Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
Key points
- A useful jewellery inventory describes the metal, the hallmarks and the stones, with photos and certificates.
- For jewellery insurance, a recent valuation and sharp photos are the best evidence.
- In an estate, jewellery is excluded from the 5% flat-rate allowance for furnishings: its value is justified piece by piece.
Jewellery inventory: what to keep track of
Jewellery is small, plentiful, often inherited and rarely accompanied by its invoice. It is also the first thing taken in a burglary. Making an inventory of your jewellery means giving each piece a precise identity: what it is made of, who made it, where it comes from, what it is worth, and where the evidence is stored.
Four things make the difference: the metal and its hallmarks, which tell the fineness and sometimes the workshop; the stones and their carats; the gemmological certificate for the important stones; and photos on a neutral background, sharp enough to recognise the piece among a thousand.
What a jewellery record contains
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Type (ring, bracelet, necklace, brooch, earrings) | Classify and quickly find a piece. |
| Metal (yellow, white or rose gold, platinum, silver) | The first element of the valuation. |
| Fineness and hallmarks | Identify the metal, the period and sometimes the maker; prove the piece exists. |
| Stones and total weight in carats | Describe what is often most of the value. |
| Gemmological certificate (GIA, HRD…) | Link a stone to a document recognised by experts and insurers. |
| Period, jeweller, ring size | Complete the description; a jeweller’s signature counts for a great deal. |
| Provenance | Keep the story of the piece: purchase, gift, inheritance, from whom. |
| Photos and documents | Invoices, valuations, certificates: the evidence to present to the insurer. |
Jewellery valuation and insurance: proving it in the event of theft
After a theft, it is up to you to prove what you owned. Without an invoice, the insurer accepts other evidence: photos, valuations, certificates, precise descriptions. Our guide on jewellery theft without an invoice details the useful evidence and the deadlines: the policy sets the reporting period, which cannot be shorter than 2 working days in the event of theft.
For the valuation, an appraisal by a professional is better than an old purchase price. Keep the history of valuations, dated, and compare them with the “valuables” ceilings in your home insurance policy. If your jewellery exceeds them, ask for an extension or a specialist policy (see agreed value or declared value).
Family jewellery and succession
Jewellery is not furniture like any other. In an estate, it is excluded from the 5% flat-rate allowance for furnishings: its value is declared separately. And it cannot be lower than the estimate in a theft or fire insurance policy in force on the day of death, taken out by the deceased, their spouse or their predecessors less than 10 years earlier, unless proven otherwise; where there are several policies, the average is used. A comprehensive home policy (multirisque habitation) counts only if it names the jewellery specifically.
In other words, the valuation given to the insurer has consequences on the day of the succession. An up-to-date inventory, with valuations and their dates, helps the notary (notaire) and the heirs. Also note to whom you wish to leave each piece: it is often the most delicate question between heirs.
Photos from your phone and sharing
Place the piece on a neutral grey or white background, in daylight. Take an overall view, then close-ups of the hallmarks and the stones, with a ruler alongside. For a valuation or a sale, share a selection with the expert or the buyer through a password-protected, time-limited link.
With Collectalia
Collectalia keeps the inventory of your jewellery: one record per piece with metal, hallmark, stones, carats and GIA or HRD gemmological certificate, photos taken from your phone by scanning a QR code, invoices and valuations, successive appraisals and location (safe, bank, residence). Insurance policies are tracked with a reminder before renewal; the Succession module records the intended beneficiaries for each piece and prepares a pre-inventory to hand to the notary. Free trial.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.