If you’ve purchased a fine piece of jewelry or an engagement ring or a watch, typically you would be advised to get insurance. A good rule of thumb is to insure any jewelry piece worth more than $1000. When buying a policy you’ll want to consider the cost as well as other factors such as whether you want to pay a deductible amount out of your own pocket if a claim is made. Briteco, for example, has no deductibles for our standard jewelry insurance policies.

You want to make sure your insurance policy covers loss, theft, damage and what is known as “mysterious disappearance.” Mysterious disappearance is really important because not all insurance companies cover it, even though it’s the most frequent reason cited for a lost or missing jewelry piece.

For jewelry insurance, a deductible specifies a certain amount of agreed upon money that you will pay when you make a claim for repair or replacement. If  your policy has a $500 deductible and your total cost of replacement is $4,000, for example, you will pay $500 out of your own pocket.

A deductible helps reduce your annual premium cost of a jewelry insurance policy. But in exchange for reducing your cost, you will have to pay the deductible amount out of your own pocket when making a claim. Most customers today do not want to pay deductibles because it can be a hassle. And the amount of money you might save on your premium is not enough, generally, to justify paying out of pocket. Deductibles are useful  if premiums are high—such as homeowners coverage in a high risk or coastal area. But jewelry insurance is a relatively small insurance expense compared to other insurance and deductibles should not be necessary.

Generally, the answer is yes. Consult your policy and look at your coverage to be sure but a jewelry insurance policy should cover a lost diamond or a damaged diamond in your ring. BriteCo policies cover the loss of a diamond or a damaged diamond.

The answer is definitely yes. You will want to contact your insurance provider periodically and provide them with updated documentation such as a reappraisal. While some jewelry insurance providers require a reappraisal every 3 to 5 years, BriteCo automatically updates jewelry coverage values to reflect market changes to help ensure you always have the appropriate amount of insurance.

You shouldn’t have to mail your item to a company to get insurance, though some may require it. At BriteCo we don’t want you taking risks by sending items through FedEx or UPS to get our insurance. We do, however, ask that you provide a photo of the item from your cell phone, making it quick and easy.

Most insurance companies will ask you to get your item reappraised every couple of years.  At BriteCo we automatically adjust the replacement value for you, so you never have to worry about getting an item reappraised. BriteCo insurance also covers preventive maintenance issues such as prong retipping; broken, worn or bent prongs; broken earring posts; clasp replacement; restringing of broken or stretched pearl strands; and stone tightening.

Every situation is different, but you should get a repair or replacement within two to three weeks. A lot depends on the jeweler you are working with on your repair or replacement. Does the jeweler need to custom design a new item, or create a CAD rendering that requires your approval? We work with the jeweler of your choosing to make sure you get the quality replacement you should expect in the shortest time possible.

Traditionally, whomever purchases the ring or jewelry item also buys the insurance. But, we’re seeing both the ring giver or the ring receiver purchasing insurance for it. It doesn’t really matter since spending .5% or 1% of its total value to insure it is worthwhile for the peace of mind it brings.

Suggested Read: Insuring your engagement ring just got a whole lot faster and easier

That depends on the insurance provider. At BriteCo, we provide insurance coverage for necklaces as well as rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and watches. If the value of your necklace or pendant is typically over $1000, we recommend getting insurance for that item, especially a policy with no deductibles.

The best time to buy jewelry insurance is as soon as possible after you purchase an item. Even if the policy documents haven’t been issued yet, but you’ve paid for the policy, you should be completely covered. Buy the insurance as soon as you can just so there is no gap in coverage. BriteCo makes it super easy by providing a customer quote for insurance online in 60 seconds and coverage within two minutes. Welcome to the digital age of jewelry insurance.

The key types of coverage that you’ll want for your jewelry insurance include replacement for theft, loss, damage and mysterious disappearance. Theft is exactly what it sounds like—–somebody stole your item or you put your ring in your purse and somebody stole the purse.  Damage coverage is critical. It’s common that somebody knocks an engagement ring on a door handle or drops it on the floor and the diamond pops out.  Or the shank of the ring cracks, or the center stone gets chipped. And, mysterious disappearance is a must for coverage since there are situations where the loss of an item has no clear explanation.

Mysterious disappearance describes the loss of a jewelry item that has simply disappeared. You don’t really know what happened, but your ring is gone!

For example, you are going to the grocery store or running an errand with your ring on your finger when you suddenly notice it’s not there! You might look in your car, or in the parking lot but it’s  nowhere to be found. So mysterious disappearance is different from losing your ring swimming in the ocean or dropping it down the public restroom drain where there’s an immediate reason.

Most reputable jewelry insurance companies will ask for some level of paperwork or documentation that certifies the value of your item. That usually means providing an appraisal from a jeweler though some companies may accept a detailed sales receipt. Briteco, accepts both as long as the sales receipt or appraisal contains enough detail to value the item. Making sure you have an accurate appraisal is really the only way to guarantee that your item will be replaced exactly in case of a claim. You’ll also want appraisal information for your own records should you ever want to sell or trade an item.  Any reputable jeweler should be happy to provide you with an appraisal, especially with a new purchase from their store.

Suggested Read: What you need to know about jewelry appraisals

BriteCo now offers an online appraisal service to help you get a certified appraisal at a discounted price.

Be aware that some jewelry insurance companies require you and your jeweler to use a “preferred network” for obtaining a replacement stone, diamond, or any piece of jewelry. They push you to the preferred network because the insurance company gets preferred pricing from a set of vendors that helps reduce their costs but it may not represent the true value of your jewelry. This can be a hassle if you or your jeweler feels the quality of the preferred network stone doesn’t match the original.

At BriteCo we work with the jeweler you choose to make sure you get a replacement piece that you are happy with. That includes working with your local or family jeweler or an online jeweler. And we never force you to use a preferred network.

If you rely on your homeowners insurance to cover personal property or a piece of jewelry, you may not have full coverage for loss or damage to a ring or necklace. Homeowners insurers typically cap coverage at $1,000 up to $2,000, along with a deductible. If you file a claim for a lost $5,000 engagement ring, expect to pay between $3,000 to $4,000 out of your own pocket to replace it. What is the cost of jewelry insurance? Rates vary depending on where you live, but typically people will pay 1-2 percent of the value of your jewelry for jewelry insurance. Our jewelry insurance cost averages .5% to 1.5% of an item’s appraised value.

File a claim for a lost or damaged piece of jewelry and you may risk a future increase in your homeowners insurance premium and in some cases can contribute to a policy cancellation. While some people can add a floater for separate coverage on their existing homeowners or renters policy, these riders are typically subject to deductibles and can be more expensive than specialty jewelry insurers. If you have valuable jewelry, it’s important to insure it separately to be sure it’s fully covered in the event of loss or damage.

BriteCo Jewelry Insurance covers insuring wedding rings, engagement rings, and other fine jewelry personal property. How much does jewelry insurance cost with BriteCo? Our jewelry insurance cost averages .5% to 1.5% of an item’s appraised value, or as low as $5 a month for a $5,000 ring. Backed by an AM Best A+ rated insurer, BriteCo protects the full value of your jewelry in the event of loss, theft, damage and mysterious disappearance.  If you file a claim, you avoid any out-of-pocket costs with our zero deductible policies while assuring you get up to 125% of appraisal value in a replacement ring. No need to add a personal jewelry insurance rider to your homeowners or renters insurance policy to protect your valuables when you can get specialty jewelry coverage from BriteCo that’s fast, easy and affordable. Get a quote for your jewelry insurance today.

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