Maple Grove’s Croft & Stern to Hold Jewelry Buying Event
Gems and precious metals are big business. A study conducted by the business consulting firm Grand View Research reports the U.S. jewelry market size was $73 billion in 2023.
Kelly Sternau has made a career out of jewelry.
“This has been a fantastic year. We’re thriving. Really moving forward,” said Sternau, owner of Croft & Stern Jewelry Designs in Maple Grove.
One year ago, Sternau opened Croft & Stern along Main Street in Maple Grove.
“Many, many people have come into the studio looking for a small business, specifically,” she said. “They want that family jeweler feel. It’s something they maybe used to have.”
Sternau says there’s a good reason for customers seeking out that family feel. That’s because they may have family jewelry passed down from generations.
Sternau says her business is one of the only places in the northwest metro that sells antique jewelry — defined as pieces that are more than 100 years old. Pre-owned jewelry, referred to as estate jewelry, is also sold here.
“Not only do we think estate jewelry is super cool, it’s absolutely beautiful,” she said. “The craftsmanship is amazing. These pieces do not deserve to just be sent off to a refinery.”
Croft & Stern, located at 7897 Main Street in Maple Grove, opened in 2023.
Wanted: fine antique jewelry
In fact, they think estate jewelry is so cool they’d like to talk to anyone who may want to sell such a thing.
“If you have family heirlooms that maybe are just collecting dust in the closet, you don’t really know what to do with it, you don’t know where to take it, that’s what they’re here for,” Sternau said, referring to a group of buyers from Beneficial Estate Buyers.
Croft & Stern is hosting an event where those buyers will look at people’s jewelry and offer money on the spot.
“This is really set up to promote sustainability and to capture those items, to resell them to other people who would be interested in those heirlooms,” she said.
Gold, silver and platinum jewelry, even antique watches, can have significant value.
“So if you had pocket watches that were still running or still working, that is ideal but not necessary. There is value just in the antique nature of these items,” Sternau said.
A full set of sterling silver silverware, for example, could fetch upwards of $1,000.
Complete sterling silverware sets like this can fetch upwards of $1,000, according to Kelly Sternau of Croft & Stern.
The goal would be to eventually sell these estate pieces to people who would use them. After all, why buy new when slightly used will do?
“You get money for them that would be appropriate for the value, and then you can rest assured that someone else is actually going to enjoy those pieces,” said Sternau.
The event hosted by Croft & Stern is Sept. 17-19. Anyone interested in selling their antique jewelry would need to make an appointment online.
