So you're planning to change your company name?

Yes, Griesedieck Designs needs a new name. I've cornered the market on i's and e's. It's just an ugly German name that's hard to spell and pronounce, and it's old-time St. Louis. You associate it with beer and German-ness, but I'm an Anglophile at heart, so I'm changing it to Cate Loretto Jewelry (a combination of her grandmother and great-grandmother's names from the Irish side of the family).

What are the fobs you use as jewelry charms?

They were sort of a middle-class fashion statement in England. They'd wear the fobs they won. It's sort of like when people here (in the United States) won ribbons and cups for (competitions). They'd usually wear them on a chain and have not more than three on one chain. The fobs are for winning competitions or achievements in darts and dominos and dancing and opera singing — most of the women's fobs are for music usually. But there's also one I found for flower arranging at a church bazaar. So they are all different and each piece is unique, and in this mass-produced world the only way to find something really unique is to find something old.

What's the most interesting collection of fobs that you've found?

I found seven metals won by the same guy that are all engraved with his name. I got three from one sale and then found others, and so I started collection fobs for Edwin Price athlete. Those I won't part with. I try to find out who these people are. It's kind of a research project. Not all of them are engraved, but I like those the best. The hand engraving is just beautiful.

What's the appeal of wearing someone else's award?

The history on them is just sort of fascinating, and there's something special about the awards because somebody won it, and it was a happy day in their life. I had a need to collect them.

What are your prices?

They vary from earrings of 3 pence silver coins for $40 and then there are necklaces up to $1,200 (for an antique sterling chain with eight different fobs).