What to do with Old Jewelry and Parts? Call The Jewelry Girl
Kristan Dael
50plus Magazine
When meeting Lisa Russell, you might think of her as exuberant, hardworking, whip-smart and funny. Describing herself, she says, “I’m an East Coast Jew whose mom expected me to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer.”
Today Lisa buys and sells every imaginable type of jewelry: gold, silver, vintage, pieces and parts and “even junk!” at shows and expos in Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho. This writer recently spoke with Lisa, her conversation backed by soundtrack of metal pinging as she sorted pieces to sell.
She did start out as a civil environmental engineer, she says, but it didn’t stick. Then she tried a brief stint in marketing. Later, attending an antique show, she found her true calling. Many pooh-poohed her buying and selling jewelry, saying she couldn’t make a living doing it.
“So, of course I had to,” she laughs.
“It was perfect because I grew up working in museums; I was a volunteer docent when I was in school in DC.” Plus, she adds, “It’s literally adult treasure hunting!”
Fast-forward 30 years. “Jewelry is how I make a living to pay for cats,” Lisa laughs. This alludes to those belonging to her and her daughter (who begins pre-veterinary school this fall), and the rescue work they both do — bottle feeding motherless kittens, finding hospice care for elderly, dying pets and rehoming others.
While her passion for cat rescue is huge, she also loves her work with jewelry. Perhaps because it’s not “just” jewelry.“It’s a fun job. I like helping folks.”
Many she helps are downsizing or simplifying. Lisa meets with them at their homes, at her store by appointment or at her booth at a show, and identifies their items as valuable or not, buying them either way. “Even if they don’t want to sell,” she says, “I’m happy to do this for free. Often they’ll learn that something they thought was valuable was actually junk. But it’s really fun when a piece they considered junk is actually a gold fob chain for a pocket watch worth $750.
“I like to pay fair,” she says. “I love what I do; especially with older folks, some on limited incomes. For them, that item worth $750 can really help make ends meet.”
The joy Lisa radiates is heartily returned. “When people see our huge inventory at shows, they often ask if they can help sort — I could easily have 200 people helping!” she laughs. If that rattling soundtrack during our conversation is any indication, the sorting is nonstop. “We have a million pieces in the warehouse,” Lisa says.
“My mom says, ‘You should go back to being an engineer!’” she laughs, saying she calls herself a recycler — gathering pieces that have languished and putting them back into the universe. “It doesn’t go to the landfill or Good Will; it gets upcycled, recycled, turned into extraordinary new things by craftspeople, and gets out there at a reasonable rate so people can enjoy it.”
Reach Lisa at 541 556 9598 or check Events at 50plusmagazine.net to find upcoming shows where you can meet her.