How to insure your music instruments, collectors' items

It is important to take out special insurance on your musical instruments and collectors' items, especially if you are a professional musician, as Petrus de Beer, principal first violin of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, found out when his 128-year-old violin was stolen from his car in July 2022.

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He inherited the violin, crafted by the renowned French violin maker Leon Fischesser in 1896, from his mother. The violin is valued at €17 000 (about R325 000), but it was not insured.

However, the story had a good ending for De Beer as a couple who bought it at a flea market looked it up on the internet when they wanted to downscale 18 months later and saw his post about his stolen violin. They returned it to him.

Tarina Vlok, managing director at Elite Risk Acceptances, a high-net-worth insurer and subsidiary of Old Mutual Insure, says the heartwarming reunion of De Beer with his treasured violin serves as a touching reminder of the emotional and financial risks associated with valuable possessions.

"It shows how important it is to insure valuable items to safeguard against unexpected loss and damage. Insurance cannot protect the sentimental value of beloved pieces, but it can ensure that musicians and collectors are not financially out of pocket if the worst happens."