralds and other gemstones are quite thin, making them susceptible to being pulled out of place.
• Loose gemstones: Loose gemstones will wriggle free of their casing in time, which means they should be repaired as soon as you notice the problem.

Coverage for loss

This type of coverage entitles you to recover the value of any lost jewelry that has been insured.

• Pair or set: If one item in an insured set is lost, you receive the value of both.
• Replacement: An accurate appraisal including gem weight, identity, grades and brand - a Tiffany jewel, for example – affects what it will cost an insurer to replace the item of like kind. Replacement value stands in contrast to cash value, or what a buyer would pay a seller in the open market.
• Actual cash value: Receive the actual cash value of the lost item, which may differ slightly from the cost of replacement because of depreciation. Cash value, or the dollar amount a policyholder might expect if the item were sold in the market today, is equal to the replacement cost of the gem minus depreciation due to age, wear and tear.

Coverage for theft

Theft can happen anywhere at any time, so it's important to be prepared. Theft coverage for engagement and wedding jewelry should also be taken into consideration. Because the burden of proof does not rest with the client, an insurer will settle the claim unless investigators uncover evidence of fraud.

• Home invasion: This coverage is for any items stolen as a result of a break-in.
• Robbery: This coverage comes into play if your property is stolen from your car or a location away from home.
• Partial theft: This happens when one or more parts of an insured item or pair are stolen.

Choice of repair jeweler

When it comes time to repair insured jewelry, there are a few ways the insurer can proceed in finding the right professional for the job.

• Client's choice: In this scenario, it's your decision, and you can choose any repair person to fix your jewelry.
• Insurer's choice: In many cases, the insurer is the one to choose the repair professional because they have a relationship with the chosen person already.
• Client's choice from insurer's list: Another common way to decide on a repair professional is for the client to choose from a list the insurer provides.

Coverage for "mysterious disappearance"

It happens to everybody; you lose something but don't know exactly how, when or where it happened. The definition for this type of coverage differs between insurers, but generally, adjusters will determine if the piece was lost or misplaced based on simple questions about when the owner last saw the gem, whether anyone else had access to the home and where the jewelry was kept. As with theft, with stand-alone policies insurers will generally take policyholders at their word since the onus does not rest with the policyholder.

• Baffling loss: In this instance, an item is lost under confusing circumstances that don't equate to theft or negligence.
• Disappearance while traveling: This coverage applies when you take a piece of jewelry with you on holiday or a long trip and don't know when or where it was lost.
• Untimed loss: This scenario covers situations where the jewelry was supposedly in a safe place but has disappeared, and you aren't sure of the time frame in which the disappearance occurred.

Jewelry business coverage

This insurance covers your stock if you own a business that deals in jewelry or repairs. It can also provide coverage for theft, loss or damage to jewelry that belongs to your clients while it's in your possession. Jewelry business coverage is useful for these types of enterprises:

• Retail jewelry: These businesses sell new or used jewelry.
• Jewelry repair: Jewelry repair businesses specialize in the care, maintenance and restoration of fine jewelry.
• Pawn shops: These are stores that loan or pay money for valuable items such as jewelry and keep the items as collateral.

Engagement and wedding jewelry coverage

It’s important to insure engagement rings and wedding bands soon after you buy them. These are often the most valuable, and sentimental, pieces of jewelry a person owns, making their loss exceptionally difficult.

• Cost: Expect to pay around $1-$2 per every hundred dollars the ring is worth. So a $9000 ring would cost $90-$180 to insure per year.
• Appraisal: You can find an appraiser through the American Gem Society. Expect to pay $50-$100 for the service.
• Re-appraise it: Your ring is an investment, and so it should increase in value every few years. Have your ring and/or band reappraised every two to three years to make sure it has enough insurance to cover loss, theft or damage.

Worldwide coverage

With this kind of insurance, your jewelry is covered no matter where you travel.

Immediate or Automatic coverage

This type of insurance package automatically gives you protection on newly purchased jewelry – often a spur-of-the-moment decision – for a period of time – up to three months – after the purchase.

Itemized Coverage

Choose a list or a “schedule” and detail the replacement cost of each individual item.

Blanket Coverage

Households with many lower-value items but more numerous items may want to insure the aggregate value of the collection.

Coverage with no deductible

If you make a claim on your insurance, you don't have to pay a deductible to receive compensation to repair or replace covered pieces.

Inflation Protection

Jewelry holds its value, and as commodity prices for gems rise, insurance policies can stipulate annual increases of between five percent and 10 percent in the value of your jewels should they need to be repaired or replaced. One major insurer charges a premium equivalent of $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, so the annual premium on a ring assessed at $9,000 would come to $108.00.

Jewelers Block Insurance

Designed for jewelry stores and other jewelry outlets that carry inventory, jewelers block is designed to cover property that is portable, easily stolen or often transported.

Insurance Riders

A policy extension, or rider, on your homeowners insurance policy to insure an engagement ring or other jewelry.

Insurance Discounts

Some insurers will offer discounts on policies if the jewels are kept in secure locations like bank vaults.

Loss Settlement Options

If you file a claim, you have options when it comes time to settle the loss. Policies will typically outline several repair, replacement and payment options among which the policyholder must eventually choose one. Options include:

1. Repair the jewelry
2. Replace it with “like kind and quality”
3. Pay the actual cash value
4. Pay the amount equal to the “cash equivalent” had the company secured repair or replacement
5. Pay the item’s “scheduled amount,” or the insurer’s maximum limit of liability, the most the insurance company will pay out

Renters

People who don't own a home usually have valuables at their rental property that would cost significant money to replace or repair.

Homeowners

Homeowners pay a mortgage or own their home. Because this is such a large and long-term purchase, homeowners are more likely to keep valuables such as heirlooms, individual jewelry items or a jewelry collection in their home.

Investors

Stock certificates and bond coupons aren't the only way to invest for the future. High-end jewelry and precious metals like gold and platinum can also provide you with a financial safety net, and the value may even rise over time.

Engaged Couples

One of those most important pieces of jewelry in any couples' collection is the engagement ring. An expensive and sentimental piece, this can warrant its own insurance policy.

Celebrities

Movie stars and celebrities often borrow expensive jewels to complement their red carpet attire or evening wear. The replacement value of these valuables often runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Private Collectors

Jewelry dealers or fine art collectors – well-known and anonymous – who prefer to show their collections only to friends or family may want to cover their unique collections.

Institutions

Museums or royal family gems on public display – the British Crown Jewels or the Fabergé Imperial Eggs, for example – require special insurance coverage.

Businesses

People in the business of selling, repairing or transporting jewelry.