Home Insurance Guide

Insuring valuables, art and jewellery at home

Written by Chloe Adams Managing Editor Reviewed by Nomsa Dlamini RE5 qualified · 12 years in short-term insurance Updated 28 July 2026 Our editorial standards →

How do I insure valuable art and jewellery in my home?

High-value items such as art and jewellery should usually be specified individually on your policy, each with an agreed value supported by a recent valuation, rather than left to standard contents cover. This is because contents policies apply single-article limits that cap what they pay for any one item, and a valuable piece can easily exceed that limit. Specifying items, and adding all-risk cover if you wear or move them, ensures they're properly protected.

Key takeaways

  • Standard contents cover caps payouts per item through single-article limits.
  • Specify high-value art and jewellery so each has an agreed value.
  • Valuations and receipts underpin a full, dispute-free payout.
  • All-risk cover follows items you wear or take out of the home.
  • Keep an inventory, photographs and up-to-date valuations.

Why standard contents cover isn't enough for valuables

Your contents cover protects the everyday items in your home, but it does so with limits. The key one is the single-article limit - a cap on how much the policy will pay for any one unspecified item. If your policy caps unspecified items at, say, a set amount, and you own a ring or a painting worth several times that, the difference is simply not covered.

There's often a second cap too: a total valuables limit covering all jewellery, watches and similar items combined. Between the two, a household with genuine valuables can be badly under-protected without realising it. Specifying your high-value items is how you lift the cap to match their real worth.

Specifying high-value items

To specify an item is to list it individually on your policy schedule with its own agreed value. Each specified piece - an engagement ring, a signed artwork, an heirloom watch - is then insured for that stated amount rather than squeezed under a general limit. Specifying does three things:

Insurers usually ask for a recent valuation or proof of value before they'll specify a costly item, which is why documentation matters so much.

Specified all-risk: cover that follows you

There's a difference between cover that applies only inside your home and cover that travels with the item. All-risk cover is designed for portable valuables - jewellery you wear out, a watch on your wrist, a camera you carry - and it protects them against loss or damage away from home, not just within it. If you frequently wear or move a valuable piece, specifying it under all-risk means it's covered whether it's lost at a restaurant or damaged on holiday.

By contrast, an item specified only for cover at the insured address won't respond if it's lost elsewhere. Matching the type of cover to how you actually use the item - kept at home versus worn out - is essential. Our guide on comprehensive versus basic cover explains how all-risk fits into the wider policy.

Valuations and keeping records

Documentation is what turns a valuable item into a clean claim. For jewellery and art, a professional valuation from a recognised jeweller, gemologist or art appraiser establishes both the item's worth and its existence. Insurers may require valuations above certain values and ask for them to be refreshed periodically, because the value of gold, gemstones and art can move significantly over time.

Alongside valuations, keep receipts or certificates of authenticity, and photograph each item clearly. Store these records somewhere separate from the items themselves - in the cloud or with someone you trust - so that if the originals are lost in the same event, your proof survives.

Getting your valuables cover right

Start with an honest inventory of anything genuinely valuable: jewellery, watches, art, collections, high-end electronics and instruments. Check your policy's single-article and total valuables limits, and specify anything that exceeds them. Choose all-risk cover for items you wear or carry, and keep cover at the insured address for pieces that stay put. Then revisit it annually - values drift, new pieces arrive, and an out-of-date valuation can leave you short. Getting these details right is the difference between a treasured item being replaced and only partly reimbursed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I insure expensive jewellery at home?
Specify each valuable piece individually on your policy with an agreed value supported by a recent valuation, rather than relying on standard contents cover. This lifts the item above the single-article limit. If you wear the jewellery out of the home, choose all-risk cover so it's protected away from the house too.
What is a single-article limit?
It's the maximum a contents policy will pay for any one unspecified item. If a valuable item is worth more than that limit, the excess isn't covered unless you specify the item separately. Specifying lifts the cap and sets an agreed value for that particular piece.
Do I need a valuation to insure art or jewellery?
Usually yes for high-value items. A professional valuation establishes the item's worth and existence, and insurers often require one before specifying a costly piece, refreshed periodically as values change. Keep the valuation alongside receipts, certificates and clear photographs as proof.
What is all-risk cover for valuables?
All-risk cover protects portable valuables against loss or damage both inside and outside the home, making it ideal for jewellery, watches and cameras you wear or carry. Items specified only for cover at the insured address won't respond if lost elsewhere, so match the cover to how you use each item.
Are my valuables covered if I under-insure them?
If you insure valuables for less than their true value, you risk a reduced payout, and any amount above the single-article or total valuables limit may not be covered at all. Specifying items at accurate, valued amounts and keeping valuations current is the way to ensure a full payout.

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