Founder & Market Researcher
Three Ways to Insure Jewellery
- Home contents cover. Covers jewellery in your home up to the single item limit (usually £1,500–£2,500 per piece) and a total valuables limit. Fine for everyday pieces.
- Specified items on your home policy. Pieces worth more than the single item limit are listed by name and value. Add personal possessions cover to protect them outside the home.
- A specialist jewellery policy. Covers named pieces on their own, usually worldwide and including accidental loss. Suits high-value pieces, collections, and people without contents cover.
For a single ring, see our engagement ring insurance guide.
Single Item Limits at UK Home Insurers
The most each insurer pays for one piece of jewellery or a watch that is not listed on the policy:
| Insurer | Single item limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aviva Signature | £2,500 | |
| Direct Line | £2,000 | £4,000 on its top tier |
| Churchill | £2,000 | £4,000 on its top tier |
| Privilege | £2,000 | £4,000 on Platinum |
| Ageas | £2,000 | |
| Halifax | £2,000 | |
| Lloyds Bank | £2,000 | |
| Nationwide | £2,000 | |
| M&S Bank (Uinsure) | £2,500 | |
| John Lewis | £3,000 | |
| Hastings Direct | £1,500 | Jewellery over £5,000 must be revalued every 3 years |
| esure | £1,499.99 | Items worth £1,500+ not covered unless listed |
| Sheilas' Wheels | £1,499.99 | Items worth £1,500+ not covered unless listed |
Standard cover, from each insurer's own policy documents, checked September 2026. Admiral, AXA, Saga and Tesco Bank show the limit only on your policy schedule. Your own schedule is the figure that counts.
Most insurers pay no more than the limit for an unlisted item. esure and Sheilas' Wheels pay nothing for an unlisted item worth £1,500 or more, so the value you declare matters.
Valuables Limits and Specified Items
Home policies also cap all valuables together, whatever each piece is worth. Examples from the same documents:
- Aviva Signature: £10,000 (higher on request)
- Ageas: £15,000
- Hastings: £10,000, £15,000 or £30,000 depending on the tier
- Nationwide: £15,000 or £30,000 depending on the tier
If your jewellery and watches together come to more than the valuables limit, list the most valuable pieces as specified items or raise the limit. Some insurers attach conditions to specified jewellery: Hastings requires any piece over £5,000 to be examined and revalued every 3 years, with worn settings repaired.
Specialist Jewellery Insurers
Specialist policies cover named pieces for an agreed or replacement value, and usually include cover abroad, accidental loss and lost stones. These are the UK providers we checked:
T H March
Underwritten by Beazley (Lloyd's)
Worldwide for trips of up to 60 days. No excess. Repair or replacement through your own jeweller where possible.
Valuation: Does not ask for annual revaluations.
Price: From under £60 a year
Assetsure
Underwritten by Lloyd's of London
Worldwide for trips of up to 60 days. Covers accidental loss and loss of stones. No excess on specified items.
Valuation: Receipt for items under 5 years old, valuation for older ones. Rings over £10,000 need their settings checked every 2 years.
Price: Not published
Juno
Underwritten by Lloyd's of London
Worldwide. Covers theft, accidental loss and damage, including loss of the main stone or smaller stones. No excess.
Valuation: For new items, the jeweller's valuation.
Price: Not published
Stanhope (broker)
Underwritten by Chubb, SCOR or Ant Insurance
Worldwide with no travel limit. Covers loss of stones. No excess.
Valuation: Accepts valuations dated within 5 years of the policy start.
Price: From £64.20 a year
Ripe
Underwritten by Aviva
Agreed value, worldwide, excess of your choice. Does not cover unexplained loss or disappearance.
Valuation: Valuation within the last 3 years by an NAJ Institute of Registered Valuers member. Items £1,000–£20,000.
Price: Not published
Hiscox
Underwritten by Hiscox
Only as part of Hiscox home insurance. Worldwide for up to 60 days away.
Valuation: Items or sets worth £15,000 or more must be specified.
Price: Not published
Rivr
Underwritten by A-rated insurers
Only inside high-value contents cover (contents from £100,000). Worldwide, agreed value.
Valuation: Valuation needed for items over £25,000.
Price: 1–2% of the item's value a year
From each provider's own website, checked September 2026. We have no commercial relationship with any of these insurers. Terms change, so read the policy wording before you buy.
Jewellery Insurance Without Home Insurance
T H March, Assetsure, Juno, Stanhope and Ripe sell jewellery cover on its own, which suits renters and anyone whose home policy has a low single item limit. Hiscox and Rivr only cover jewellery inside their home or high-value contents policies.
How Much Does Jewellery Insurance Cost?
Specialist jewellery insurance typically costs 1–3% of the item's value a year, with published prices from under £60 a year. Stanhope's published examples include a £9,895 ring from £135.82 a year and a £25,000 ring from £305.00. Insurers do not publish the cost of adding a specified item to home insurance; Aviva describes it as often “a small additional cost”, so get a quote from your own insurer to compare.
Watches follow the same rules. Rolex changes its UK prices each January, so an insured value can fall behind quickly: see our Rolex price table.
What Insurers Need From You
Insurers ask for proof of value when you list an item and when you claim. A recent receipt works for new pieces. For anything older, inherited or antique you need a professional insurance valuation, and some insurers set a maximum age: Ripe accepts valuations up to 3 years old, Stanhope up to 5. High-street valuations cost £90–£120 per item (see our valuation cost guide). Keep the certificate and photos somewhere other than with the jewellery, and check your cover still matches today's prices with our underinsured calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jewellery covered by home insurance?
Yes, as part of your contents, but only up to the single item limit (usually £1,500–£2,500 per item) and a total valuables limit, and only inside the home unless you add personal possessions cover. Anything worth more than the single item limit needs to be listed on your policy as a specified item.
What is a single item limit?
The most your home insurer will pay for any one item that is not listed on your policy. At most UK insurers it is £2,000 for valuables such as jewellery and watches; Hastings, esure and Sheilas' Wheels set it at about £1,500, and John Lewis at £3,000.
Can I get jewellery insurance without home insurance?
Yes. T H March, Assetsure, Juno, Stanhope and Ripe sell standalone jewellery policies. Hiscox and Rivr only cover jewellery as part of their home or high-value contents insurance.
Is specialist jewellery insurance cheaper than home insurance?
Not usually. Specialist policies typically cost 1–3% of the item's value a year, and Which? notes they could cost more than listing the item on your home policy. They often give wider cover: worldwide, accidental loss, lost stones and no excess. Compare both quotes for your items.
Does jewellery insurance cover loss?
Specialist policies from T H March, Assetsure, Juno and Stanhope cover accidental loss. Ripe excludes unexplained loss or disappearance. On home insurance, loss outside the home needs personal possessions cover; check the wording for accidental loss.
Get your jewellery valued for insurance
Tell us what you need to insure and we'll introduce you to an independent valuer. Your insurer will want a valuation for anything above your single item limit.