The short answer
Jewellery and art insurance covers valuable personal items such as rings, watches, paintings, instruments and collections, usually by listing each item with a value on a schedule. This can protect against loss, theft and damage anywhere, including while travelling, which a standard home policy limits. A licensed broker asks for appraisals, photographs and descriptions, so prepare those before the conversation.
- People who own a ring, watch or heirloom worth more than the limits on their home policy
- Collectors of art, wine, coins, books, antiques or memorabilia
- Professional and serious amateur musicians with valuable instruments
- Families who have inherited jewellery or silver
- Anyone who takes valuable items travelling or lends them to exhibitions
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for jewellery, art and collections insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Scheduled items
Each item is listed individually with a description and value. Scheduling usually removes the small sublimits that apply to jewellery or art in a home policy.
Blanket cover for collections
A single limit across a group of similar items, such as a coin or book collection, instead of listing each one. It suits large collections that change over time and may require periodic updates.
Valuation basis
Policies pay on an agreed value, a replacement cost or a market value basis. The difference decides how a loss is settled, so ask which one is used for each item.
What kinds of loss are covered
Some policies cover almost any accidental loss, including breakage and unexplained disappearance, while others list the causes. Read what is excluded, such as wear and tear or damage during repair.
Worldwide protection
Whether the cover applies away from home, in a hotel, in a safe-deposit box, in a car or on a flight, and what security conditions apply.
Transit, display and storage
Items on loan, at a framer or restorer, in storage or on exhibit may fall outside the usual terms, so say so in advance.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- A written appraisal or valuation for each major item, ideally recent
- Clear photographs from several angles, and photographs of any marks or inscriptions
- Receipts, certificates, provenance records or gemological reports
- A description of each item, including maker, material, dimensions or carat weight where known
- Where each item is kept: home safe, display wall, bank box, studio or storage
- Details of any alarm, safe, display cabinet or climate control
- Whether items travel, are worn daily or lent for exhibitions
- Any past loss, theft or damage claim involving valuables
- Who owns each item and whether it is shared or held in trust
A broker will ask
- What are the items, and when were they last appraised?
- Where are they kept, and what security protects them?
- Are they worn or used regularly, or kept in storage?
- Do any travel, and do they go in hand luggage, a car or a hotel safe?
- Are they lent, displayed or sent to a restorer or framer?
- Do you want agreed value, so there is no dispute about worth at claim time?
- Have you had a loss or theft claim involving valuables?
- Who else owns an interest, such as family members or a trust?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A newly engaged couple with a ring and a watch
A ring was bought a month ago and the groom was given his grandfather's watch. The home policy mentions a sublimit for jewellery, and neither item is covered when worn outside the home.
First steps. Ask the jeweller for a formal appraisal and certificate, and photograph the watch from several angles. Ask the broker how scheduled items are covered away from home and what happens if a stone is lost from its setting.
A collector moving paintings into a new house
A retired lawyer has built a collection of regional paintings over thirty years, kept partly on walls and partly in a storage room at a framer. He is moving and wants to know what is covered.
First steps. Compile an inventory with photographs, purchase records and any provenance. Ask the broker how to insure items in transit, at the framer's and in the new house, and whether a blanket or scheduled approach suits a collection that keeps changing.
A professional violinist who flies for concerts
A violinist plays a valuable instrument that is her main tool of work. She flies often, leaves it backstage during rehearsals and carries it as cabin baggage.
First steps. Get a current appraisal and a photographic record of the instrument and the bow. Ask the broker whether the policy covers use for work, travel by air, and the periods when it is unattended backstage. Check whether any conditions apply to how it is carried.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Scheduled item
- An item listed by name with its own value on the policy, so it is not squeezed under the small caps that apply to unlisted valuables.
- Agreed value
- A figure you and the insurer settle on in advance for an item. That figure is what a total loss pays, so there is no argument about worth afterwards.
- Appraisal
- A written valuation by a qualified professional, with photos and a description. Insurers ask for a recent one because the worth of jewellery and art moves over time.
- Mysterious disappearance
- A loss with no clear explanation, such as a ring slipping off unnoticed. Some policies cover it, while others require evidence of theft or damage.
- Blanket limit
- One total limit shared across a group of similar items, like a coin set, instead of a value for each piece. A per-item cap may still apply.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Assuming a home policy fully covers expensive jewellery or art when it carries small sublimits.
- Relying on a receipt that is years old rather than an updated appraisal.
- Not scheduling an item that is worn or carried daily.
- Overlooking storage with a framer, restorer or in a bank box.
- Skipping photographs and records until after a loss.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles jewellery, art and collections insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Does home insurance cover jewellery?
Partly. Most home policies cover jewellery but with a low sublimit for theft and sometimes for loss, and they may not cover it away from home. If you own an item worth more than the sublimit, list it separately on a schedule so it is insured for its full value and anywhere you take it.
What does it mean to schedule an item?
Scheduling means listing an item on the policy with a description and a value, so it is insured individually instead of falling under the general limits for belongings. A scheduled item usually has broader cover, and no deductible is common, though terms vary. You will usually need an appraisal and photographs.
Do I need an appraisal to insure jewellery or art?
Usually yes for higher-value items, because the insurer needs a basis for the value. A recent written appraisal from a qualified professional is the strongest evidence. Receipts help but go out of date. Appraisals typically need refreshing every few years, as markets and materials change.
What is the difference between agreed value and market value?
Agreed value fixes the amount in advance, so the insurer pays that sum on a total loss without debating worth. Market value pays what the item would fetch at the time of loss, which can be higher or lower. Replacement cost pays what a similar item would cost to buy new.
Will my valuables be covered if I travel with them?
Many scheduled policies apply worldwide, but with conditions, such as how the item is stored in a hotel or carried on a flight. Others limit cover to certain places. If you travel with an item regularly, ask for the conditions in writing before the trip rather than after a loss.
How do I insure a collection that keeps growing?
Ask about blanket cover with a per-item limit and a requirement to report additions, or a schedule that you update when you buy. Keep a running inventory with photographs and purchase records. A broker can explain how each insurer deals with new acquisitions between renewals.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.