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Fine Art and Specie
With decades of experience in the field of valuables, we work with numerous clients to cover the risk of damage to their most precious possessions.
Main risks
The main guarantees of a “Fine Art” policy cover valuable objects belonging to you, or on loan or entrusted to you, during their transport, storage, restoration or exhibition.
There are specific policies for each category of property or risk.
Cash-in-transit
When cash-in-transit companies store or move cash and/or valuables on behalf of their customers, they have a legal responsibility to insure the goods and to check that, in the event of loss, their customers' valuables are adequately and sufficiently insured.
The exposure of these companies to the risk of theft is significant:
- Any armoured vehicle carrying large quantities of cash can be a lucrative target
- Any employee directly involved in handling cash, whether in transit or when counting or processing it, can present another element of risk.
Security, procedures and controls are therefore extremely important for any customer, in order to mitigate loss scenarios.
Cash-in-transit insurance covers all risks of loss or damage to cash, precious metals and other valuables. Coverage generally includes:
- Theft and/or burglary
- Fire, flood and explosion
- Employee theft
- Terrorism, war and riots
Precious Metals and Mining
It covers all risks of loss or damage to precious metals at every stage of their processing, from mine to distributor.
Scope of coverage :
- On premises and in transit
- Employee theft
- Terrorism, war and riots
- Political risks such as confiscation, expropriation, nationalization and deprivation.
Banks and Financial Institutions
A cash-only policy can be taken out alongside a standard Bankers Blanket Bond (BBB) policy. It covers special risks for which BBB insurers have no appetite (ATMs, cash in transit, high vault limits, etc.) or which are not adequately covered by the BBB policy (due to high deductibles, lower limits, etc.).
Indemnification is on an all-risk physical loss or damage basis.
Scope of cover :
- Safes
- ATMs (cash inside and cash dispensers)
- Storage of high-value items in a safe or vault
- Cash in transit, especially when banks use their own vehicles
- Crypto-currencies.
- The “Specie” market can offer insurance to custodians who provide secure offline storage solutions, known as Cold Storage, to institutional investors.
Scope of cover:
- Physical theft or destruction of crypto-currency
- Private keys; coverage extends to infidelity by the custodian's employee, as well as theft by a third party
- Accidental damage or destruction of private key data resulting from a physical risk.
Protect your valuables
When it comes to jewelry, diamonds and precious metals, protecting your stock is vital. Jewelers and other professionals in the sector are a visible target for thieves and swindlers, who sell or trade stolen goods for little more than their real value.
With comprehensive jewelers' insurance, your stock and your customers' valuables are protected.
A burglary, theft or accident resulting in the loss of your stock can be extremely damaging to your turnover, while the loss of your customers' items can damage your reputation beyond repair. Our specialized insurance for jewelers covers your stock and your customers' goods while they are in your care.
Our experienced team understands the needs of businesses at all stages of the jewelry business, whether they are miners, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers or owners of personal collections. Whatever your needs or investment, we can help you write a policy that will fully protect you.
Coverage applies to all risks of physical loss or damage, including :
- Stock in store windows
- Personal means of transport for stock in transit
- Stock on third-party memoranda
- Stock at employees' homes
- Stock shipments
- Exhibitions
- Carrying items to events
- Earthquakes
- Diamond cutting and polishing
- Terrorism, war and riots.
Our clients
- Private or professional customers: Art lovers or collectors, foundations, museums, auction houses, galleries, art dealers, auction houses and specialized art transport companies, musicians, orchestras, instrument makers, watchmakers/jewelers, jewelers (retailers and wholesalers), manufacturers, banks and financial institutions, safe deposit box managers, specialized cash and valuables transport companies, pawnbrokers, luxury goods industries.
- Cash & Transit: armored car companies, logistics service providers and banks.
- Precious metals and mining: logistics providers and banks, mining companies, refiners, traders and vaults
- Banks and financial institutions: Custodians dedicated to crypto-currencies, exchanges offering cold storage and financial institutions looking to keep their own assets offline.
- Jewelry: jewelers, pawnbrokers, antique dealers, art galleries and other businesses that manufacture or handle jewelry, jewelry retailers, watch manufacturers and retailers, diamond traders, wholesalers and manufacturers, luxury goods retailers, pawnbrokers, diamond and gemstone miners and transporters.
Why choose Howden ?
We understand the opportunities and challenges in this ever-changing market. We also know that you need a broker who truly understands your business and its risk environment.
- Experience and expertise: By combining our experience with an understanding of each customer's specific risks and approach to insurance, we aim to put in place the right cover at the best price, while offering specialized and customized cover tailored to the specific risks faced by art and collectibles.
- Responsiveness: fast, efficient claims handling is another of our core concerns.
- Tailor-made solutions: we create insurance programs that go far beyond the norm to provide the coverage our customers need. We have the expertise, scale and market clout to deliver the best results for your business.
Contact
Florence
Florence Bidard
Florence Bidard
Director of the Liability & Special Risks Product Line
Florence Bidard holds a Master's degree in Business Law and a postgraduate degree in Insurance Law obtained from the University of Caen, as well as a Master of European Law from the University of Edinburgh.
Florence began her career at the brokerage firm Impact Assurances. She joined the AIG group in 1999, where she held various underwriting and management positions in the financial risks and liability departments. She later became responsible for development and brokerage relations, overseeing regional delegations.
Before joining Howden France, Florence served as Director of the Liability and Environmental Department at Liberty since 2018. She was appointed Director of the Liability & Special Risks Product Line at Howden France in July 2023, bringing her extensive expertise in underwriting and client relationship management to the role.
