Q:Question I’ve worn a wedding ring for 16 happy years of marriage without taking it off — at least that’s what my wife thinks. The truth is, I keep it in my pocket when I golf because I don’t like how it feels on the club handle. The last time I went golfing, when I got back to the clubhouse and checked my pocket, the ring was gone. We searched the course with no luck. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my wife, but I hope I can at least tell her our insurance might cover it. What policy can provide coverage for a lost wedding ring?

We posed this question to Douglas Bolerjack, a Farmers Insurance^® agent based in Columbia, Missouri. Here’s what he had to say about policy options to cover valuables you may lose on the golf course (or anywhere else).

A:Answer You’re not the first person I’ve talked to who has lost a wedding ring — on the golf course, at the gym, on a soccer field, in a restaurant restroom. I’ve read one statistic that one in four men will lose their wedding ring at some point in their marriage. I’m guessing the number is probably higher. But let’s face it: your wife won’t be comforted by a statistic. Now, for the good news: depending on your homeowners insurance policy, the loss could be covered.

I worked with the guy who took off his wedding ring before washing his hands in a restaurant restroom. He left the ring on the sink, and by the time he realized and went back to look, the ring was gone.

The good news for that guy was he had home insurance with additional coverage for his ring. Lost personal items are often covered as part of a homeowners policy — even if you are not at home when they disappear. It’s generally a fairly standard part of coverage. The catch is, you need to understand the limitations of the personal property coverage in your policy. Be sure to insure your jewelry to its proper value and have the coverage you want. Working with an agent can help.

Is jewelry automatically covered in my homeowners policy?

Valuables such as jewelry may be covered up to a limit, but that may not reflect the full value of the item. As an agent, I recommend getting appraisals for all jewelry and valuable personal items, to get a real sense of what they are worth. Then you can select the coverage you want and add a floater endorsement, which is additional coverage for a moveable item beyond what your base policy covers. The limits of the floater may better reflect the value of the items you want to protect.

There’s no making up for the sentimental loss of a wedding ring, but if your policy makes up for the monetary loss, it might help ease the pain. And next time, maybe leave your wedding ring at home before you hit the links.

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