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Jewelry Care - Insurance

Protect Your Jewelry – Get it Insured

Do you have cherished family heirlooms?  A new engagement ring?  A favorite pair of diamond studs?  If so, you should make sure that you protect yourself and your belongings.

How do you protect them?  First, insure it.  And when you do, be mindful that partial losses, such as chipped stones, aren’t covered under typical homeowners policies.  A better option is a rider on your homeowners policy, or a standalone policy such as the one offered by a jeweler insurance company.

Any jewelry that is worn everyday, such as an engagement ring, is more susceptible to damage or loss.  And because an engagement ring is often the most expensive jewelry a woman will own, it makes sense to make sure it is insured.

According to Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, more than half of the company’s claims are partial losses.  Losing a stone from a ring is one of the more common instances.  Winter gloves are notorious for catching on prongs and loosening ring settings.

Diamonds are still the favorite stone for engagement rings and, contrary to popular belief; a sharp strike on a hard surface can easily chip a diamond.  Even washing dishes in a ceramic sink can cause chipping.

Water sports are another culprit for loss.  Your fingers constrict when they’re cold, so losing a ring while swimming or snorkeling presents a very real risk.  Any sporting activity, in fact, can be hard on jewelry.

When insuring jewelry, check your coverage.  On basic homeowners policies, jewelry is protected for only certain causes of loss.  Damaging an item, or losing all or part of one, typically are not covered losses.  Theft is often limited to $1,000.  You can “schedule” your jewelry on your homeowners policy.  It will cost an additional premium, but provide better coverage.

A stand-alone, specialized policy provides broad coverage, and won’t jeopardize your existing homeowners policy if a jewelry loss occurs.