STAFF DIRECTORY   >   KATE DELLA MONICA
Kate Della Monica

Kate Della Monica G.G.

Regional Representative, Florida | Senior Specialist, Jewelry and Watches
267.414.1259
kdellamonica@freemansauction.com

 

Kate Della Monica is a Senior Specialist in the Jewelry and Watches department, and serves as Freeman’s first Regional Representative in Florida. Kate joined Freeman’s in January 2018 as a Department Administrator.

While at Freeman’s, Kate has honed many skills to support her both in the field acquiring property for consignment and behind the scenes in the laboratory and office. She has completed the Graduate Gemologist program at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and is USPAP compliant. Kate’s commitment to continuing her education and experience as a specialist and appraiser drives her excitement for the auction business.

Before joining Freeman’s, Kate worked as an assistant director of a Philadelphia art dealing business, where she experienced the auction world through a consignor’s perspective. She attended school in Philadelphia, receiving a BFA in 3-D Fine Art from Moore College of Art & Design. In addition to her work in the visual arts, Kate is a musician who has traveled the country playing original music.

In their own words...

 

How has your role at Freeman's shifted over time?

My role has shifted tremendously during my four and a half years at Freeman's. I started as a departmental administrator in the jewelry department, which was my first real introduction to fine jewelry. In between handling client services and correspondence, throughout my first year at Freeman's I learned a lot about the jewelry industry from the department head. We would go on appointments together, from estate appraisals to dealer's offices. I spent a lot of time looking over her shoulder and learning as much as I could that year; I was then promoted to a cataloguing position.

From there, she started sending me inquiries and asking me to price them based on comparables. It was always exciting when she would send me something unique or difficult to research; it felt like we were working together on coming up with an estimate. Over time I continued to hone my skills and was granted the title of specialist. My experience at Freeman's has given me a lot of confidence in my abilities, and I still have a lot to learn.

 

What's the most exciting part about visiting, performing valuations, and connecting with clients?

To me, the most exciting part about connecting with clients is hearing about the connection people have with their jewelry. I love to hear the emotion in a client's voice when they talk about how sentimental their items are. It's nice to be able to reassure them that a potential buyer will get to enjoy the piece even further and carry on the legacy.

 

If you could own any object Freeman's has sold, which would it be?

If I could own a single item we've sold, it would be Nursing Madonna by the Master of the Embroidered Foliage. I remember when the painting first came in, I hadn't taken a look at it yet and didn't understand why it was so important; I even asked Alasdair. He told me to look closely at it, because every time he looked at it he found something new. I took his advice: every day I walked past it in the gallery, I would stop and scan the painting. The fabric was undeniably beautiful. I was hypnotized by it. The day it sold, I decided to name my band's new album after it.