Do you find shopping for jewelry stressful or confusing? Tonight’s Meet a Mom, Kat McCoy, can help you solve that problem. A Greenwich local who grew up in Milbrook and now lives in Mid-Country with her two daughters and husband, Kat is the Founder of Best Kept, a fine jewelry concierge that helps people find and make the perfect piece of jewelry for milestone occasions like engagements, anniversaries, birthdays and holidays.
Jewelry is very personal, and it can be challenging to get it right – Kat provides her clients with the confidence that you’re going to nail it and allows for a much more enjoyable journey to get there.
Kat shares with us her go-to jewelry pieces, recommendations for building your jewelry collection and why she created her business, to allow you to get the EXACT piece of jewelry you want. She has big plans for the business including mentoring other young women to build great businesses of their own.
Can you please share a bit about yourself personally – where you live/names ages of kids, etc.?
I live in mid-country Cos Cob with my daughters, Ellie and Penny, (ages 3.5 and 1.5), and my husband, Clay.
Where do you live in Greenwich and where did you live growing up? What do you love most about it?
I grew up in Milbrook, in the center of town, and am happy to be raising my kids in the same place where I grew up.
I love that Greenwich is way bigger and more diverse than many people think. Greenwich Library is also one of my very favorite places on Earth!
For anyone who isn’t familiar, can you please briefly describe Best Kept? What separates it from anything else out there?
Best Kept is a fine jewelry concierge that helps people find and make the perfect piece of jewelry for milestone occasions like engagements, anniversaries, birthdays and holidays.
I curate customized recommendations to choose from that capture the unique style of whoever we’re shopping for. I partner with some of the best jewelers, diamond dealers, wholesalers, and suppliers to help you find the perfect piece. Jewelry is very personal, and it can be challenging to get it right – I provide my clients with the confidence that we’re going to nail it!
Can you talk about your custom pieces – and how you can work with a special or existing piece to update it/create something new?
To create a custom piece of jewelry, the client and I will work closely together on the design and sourcing all the materials and gemstones. For engagement rings, a private diamond wholesaler and I curate a selection of diamonds for you to choose from that best maximizes your budget. Once we have the design and gemstones, Best Kept partners with world-class bench jewelers in NYC’s famed Diamond District who hand-make each piece. I sweat all the details to ensure the final product is exactly what was envisioned.
Who or what inspires your designs?
Best Kept launched in February of 2018. Prior to starting the business, I worked as a management consultant at Ernst & Young. While starting as an outsider in the jewelry industry has had its challenges, it has ultimately allowed me to dream up a very different business model and way of working.
I was inspired to start the business after having an awful experience searching online for a simple gold bracelet to celebrate a promotion at my corporate job. After closing the 300+ internet browser tabs I had open, I thought there must be a better way to buy a great piece of jewelry!
I don’t consider myself a designer – my job is to guide you through the process of making or sourcing really special pieces of jewelry by providing access to the best in the industry and curating the universe of options down to the best 3 or 4 for you.
What are your go-to, every day pieces (please link)? And new favorites? And special occasion must-haves? (Would be great to get two for each!)
My go-to pieces are diamond stud earrings, my vintage Tiffany & Co. sapphire and diamond wedding band, a yellow gold San Marco bracelet, and two vintage yellow gold chain necklaces that I layer. My personal style for jewelry is pretty classic and understated, except when it comes to an amazing statement ring. I love heavy pieces that you can tell were made with a lot of care.
When building a jewelry collection, I always recommend starting with great everyday pieces. My philosophy is that jewelry is meant to be worn! An everyday necklace and a simple signet ring are a fantastic place to start. Everyone’s style is of course a little different, but Ariel Gordon, a talented jewelry designer based in California, has fantastic everyday pieces. Here are a few of my favorites;
For special occasion pieces, Ondyn is a designer whose pieces I have on the top of my wishlist. A tennis necklace or a killer pair of earrings always make a huge impact.
Rainsun Diamond Tennis Necklace
What’s your mom uniform? (Please give brand names)
A Mother Oxford button down shirt is the best go-to and works all 4 seasons. I usually pair it with a great pair of jeans (Fred’s in Old Greenwich has the best denim selection in town, in my opinion!) and M. Gemi flats.
Do you have a “working mom” mantra?
Embrace the 80-20 rule! 80% of the time we strive for healthy foods and good habits, but 20% of the time we’re ok with a little too much sugar or screentime!
Where do you hope to see your business go in the next year? 5 years? Ultimately?
In the next year I’ll have a continued focus on helping clients create timeless engagement rings without overwhelm or overpaying. Engagement rings are especially near and dear to me!
In the next 5 years I hope to be mentoring other young women to build great businesses of their own. Ultimately, it’d be a dream to have one or both of my daughters join the trade! They’re young, but they already love their jewelry!
We love to support local businesses. What are your fave places locally to:
Grab coffee: CFCF in Riverside
Workout: Connecticut Power Yoga
Go on a date night: Hinoki
Go out for a girls night: Rosina’s
Go out to dinner as a family: Little Pub
Get your hair done: Sara Burns Styling
Get your nails done: Town Nails
Have fun as a family: Stamford Nature Center
