What Is a Personal Articles Floater? Protecting Jewelry, Art & Other Valuables
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October 14, 2025
Your home is filled with memories — and some are worth more than your homeowners policy might cover. If you’ve ever wondered whether your grandmother’s diamond ring, your favorite guitar, or your new camera would be fully replaced after a loss, the answer might surprise you. Standard home insurance in Massachusetts has limits for personal property, and high-value items often exceed those limits. In many cases, a personal articles floater is essential for high-value items.
What Is a Personal Articles Floater?
A personal articles floater is an optional add-on to your homeowners insurance that provides extra coverage for your most valuable possessions. A standard policy applies a general limit to all personal property. With a floater, you can specifically list and insure individual high-value items — like jewelry, fine art, collectibles, electronics, or sports equipment — at their appraised value.
This coverage offers greater flexibility and higher limits than standard policies. You can customize it for the specific items you want to protect, often with broader protection against loss, theft, or accidental damage. Alternatively, you can purchase blanket coverage for a broader collection of lower-value items.
Whether it’s a vintage watch collection or your engagement ring, a personal articles floater insures your most valuable items beyond the basic homeowners policy limits.
Why You May Need a Personal Articles Floater
Massachusetts homeowners face many of the same risks that threaten their homes, including storms, flooding, theft, and even accidental loss. If your engagement ring slips off while shoveling snow or your mountain bike is stolen from a storage shed, a floater can help cover the cost of replacing it.
A standard homeowners policy may cap jewelry coverage at a few thousand dollars — often far below the actual value of fine jewelry or artwork. Adding a personal articles floater bridges that gap, covering your most cherished possessions whether they’re at home, in storage, or traveling with you.
If you live near the coast or own a secondary property in a flood-prone area, reviewing your coverage is especially important. As we discuss in Insuring Coastal Homes in Massachusetts, water damage is a major risk here, and understanding what’s covered (and what’s not) can save you frustration later.
What a Personal Articles Floater Covers (and Excludes)
A personal articles floater typically covers:
- Jewelry and watches
- Fine art, antiques, and collections (like wine)
- Musical instruments
- Cameras and electronics
- Sports gear and collectibles
What it doesn’t cover:
- Cash or currency
- Business property
- Pets or animals
- Normal wear and tear
It’s also important to note that standard homeowners insurance typically excludes flood damage. However, some personal articles floaters may extend coverage to certain valuables if flood is listed as a covered peril — something worth exploring for homeowners in coastal Massachusetts facing winter storms and other weather hazards.
Protecting Your Most Prized Treasures
Your valuables deserve protection beyond your standard homeowners policy. A personal articles floater provides peace of mind, knowing that if the unexpected happens — whether it’s a burglary, accident, or weather-related loss — you’ll have worldwide protection.
Contact Berlin Insurance Group today to customize a policy that protects your home and the treasures inside it.
FAQ About Personal Articles Floaters
What is a personal articles floater?
It’s a policy add-on that provides additional protection for high-value items beyond standard homeowners coverage.
Is there a deductible with a personal articles floater?
In many cases, there’s no deductible, but it depends on the specific policy.
What items cannot be covered by a personal articles floater?
Cash, certain rare collections, animals, and business-use property typically aren’t eligible.
Does a personal articles floater cover property anywhere in the world?
Yes, coverage is often worldwide for scheduled items, offering peace of mind when traveling.
Does a personal articles floater cover items damaged by a flood?
Sometimes. While standard homeowners insurance excludes flood damage, some floaters can include flood as a covered peril if specified in the policy.
About Berlin Insurance Group
At Berlin Insurance Group, we collaborate with top insurance partners nationwide to ensure you receive exceptional coverage from highly rated companies. As an independent agency, we have the flexibility to shop among dozens of carriers, each specializing in different types of risks, to find the best deals tailored to your specific needs. Whether it’s for your home, auto, or business, contact us today for a customized quote.