Insurance for Jewelry, Fine Art, and the Collections That Matter Most

Your homeowners policy was not designed to cover a Patek Philippe, a Basquiat, or a cellar of first-growth Bordeaux. We place specialized coverage that reflects what your collections are actually worth.

Why Standard Homeowners Coverage Falls Short for High-Value Items

Most homeowners policies include a sublimit for jewelry, fine art, and collectibles — typically $1,500 to $5,000 for jewelry and far less for other categories. That ceiling bears no relationship to the actual value of what you own. A single piece, a single bottle, or a single work on paper can exceed it many times over.

 

Beyond the sublimit problem, standard policies often exclude the most common causes of loss for valuables: accidental breakage, mysterious disappearance (losing a stone, misplacing a watch), and damage that occurs away from your home. A valuable articles floater — placed separately and structured around your specific collection — closes every one of those gaps.

 

MJM Global works with carriers that specialize in this category, including those with dedicated fine art and jewelry divisions that understand how to value, schedule, and respond to claims on items that cannot simply be replaced off a shelf.

What We Insure Under a Valuable Collections Program

We place coverage across the full range of personal collections and high-value items, including:

 

  • Jewelry and watches — engagement rings, estate pieces, signed timepieces, and full jewelry wardrobes, scheduled individually or as a blanket collection
  • Fine art — paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and mixed media, with agreed-value coverage and no depreciation on claims
  • Wine and spirits — cellar collections covered for breakage, temperature damage, and loss in transit
  • Rare books and manuscripts — first editions, signed volumes, archival documents
  • Antiques and decorative arts — furniture, silver, porcelain, rugs, and objects with provenance
  • Coins, stamps, and numismatic collections — scheduled or blanket, with coverage for conventions and shows
  • Sports memorabilia and trading cards — graded and ungraded, including items on loan or in storage
  • Musical instruments — concert-grade and vintage instruments, including coverage during performance and travel

 

If you own it and it holds significant value, we can structure coverage for it.

Black phone handset with white speech bubble containing ellipsis, indicating a call or messaging icon
Coverage Features to Look for in a Valuable Articles Policy

A well-structured valuable articles floater should include agreed value (not actual cash value) settlement, worldwide coverage with no geographic exclusions, coverage for mysterious disappearance and accidental breakage, no deductible options for scheduled items, automatic coverage for newly acquired pieces during the policy period, and transit coverage for items shipped, loaned, or taken to auction. We review every one of these features when placing your program.

Frequently Asked Questions About Jewelry and Collectibles Insurance

  • Does my homeowners insurance cover my jewelry?

    Most homeowners policies include a sublimit for jewelry — commonly $1,500 to $5,000 — which applies to theft only. Losses from accidental breakage, mysterious disappearance, or damage away from home are typically excluded. A separate valuable articles floater removes those restrictions and covers each scheduled piece at its full agreed value.

  • How do I insure a fine art or wine collection?

    The process begins with documentation: appraisals, purchase records, and photographs. From there, we structure coverage through a specialty carrier — either on a scheduled basis for individual works or as a blanket limit for a larger collection. Wine collections require carriers that specifically cover temperature damage and breakage, which standard policies do not address.

  • What is a valuable articles floater and how does it work?

    A valuable articles floater is a standalone policy or policy endorsement that provides broader, higher-limit coverage for specific categories of personal property. Items are either scheduled individually at an agreed value or covered under a blanket limit. When a covered loss occurs, the settlement is based on the agreed value — not a depreciated estimate — which means you recover what the item was actually worth.

  • Do I need an appraisal to insure my jewelry or art?

    For scheduled items, most carriers require a current appraisal — typically dated within the last three to five years. For jewelry, a gemological appraisal from a certified appraiser is standard. For fine art, a provenance-supported appraisal from a qualified art appraiser is preferred. We can connect you with appraisers in our network if you need a starting point.

  • Is my collection covered when I travel or lend pieces to an exhibition?

    A properly structured valuable articles policy provides worldwide coverage, including items in transit, on loan to a museum or gallery, or taken to an auction house for consignment. We confirm these terms explicitly when placing your coverage, because transit and loan exclusions are among the most common gaps in policies placed without specialty market access.