So many women tell me their inherited jewelry just sits in a box, so I had to talk with someone families call when they do not know what they have or what to do with it.
Krista Cavanaugh left corporate leadership, executive coaching, and mediation for fine jewelry, and she soon found a gap nobody was filling. Estate lawyers and wealth planners told her jewelry was not part of their business, while families were left holding a shoebox or a baggie of pieces with no idea what was real, what it was worth, or who had been promised what. At Spoleto Designs she helps people document what they own, brings in the right appraisers and designers, and guides the family conversations that can get hard fast. She also privately sources fine jewelry for clients. In this episode we talk about how one bracelet gets promised to two sisters, why equal is not always fair, why an insurance appraisal will not tell you what a piece can sell for, when melting a piece down would be a crime, and why your stories disappear if nobody writes them down.
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00:04 Welcome to What A Gem
00:26 Lois's jewelry: ceramic beads from Nairobi, her mother in law's wedding band, an antique amethyst ring, and Georgian earrings
02:42 Meet Krista and Spoleto Designs
04:53 From corporate leadership and mediation to buying and selling estate jewelry
07:13 The gap estate lawyers and wealth planners leave, and jewelry handed over in a baggie or a shoebox
09:13 The mistakes families make: no real plan, casual promises, and pieces that are easy to walk off with
11:39 Why equal is not always fair, and when a gold band means more than a $50,000 piece
13:10 Do you need a plan if you only own one ring?
15:07 Appraisals, and why an insured value is not a selling price
17:30 What your insurance really covers, and lessons from the Pasadena fires
20:01 Inherited jewelry you will never wear: keep it or redesign it?
22:10 When melting it down would be a crime, and how to find a jeweler who redesigns
24:48 Lois's stash of stones for future redesigns
26:14 AI mockups, and why a good designer will not copy someone else's work
28:32 Art value, mystery metals, and other reasons to think before you repurpose
30:15 Auction, consignment, or private sale: what is your goal?
31:28 When a piece is worth less than you think, and buying jewelry as an investment
33:06 Watch chains, raging trends, and the joy of affordable estate finds
35:11 The tennis bracelet Lois calls her armor
37:13 Get your stories documented
37:30 Three daughters, three picks, and how to plan a fair distribution
40:10 Talking about it, and a grandmother's Sharpie on the bottom of the coffee mugs
42:54 When stress brings out the worst in families, and who to trust
44:20 Krista's last piece of advice: wear your jewelry
45:04 Where to find Krista
46:02 Thanks for listening
Find Krista and Spoleto Designs:
Website: https://www.spoletodesigns.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spoleto_designs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spoleto-Designs-61567701066842
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spoletodesigns/
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