Jewelry, Guns and Silverware on the Homeowners Policy

Question: Does my homeowners policy cover jewelry, guns and silverware? What about other valuables in my home?

That’s an excellent question, and one that is frequently asked by our customers. Most families own jewelry and other valuable items that may need special coverage.

Your homeowners policy covers all personal property owned or used by your family, with exceptions for motor vehicles, trailers and watercraft, among other things.

However, special coverage may be needed for some items of personal property, because the typical homeowners policy either limits the amount of coverage available on those items or doesn’t adequately address the unique values of the items. In addition, most homeowners policies don’t cover causes of loss that affect items of valuable property with regularity.

Here are examples of losses that may not be covered by your policy:

·        Expensive jewelry is especially susceptible to loss by theft, as are guns, furs and silverware. For this reason, virtually all insurance companies provide only a small amount of coverage for theft of these items. The limit may be as low as $500 on some policies.

·        Some policies provide a limited amount of coverage on personal property when it is away from your home. If you take expensive jewelry or guns with you when you travel, this could be a problem.

·        Most policies don’t cover precious stones if they are lost from their settings, or fragile objects if they are dropped and broken.

·        Antiques, fine art and other collectibles may not be covered for their full values.

If you own any of the following types of property, talk to your agent about the need for special coverage that will provide the protection you need:

·        Jewelry or Watches

·        Furs

·        Coin or Stamp Collections

·        Precious or Semi-Precious Stones

·        Firearms and Related Equipment

·        Silverware, Goldware or Platinumware and Related Objects

·        Objects of Fine Art

·        Collectibles

·        Cameras

·        Musical Instruments

 

 

This article was prepared and made available to your agent by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, which is solely responsible for its content. Please read your insurance policy. If there is any conflict between the information in this article and the actual terms and conditions of your policy, the terms and conditions of your policy will apply. The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas is a non-profit association of more than 1,800 insurance agencies in Texas, dedicated to helping its members succeed, in part by providing technical resources that explain insurance policies sold to their customers.