Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley Kummer.
Hi Kelley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started by selling vintage and preowned jewelry on Instagram before the pandemic around September/October 2019. I had been in a car accident that left me with 4 fractured vertebrae and unable to work. I was selling on Instagram for fun because I loved jewelry and sharing beautiful things with people. I also love talking about sustainability (like reusable items and vintage or pre-owned clothing), the importance of organic food, and especially clean beauty. I love that I can donate my profits to charities for certain pieces like my semicolon medallion to suicide prevention and my challah to the Friendship Circle in MI. It means a lot to me to be able to give back.
I quickly started gaining followers when I created my account. My count was increasing rapidly every day for a year. I started to design my own jewelry when I would think of something that didn’t exist and it meant something special to me. I made many new connections in the jewelry industry that helped me to be able to design and bring to life my own jewelry.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The struggle is that my business is all online besides random pop-ups. I was in Detroit is the New Black for almost 1.5 years, however, they temporarily shut their doors. Being that I am 100% online, it can be tough not talking face to face with people. I do miss in-person interactions.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in curating vintage and pre-loved jewelry; however, I also design engagement rings. I have designed several with diamonds as the main attraction and a very unique ring with a beautiful sapphire for the main stone.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Instagram! haha!
There are some books that I find interesting related to jewelry; Stoned by Aja Raden, The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell, and The Digital Jeweller by Ryan Edkins.
Pricing:
- Since it is all solid gold or silver, prices can range partly based on weight. I have a wide variety of jewelry in all budgets. This has ranged from $45and up
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.kittyskarats.com
- Instagram: @KittysKarats
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopkittyskarats/
