Jewelry Floater

What Is a Jewelry Floater?

A jewelry floater is a type of supplemental insurance designed to protect precious jewelry. It is often purchased alongside other forms of insurance, such as homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance. Although these types of insurance policies generally include some coverage for jewelry, jewelry floaters can expand this coverage, making them more suitable for valuable items.

How Jewelry Floaters Work

A jewelry floater is an optional addition to a homeowner's insurance policy that protects against financial loss from the damage or theft of valuable jewelry. Although basic homeowners policies typically provide some jewelry coverage, individuals with sizable or valuable jewelry collections often opt to purchase a jewelry floater in addition to their basic policy. If the jewelry does get damaged, stolen, or lost, the jewelry floater can provide a higher dollar amount of coverage than would be possible under the basic home insurance plan.

Aside from jewelry, floaters are also often purchased for other types of valuable assets. Examples include fine art, high-end watches, or even collectibles such as baseball cards. In some cases, investors may even specifically purchase these assets as a type of alternative asset in their portfolios. For these investors, as well as wealthier individuals in general, purchasing floaters might be a worthwhile expense to ensure peace of mind.

In addition to purchasing jewelry floaters, policyholders will often also obtain formal appraisals of their jewelry's worth. In doing so, they can prove the value of these items in the event that they need to file a claim, reducing the risk of any potential disputes with their insurer. In fact, many insurers will require that a professional appraisal be performed as part of their due diligence on the jewelry floater policy. After all, from the insurance company's perspective, it is important to understand the value of the item so that they can set their insurance premiums at an appropriate level.

Real World Example of a Jewelry Floater

Taylor is a collector of high-end jewelry. Under their rental insurance policy, Taylor is entitled to a certain amount of coverage for all their personal possessions. However, Taylor realizes that if the collection were to be stolen or destroyed, they might quickly exceed the maximum coverage level under their rental insurance policy. Moreover, because the jewelry in the collection is valuable and rare, Taylor worries that the insurance company might not understand its replacement value if they were to file a claim.

For this reason, Taylor decides to take out a jewelry floater. In doing so, Taylor obtains a professional appraisal of their jewelry and incorporates this appraisal into their new insurance policy. That way, if Taylor were to make a claim, they have clarity that the insurance company understands and accepts the actual replacement value of their insured jewelry. Moreover, Taylor is careful to set the insurance policy so that its maximum coverage level would fully capture the value of their collection.