Your Jewelry Box Is an Asset: Know What You Own with Nidhi Singhvi on Her Comeback

Episode summary Nidhi Singhvi, co-founder of Unvault, explains why jewelry is an overlooked asset and how women can learn what theirs is really worth. She and Michelle cover melt, resale and insurance value, common selling mistakes, and how a jewelry box can become a down payment, a business launch or a clean inheritance plan. The takeaway: just know the value; acting on it is optional. About the guest Nidhi Singhvi is co-founder of Unvault, based outside San Francisco, and a mom of a three-year-old. She grew up in India, where gold is discussed like any other household asset, then worked in consulting, currency and crypto options trading before building Unvault with a co-founder from a finance and tech background. Unvault's mission is to help American households understand, track and use the jewelry they own. Key takeaways - About $750 billion of gold sits in US homes, untracked and idle; the US lacks the price transparency common in India. - Know the value before you sell. Without a baseline you cannot negotiate with local jewelers or "we buy gold" shops. - Appraisal (insurance) value is retail replacement cost and carries a 2x to 5x markup. It is not what you will get when you sell. - Melt (scrap) value is the floor for any solid gold, silver or platinum piece. Brand, condition, box and papers, or true antique craftsmanship can lift it. - Most people undervalue gold and overvalue diamonds. Nidhi cited a CNBC segment saying a diamond valued at $10,000 in 2022 is now under $3,000. - A 1920s or 1950s class ring is not automatically an antique; without unique design it usually sells at melt value. - Broken chains and single earrings still have value: "gold is gold." - Keep what you will wear or pass down, track its value, and start selling with pieces you will never wear or that are broken. - Tell your children what you own so an inheritance does not become a mess. Topics discussed - What drives a piece's value: metal, brand, condition, age - Common selling mistakes, including broken pieces - What to keep, pass down or convert - The selling process: video-recorded testing, itemized offer, payment in 24 hours - Jewelry box as a comeback: stories of women funding their next chapter - One small step this week Notable quotes - "Now we have converted dresses, and shoes, and bags to assets. I think it's time to start seeing jewelry as an asset as well." - "Gold is gold." - "If you don't know the value, how are you ever going to negotiate?" - "Just know the value. You don't have to act on it. Just that knowledge will be empowering." - "You convert something that you owned, maybe was passed down to you, into something that might be your future income stream." Links and resources - Unvault (free evaluation, about 60 seconds, photos only): unvault.co - Questions for Nidhi's team: contact@unvault.co - Work with Michelle: michellethompsoncoaching.com - *Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love*, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D