Jennie Yoon’s entrée into the jewelry industry was more the stuff of nightmares than dreams. “My parents’ house was robbed, and they took all the family heirlooms, the pieces my grandmother had left me and my brother,” the founder (pictured) of Kinn, a fine jewelry brand based in Los Angeles, recalled on a recent phone call.

In seeking to rebuild the stolen collection in the years following the 2015 robbery, Yoon, whose studio is based in downtown L.A., began to roam around the jewelry district, asking questions about pricing and materials. The experience provided her with an early understanding of “how vague the industry is,” she says. “I’d see the same ring at a shop next door and would ask, ‘Why is it four times as much?’ and nobody could say.”

In 2017, Yoon founded Kinn as a direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand of classic 14k gold styles—think hoops, signet rings, and Cuban link bracelets—meant for women of all ages seeking timeless designs with a nod to vintage styling.

In October, she introduced Vow by Kinn, a sub-brand focused on bespoke engagement and wedding rings, set with natural or lab-grown diamonds, with prices starting around $7,500. We spoke to Yoon about the booming wedding market, the blitz of interest in toi et moi rings, and why her bridal line isn’t only for the getting-married set. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you decide to expand into the bridal and wedding category?

I’m at an age where a lot of my friends have been married for some time. The feedback I often get is: “I don’t wear my engagement ring anymore. My style has changed.” So I would reset my friend’s rings by changing the setting and metal. I knew design. That’s where it started to grow.

From Kinn’s perspective, our customers have been growing with the brand. They might have made their first purchase when they were 26 or 27. Now, they’re ready for their next chapter. Launching Vow late last year was a really natural move.

We keep hearing about the post-pandemic wedding boom. Do you foresee even more growth in the bridal category?

Yeah. I think a lot of people saved a lot of money. They spent a lot of months at home, not traveling. They saw the rise of the stock market, got repeated checks from the government. It gave more people more savings. A lot of them are thinking, “I’m ready to party, I’m ready to celebrate. We’re ready to make it official.” I also have customers who got married on paper, and now they’re ready to make it official.

I think we can expect things bigger for 2022, specifically with engagement rings. I don’t think 2021 was the peak.

With Vow, when we first launched in October, I wanted to be mindful that it’s not just for people getting married for the first time, but also for people who want to reset their rings. A lot of people are simply renewing their vows and thinking, “I’d love to add something to my original piece and celebrate that milestone.”

How would you describe the aesthetics of the collection?

Certainly, there are forever classics, like oval diamonds. A lot of people are drawn to my designs because I take a nod from the past and create classics married with a vintage look and feel. With Kinn, you don’t think of dainty stackable jewelry—they’re definitely chunkier, bolder, make-a-statement rings.

As of right now, we don’t have rings premade. Every customer has their own wants and needs, and the smallest difference makes the biggest difference to the customer, so we can tailor it ever so slightly to make it theirs. Through that process, we’re able to explore different designs.

What kind of details are your clients responding to?

I love hidden messages, personally, so I’ll add a birthstone under the center stone to some rings. Nobody can see it, it’s just there for you and your partner to know it exists. I’ve also had some requests for colored stone engagement rings—especially the Princess Di ring with a natural sapphire. I can see where customers are headed: They’re looking for something different.

The toi et moi trend has blown up, thanks to the news about Megan Fox’s engagement ring. Did you see that one coming?

I’ve personally been a fan of two- and three-stone rings in general. It goes back to luxury being an emotional purchase. The whole symbolism of two stones coming together in harmony. And when I say that, customers say, “Oh my God, that’s so poetic.”

That style has been in for some time, especially since Ariana Grande got engaged with the two-stone diamond and pearl ring.

Have you gotten requests for the style?

Oh, yeah! They’ll send me screenshots. When we talk about celebrity influence, it’s 100% there. Also, more people who are looking to repurpose their rings are bringing in their original piece. Many of them would love to add a second stone so they can continue to wear their original piece.

What about men? Have you seen interest in new men’s bands?

We don’t have a men’s band category, but a lot of customers do want us to make it for them. What we’ve seen is they want to put the focus on the engagement ring first and depending on what that looks like, their partner will want the band to be an extension. I’m seeing a lot of synchronization, and more people coming together to design their engagement rings. “I want mine to complement yours and yours to complement mine.”

What kind of trends are you seeing in center stones?

Oval won’t be going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s going to continue to be trendy. We did a project with a marquise on a gold band—I think there’s something about the marquise shape that gives it a vintage feel. We’re seeing a lot of marquise requests and cushion is a good runner-up.

When it comes to clarity and color, we try to stay on the higher end—the DEF, VS world. People are willing to sacrifice carat weight, especially if they’re going with oval, which takes up more real estate on your hand.

You also offer lab-grown diamonds as an option for clients. Why did you decide to go this route?

The whole idea of custom-made is that everyone has a different preference. People prioritize sustainability—that’s one of the key factors in selecting lab-grown. And they’re willing to pay a premium for higher-quality lab versus cheaper-made stones from who knows where. They come to us with a different mindset and because of Google, people are very aware of lab-grown versus natural, and they typically have a preference. I can honestly argue for both sides. But the question always comes back to: What matters to you?

How do customers seeking lab-grown differ from those seeking mined diamonds?

I don’t know if I can categorize them. They both ultimately want that traceability part of it.

How do you speak to your clients about traceability?

They just want to hear it from me that we have these protocols in place. I haven’t had a customer probing. They’re looking for words of affirmation. But people do care. Having Kinn as part of our core brand, they already trust us, and that all loops back to how important it is to build a brand.

What’s next for Vow by Kinn?

Immediately speaking, we definitely want to start offering more colored stones. Emerald and blue sapphire are our two most-asked-about after diamond. And that’s due to some influence from Princess Di, with the whole Netflix show, the movie, the styling.

We want to continue on with Vow. I’m very thankful. I thought after the holiday season, it might slow down on the engagement ring side, but no, people are ready to propose around Valentine’s Day.

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