Nidhi Singhvi, an MBA graduate from The Wharton School, co-founded Unvault in 2025 to address a growing market for jewelry valuation and sales. Growing up in Jaipur, India, where gold jewelry holds significant cultural value, Singhvi recognized a contrasting attitude toward jewelry as an asset in the U.S. Upon moving to the country 14 years ago, she noted that the appraised value of jewelry was often obscured and the resale process limited to pawn shops or local jewelers.
With prior experience in finance, including currency investment and options trading, Singhvi and co-founder Navya Reddy shifted their focus to answering customer needs. Their initial venture, Sonalore, which provided 18-karat gold jewelry with a lifetime buyback guarantee, revealed a common customer request: many already owned jewelry but lacked knowledge about its worth. This insight led to the establishment of Unvault, a financial platform aimed at unlocking what Singhvi describes as a “$750 billion asset class hiding in plain sight.”
Launched in June 2025, Unvault quickly integrated AI technology to allow users to take photos of their jewelry and receive valuation estimates. Customers also expressed interest in selling their jewelry through the platform, prompting Unvault to develop a shipping option to facilitate the process. The platform is designed to maintain transparency, providing detailed breakdowns of the jewelry’s value and associated fees.
Despite initial pushback from investors focused on larger tech ventures, Unvault demonstrated customer traction, reaching $5 million in tracked assets shortly before its fundraising efforts in June 2026. Singhvi emphasizes the importance of customer feedback in product development and plans to expand Unvault’s offerings to include inherited assets and collectibles as demand grows.
Why this story matters
- It highlights the intersection of technology and traditional assets, showing how innovation can reshape the jewelry market.
Key takeaway
- Understanding and addressing customer needs can drive startup success, even in industries that may seem outdated.
Opposing viewpoint
- Some investors remain skeptical about the scalability of jewelry as an asset class compared to tech-focused ventures.
