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If you own expensive jewellery and artwork in New Zealand, I’d look beyond standard contents insurance and compare policies that explicitly cover high-value individual items, accidental damage, theft, and the full cost of replacing or restoring a collection.

The key issue is that a policy can cover your contents generally but still impose a relatively low limit on jewellery, watches, paintings or other valuables. You may need to list individual pieces separately, obtain valuations, or arrange specialist cover.

NZ insurers and specialist providers to compare

1. NZI Distinction

Worth shortlisting

A premium contents policy designed for people with valuable collections. It offers at least $1 million in automatic contents cover, up to $100,000 in automatic jewellery and watch cover collectively, and art cover up to $100,000 per item and $500,000 in total. Higher-value pieces can be specified separately. Distinction Contents InsuranceDistinction Contents Insurance

Best to investigate if you have both substantial jewellery and fine art.

Official NZI Distinction contents cover

2. Chubb Masterpiece

A specialist option for fine art, antiques, jewellery and collections. Its itemised cover can insure eligible pieces at agreed values, with features including market-appreciation protection and cover for newly acquired items subject to conditions. Insurance for Your Art CollectionInsurance for Your Jewellery Collection

Worth comparing if: you want individual pieces insured at agreed values rather than relying on standard contents limits.

Official Chubb fine art cover · Chubb valuable articles

3. MAS

A useful mainstream comparison, particularly if you want to insure art as part of a contents policy. Its published limits include $8,000 per jewellery item and $40,000 for jewellery per event, plus $25,000 for works of art, unless different cover is arranged in your policy schedule. MAS Contents InsuranceInsure your art collection

Worth comparing if: most items fit within standard limits, with selected pieces requiring additional cover.

MAS art collection insurance · MAS policy wording

4. Rothbury Private Client Insurance

A broker-led route for people with substantial assets, including valuable jewellery, gemstones, fine art and other collections. Rothbury describes itemised cover with settlement at the insured agreed value for eligible jewellery. Private Client Insurance

Worth considering if: you want a broker to compare specialist policies rather than approach insurers individually.

Rothbury private client insurance

5. Tower

A mainstream alternative with Standard, Plus and Premium contents policies. Its published jewellery limits vary by tier, from $1,000 per item on Standard to $10,000 per item on Premium, with higher-value items needing to be specified. How to insure your jewellery 2026

Worth comparing if: you want a standard policy with separately insured high-value items.

Tower jewellery insurance guide

What matters most when comparing policies

Feature	What to ask for
Jewellery	Per-item and total event limits; cover for watches, rings and matching sets
Artwork	Per-work and total collection limits; whether valuation is agreed or assessed at claim time
Accidental damage	Cover for dropping, breaking or accidentally damaging an artwork or jewel
Theft and unexplained loss	Whether theft outside the home and accidental loss are covered, and under what conditions
Worldwide cover	Protection while travelling, wearing jewellery, or transporting artwork
Appreciation in value	Whether market increases are recognised if a valuable piece is destroyed
Restoration	Access to specialist art restorers and whether loss of value after restoration is covered
Security requirements	Safes, alarms, locks and requirements when the home is unoccupied

One important distinction: agreed value is not the same as market value at the time of a claim. Ask the insurer to explain exactly how it would settle a total loss and a partially damaged item.

How I would approach this

1. Get current valuations for your most valuable jewellery and artwork, particularly pieces whose value has changed over time.
2. Prepare an inventory with photographs, receipts, artist details, provenance and valuation documents.
3. Request comparable quotes from NZI Distinction and Chubb Masterpiece, and ask Rothbury to explore specialist alternatives.
4. Compare the actual policy wordings and schedules, not just the headline contents sum insured or premium.

I would start with NZI Distinction and Chubb Masterpiece, while including Rothbury if the collection is substantial enough to justify broker advice. This is a shortlist to investigate, not a ranking of claims performance or price.

Two questions that would help narrow this down