Jewelry designer Monica Rich Kosann loves a good story. Take, for instance, the tale of tennis great Chris Evert, who in 1978 halted play at the U.S. Open to find her diamond bracelet, which had broken off from her wrist and was strewn about the court. The story made the rounds, and as such, the jewelry style was instantly dubbed a “tennis bracelet.” With Evert’s misfortune, a new trend — and eventual mainstay — of the jewelry industry was launched.
It’s that epitomizing story that, in part, inspired Kosann to team up with Evert when the former pro tennis player came to Kosann to design a line of her own earlier this year, but the jewelry maker had no interest in making a simple diamond bracelet. “She said to me, ‘Okay, I remember the green court,’” Kosann says, recalling their conversation. “‘And I remember the sweat and the perspiration of competition.’” With just those small details, the two women created a new version of the classic tennis bracelet design, now featuring a single green stone (to represent the green court) and a small, dangling jewel (representing a drop of sweat).
Kosann has dedicated herself to the same potent blend of humanity and storytelling since her namesake brand’s 2003 inception, and her newest collaboration, yet again, bears all the markings of her narratively inspired jewelry. Now available, the Bridgerton Jewelry Collection by Monica Rich Kosann finds Kosann teaming up with Ellen Mirojnick, the lead costume designer on Bridgerton’s first season, to create a Regency-inspired collection of lockets, charms, bracelets, and necklaces that allow both fans of the hit Netflix series and jewelry junkies to add a bit of regality to their accessories game.
The creative partnership isn’t just for show; it’s also part of the new Shondaland initiative Seat at the Table, which joins artists working on various Shondaland projects — think costume designers, makeup artists, set dressers, and the like — with creatives in various fields to create wholly unique products and experiences. The goal is to not only offer exclusive consumer goods to fans of Shondaland properties, but also, perhaps more importantly, shine a light on the behind-the-camera creative geniuses who help bring the worlds of shows like Bridgerton and Inventing Anna to life.
As Kosann recalls, while she Mirojnick melded their expertises to create the pieces for the Bridgerton Jewelry Collection, they not only became exceptional collaborators but also actual friends during the process. Kosann animatedly peppers my conversation with her with mentions of Mirojnick’s love of layers and colors and unique ability to refresh classic ideas — a philosophy that has shaped Kosann’s creative vision as well. The two creators immediately agreed on the first piece to represent the Bridgerton legacy: a locket.
Shop the Bridgerton Jewelry Collection by Monica Rich Kosann
“The wisteria, if you look at it closely, is like a three-dimensional wrapping around the locket,” Kosann says, describing the piece. “Ellen was talking to me a lot about the layers of each character and literally the layers that they were wearing, and how every layer was there for a reason. So, the layers were sticking in my brain. And obviously, the layers the characters possess is such an important part of the Bridgerton theme. If you look carefully, the wisteria turns into a heart. If you look even more carefully, the heart is the letter ‘B.’ The show has a lot of subtleties. And I really wanted that to be in the locket. In the back of the locket, we did a pushed-out buzzing bee that is sort of the period at the end of the sentence.”
A bee charm quickly followed, representing rebirth and creativity. And while both women were determined to keep their nods implied and subtle, one character seemed to demand something more regal: Queen Charlotte, of course.
“I love poesy rings,” says Kosann. “Originally, they were from the 1500s. Knights in shining armor used to literally give women poesy rings before they went off to war. When we’d go antiquing, we’d find these gold rings that have these crazy, esoteric, romantic quotes inside. Stackable poesy rings started with that concept, making it modern and new. Ellen and I were like, yes — let’s do a crown! And let’s engrave ‘Queen’ in it! We can’t leave out the Queen!”
In retrospect, Kosann’s own creative backstory perhaps perfectly teed her up to create jewelry with ties to history, be it factual or the slightly fictionalized world of Bridgerton. As a former photographer, she was paid to take photo portraits of private clients, essentially helping them craft images that would tell their family stories. However, all the jet-setting that came with the gig gave Kosann ample opportunity to indulge in her favorite hobby, jewelry hunting at flea markets and vintage shops.
“What I started to do was collect items like cigarette cases and powder compacts, then I would take them back to my studio, take out the insides, and put my clients’ photos in them,” Kosann recalls. “Most of my clients would have me back every year, or in some cases twice a year [for more photos], and they gained a new modern vintage heirloom. My clients were really the ones who got me into this. ‘Can I get another one?’ ‘Can I get more?’ I went to Italy, and I found some of the old artisans who had the old mold of powder compacts and cigarette cases, so I would ask them if they’d make them for me again — I was literally digging the molds out of their back room to make new items.”
In creating these new, contemporary keepsakes for her clients, Kosann realized not only that she wasn’t alone in her love of unique accessories, but also that she had an intuition that was worth trusting. “I knew what was missing,” she says, “and I knew what I felt was needed, and I knew that there was a void for cases in jewelry and jewelry in general that really allowed women to tell [their] personal journey.”
As Kosann built out her business, she also quickly learned the importance of not compromising on ethics to get to the top. Today, Monica Rich Kosann is a certified B corporation — the only fine-jewelry brand in the luxury sector to receive the rating — which means everything about her company, from how its jewels and precious metals are sourced to employee treatment, has met rigorous standards of quality and conduct.
“It took over a year to get,” she recalls. “There were a lot of [practices] that people were claiming and making a big deal out of, and we looked at each other and were like, wait, we do this every day. We are all about quality. We are all about sourcing correctly and being super-conscientious of where everything’s coming from. Most of it is just innate to our brand.”
From the product to the business practices behind it, ultimately Kosann just wants to make jewelry that makes women feel like royals — an idea she sincerely believes is possible at any price point. And while she wears her dad’s wedding band every day, her regular rotation features pieces that she’s designed herself. Among those, she’s never found without a locket, her place to tell her story of the day, whether that’s hiding photos of grandchildren, pets, or even meaningful quotes.
“I love lockets, and I love charms, and when I looked around, the lockets were just for grandmas, and they were boring,” she says. “To me, lockets are the sexiest piece of jewelry a woman can wear. If you walk in a museum, and you look at all the old masters, and you see a woman holding a locket or wearing a locket, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘What’s in the locket?’ Maybe it’s my husband; maybe it’s my lover — you don’t know! I started designing lockets, and it really spoke to all generations. I started to get into charms, and I was just continuing my philosophy of women telling stories. We have a lot of layers. Just like the Bridgertons.”
Laura Studarus is a Los Angeles-based travel writer who has contributed to Fast Company, BBC Travel, and Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter at @Laura_Studarus.
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