Nanci Knott, CG, is the owner of Nanci Knott & Co., a business dedicated to fine colored gemstones and custom designs in 18kt gold and platinum. Based on a career spanning decades, her work reflects both deep industry knowledge and a strong foundation in sourcing rare, high-quality gems.
“I was born and bred in New Jersey, so I guess that makes me a true ‘Jersey Girl,’” Nanci shares. Raised Irish Catholic, she attended twelve years of Catholic school and college. “My father was a fire captain, and my mother was a corporate secretary and also an antique dealer. I have three brothers, which has unknowingly prepared me for my future career as a gemstone buyer in a predominantly male industry.”
Her interest in jewelry started early. “It really started with my mother’s engagement ring. As a child, I would sit in the sun with her ring and watch the prisms of color from her diamond bounce off the walls. I was totally mesmerized and was in her jewelry box every chance I could. I do believe this was the beginning of my journey.”
A job at a jewelry store confirmed her passion. “The owner’s daughter was a gemologist. She prompted me to go to GIA because she saw my fascination with colored gemstones.” Nanci attended GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in New York City and earned her Graduate Gemologist® diploma.
She went on to work at Richard Krementz Gemstones. “I learned so much from Richard. It was a superb experience working side by side with him, having the opportunity to view all there is to see in the exciting world of colored gemstones. But not just colored gemstones, the finest there is—the crème de la crème.”
Eventually, she became the company’s gemstone buyer. “I travelled extensively, buying the most amazing, rare, and one-of-a-kind gemstones to be used in his 18kt and platinum high-end jewelry line. I was very fortunate to have worked there for over 20 years. Richard truly was my mentor.”
Nanci and Richard were early buyers of Paraíba tourmaline. “We became known as being the largest buyers of Paraíba. We were always in search of the finest color, which is known as ‘Windex Blue.’” Nanci has stories of intense negotiations lasting for several hours. Often because of the language barrier, proposed offers were written on a pad and exchanged back and forth.
In 2007, she opened Nanci Knott & Co, selling fine colored gemstones with the same quality she’s accustomed to working with. “My most popular selling gemstone is tourmaline and all other varieties, rubellite, pink tourmaline, etc. My favorite is Paraíba, of course. My other favorite is Australian black opal. They are like a painting with their own unique palette displaying many colors,” adds Nanci. They also offer sapphire, ruby, emerald, blue zircon, morganite, tanzanite, aquamarine, alexandrite, and cat’s-eye chrysoberyl.
Nanci focuses on building and maintaining strong client relationships, many of which have developed into long-standing friendships over the years. Several of these connections are with fellow AGS members, particularly those formed through Conclave. Her work is rooted in a commitment to exceptional customer service, recognizing that clients are the foundation of the business.
One of the standout moments in Nanci’s career occurred at an AGTA GemFair in Tucson, when a curator from the American Museum of Natural History in New York visited her booth and purchased a Mexican opal for the museum’s opal collection. Nanci recalls, “I went to New York to drop it off after the show, and he gave me a tour of all the gems behind the scenes. I was rendered speechless, and for this Jersey Girl, that is not an easy feat!”
Nanci has been a Certified Gemologist® with the American Gem Society for the length of her career. “Listing my AGS membership, along with my credentials, increases my customers’ confidence in me as a colored gemstone supplier. I take great pride in being a member—we are knowledgeable, ethical, and stand behind our product.”
To see more colorful gems from Nanci Knott & Co., follow @nanci_knott_co on Instagram.
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