How to file a jewelry insurance claim

What to do, in order

1. Make sure it is really gone. It happens more often than you would think that a piece turns up in a coat pocket or a bag, so search calmly and retrace your steps if it was lost.
2. If it was stolen, report it to the police right away and ask for the report number. Insurers usually require a police report for theft.
3. Contact your insurer or agent as soon as possible. Most policies ask for prompt notice, and delays can cause problems.
4. Write down what happened while it is fresh: date, time, place and how the piece was lost or taken.
5. Gather your proof (see below) and send copies, never originals.
6. Keep a log of every call and email: date, name, what was said.
7. If the insurer replaces the piece through a jeweler, approve the work before it starts.

The documents insurers ask for

• Proof of ownership: the receipt, a credit card statement, an appraisal, or a grading report in your name.
• Proof of what it was: an appraisal or detailed description (metal, karat, weight, stamps, stones and their size and quality).
• Clear, dated photos of the piece, ideally including you wearing it.
• For theft, the police report number.

Don’t worry if you can’t find everything. Send what you have; a credit card statement, an old photo of you wearing the piece or a note from the jeweler who sold it can all help. The more detail you have, the closer the replacement will be to the original.

TipKeep a copy of your records somewhere other than your home. A fire or burglary that takes the jewelry can take the paperwork in the same drawer.

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How standard home and renters policies treat jewelry

• Theft is usually capped low, often around $1,500 in total for all jewelry on a standard homeowners policy. Renters policies have similar limits.
• Fire and other covered disasters are usually paid up to your normal personal property limit.
• Simply losing a piece (a ring slipping off at the beach) is often not covered on a basic policy.
• Pieces that are scheduled (listed separately on a rider, floater or personal articles policy at their appraised value) are usually covered for loss too, often with no deductible.

Every policy differs, so read the personal property section of yours or ask your agent: what the jewelry theft limit is, whether loss or mysterious disappearance is covered, and whether pieces are paid at appraised value or actual cash value.

Replacement or cash

Many insurers replace a piece with one of like kind and quality through a jeweler rather than paying cash, and some can get a lower price than you would. If you would rather have cash, ask how the policy handles it before you agree to anything.

For a piece with family history, no replacement is quite the same, and it is fine to feel that. If it matters to you, ask whether the same jeweler can recreate the original design from your photos and appraisal.

Before anything happens

• Photograph every piece and keep the receipts and appraisals together.
• Get valuable pieces appraised and scheduled on your policy.
• Update appraisals every three to five years.
• Keep a copy of your records away from home.

Common questions