At Croft & Stern, we believe in the power of community and the impact of collective action.
Through our commitment to philanthropy and community engagement, we strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us. Explore our journey, initiatives, and media highlights that showcase our dedication to creating positive change.
Kelly's journey with Maple Grove Rotary began with a shared commitment to community and service. Joining Rotary was more than just a professional decision—it was a personal commitment to making a difference locally and globally. Through Maple Grove Rotary, Kelly found a supportive network of like-minded individuals dedicated to fostering positive change. As a small business owner, Kelly values the opportunity Rotary provides to give back, collaborate on impactful projects, and build meaningful relationships that extend beyond business.
Kelly's membership in the I-94 Chamber of Commerce underscores our commitment to local business collaboration and community support. By participating in the chamber, we advocate for small businesses like ours, shape economic growth, and create opportunities for our community to thrive.
Kelly values her memberships in the Retail Jewelers Organization (RJO) and the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) for the significant advantages they provide for Croft & Stern as well as our guests. Through RJO, Kelly accesses collective buying power that secures competitive pricing from vendors, ensuring quality and affordability for Croft & Stern customers.
As a hand-selected member of IJO, Kelly upholds the organization's high standards of ethical conduct and professional integrity. She benefits from expert training and global educational opportunities that continuously enhance her knowledge and skills, enabling her to offer customers informed guidance and facilitate confident jewelry purchases. Group purchasing power within IJO enables Kelly to offer significant savings on top-quality products while maintaining exceptional standards of service.
Actively involved in both RJO and IJO, Kelly and fellow members prioritize honesty, trust, and integrity in their customer interactions. Through both RJO and IJO, Kelly accesses extensive buying opportunities worldwide, sourcing directly from premier suppliers across Antwerp, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Italy, Israel, and beyond. Croft & Stern is proud to be a part of a strong community of jewelers nationwide, promoting ongoing learning and collaboration through events like IJO and RJO Buying Shows, Seminars, and European Buying Trips.
Kelly, is a member of WJA (Women's Jewelry Association), an organization founded to empower women in the jewelry industry. At Croft & Stern Jewelry Designs, we are dedicated to supporting the advancement of women in the jewelry and watch industries. The WJA enriches the professional lives of women by offering networking, education, and leadership development.
Read the profile on Kelly Sternau by Voyage MN here
Maple Grove’s Croft & Stern to Hold Jewelry Buying Event
4:10 PM | Tuesday, September 10, 2024
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.
Maple Grove Magazine- July 2024
Maple Grove Magazine- January/February 2024
A DESTINATION FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
The business is now called Croft & Stern Jewelry Designs. There’s an emphasis on the “design” part of that name.
Yes, the store has plenty of ready-to-wear items, but Sternau’s goal is to make this a destination store for anyone looking for something different.
“My goal as a designer is to always try and push those boundaries of what is possible, what we can build, what we can do,” she said.
Sternau and her team have all the tools on site — along with years of experience — to design and manufacture jewelry.
“What we do here is build these designs in three-dimensional space,” Sternau said, as she showed an image on a computer-aided design (CAD) program.
Whether you want a new piece for a wedding, or if you want to give a second life to an old family heirloom, Sternau and her team help customers through the entire process.
“Going through that journey with them gives me not only a sense of accomplishment as an artisan, but also I feel like I’m helping them on their journey for self-understanding and being able to really know what they want and feel really proud that they had a part in making something,” Sternau said of her time helping customers design a piece.
Croft & Stern celebrated its official grand opening earlier this month, but the hope is that the store will be a permanent fixture in Maple Grove for years to come.
“We really want to continue that presence, being a jewelry hub, but based on Main Street,” Sternau said.
At the corner of Main Street and Arbor Lakes Parkway in Maple Grove, Kelly Sternau is embarking on a new adventure.
“We have artisans from all over the world that I personally know and have connections with,” said Sternau, CEO and creative director of Croft & Stern Jewelry Designs.
For the last 11 years, she worked in this very building alongside Mark Lauer as a custom jewelry designer, back when the store was called Mark Michael Diamond Designs.
But after Lauer retired last spring, Sternau took over and made this business her own.
“It’s something that I didn’t want this area to lose,” she said. “I worked so hard to really continue this space and to maintain that presence for the people in Maple Grove and really all over.”
