Anne Koplik DiFranco, founder of family-owned jewelry brand Anne Koplik Designs, died on Dec. 7 after a short illness. She was 86.

Koplik is best described as the matriarch of the jewelry business that she started in 1981 to support her family post-divorce. Koplik’s daughters, Kara Koplik-Garecht and Jill Koplik-Tellerman, have been running the Brewster, N.Y.–based company with their mother.

“Every piece of Anne Koplik jewelry was its own work of art. It was special and unique because Anne put thought into every detail,” says Jenna Garecht, Koplik’s granddaughter. “She not only made women feel beautiful in her jewelry, but she helped them feel confident as well. Her jewelry highlighted their beauty.”

Koplik was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and grew up in suburban Woodmere, on Long Island. Her family says she always had a gift for design, which, combined with her love for antiques and home furnishings, led her originally to pursue work as an interior designer.

Koplik’s career morphed, through her skill with antique metals, vintage glass, and handmade enamel, into jewelry. Her early pieces gained fans because of their patterns, color, and Koplik’s signature sparkle, says Koplik-Garecht.

“When she started on this quest, it was to put a couple of extra dollars in her pocket every week after the divorce. She didn’t expect to build a company that would last through generations,” Koplik-Garecht says.

“She didn’t have a business plan. She didn’t have investors. This wasn’t some grand scheme that a lot of people have when they’re starting a company. This was literally something to supplement her divorce settlement,” Koplik=Garecht says. “But she’s left a legacy that we feel very proud to go forward with as a family.”

Anne Koplik Designs will continue under the leadership of Koplik’s daughters and its beloved employees, including Cathy Milne, Koplik’s “right-hand person and honorary family member,” according to Koplik-Garecht.

“During a time when men ruled the world, Anne proved that a woman in business can sparkle the brightest,” says an Instagram post by Anne Koplik Designs. “She would see and be able to create the extraordinary out of the ordinary. Her spirit was fierce and full of life…. We are honored to know that through her creations, her name and passion for beauty will be passed down.”

The family says Koplik should be remembered for her love for life. She adored animals, especially her golden retrievers, and would bring her dogs into the design studio. She was a Jeopardy! whiz, watching the game show almost every night. And she was a design addict, starting a Pinterest page that grew to 8,000-plus followers because of Koplik’s eye for the jewelry she shared, Jenna Garecht says.

Garecht, who manages a gift store in Connecticut, says people buying Anne Koplik jewelry often tell her that they hope to pass down the piece to a daughter or granddaughter.

“Anne Koplik jewelry has a vintage, timeless look to it, and that is what makes it cool,” Jenna adds. “She was a sparkly person, and she made other people feel that way too.”

Koplik is survived by her daughters; son-in-law, Joe Garecht; and four grandchildren, Jenna, Grace Garecht, Matthew Yee, and Rachel Yee. Funeral information can be found here.

(photos courtesy of Anne Koplik Designs)

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