With its new engagement ring collection, Kendra Scott is expanding its brand further into fine jewelry through customizable rings that emphasize approachability, craftsmanship, and a diamond-buying experience that is tailored to its brand loyalists.
On Monday, the Austin, Texas–based jewelry brand introduced 11 engagement ring and band styles, allowing the customer to select the band material and diamond sizes. The brand chose to work with lab-grown diamonds for this debut collection, and the sizes range from 0.5 carat to 2 carats. The prices start at $1,350 for a lab-grown diamond band, $2,750 for the signature Kendra Scott medallion ring, and top out at $8,150.
Kendra Scott also is introducing a new engagement ring buying experience in stores and online. The brand’s 12 retail locations will have a dedicated, in-house diamond expert who will work with couples one-on-one. The virtual experience will walk couples through that same educational component and ring-buying journey.
“Every couple’s love story is beautiful and unique, and we wanted to make sure the Kendra Scott engagement experience was equally as special,” says Denise Chumlea, senior vice president of customer and creative for Kendra Scott. “We are an approachable and attainable brand, and we developed the Engagement collection with our same core values in sight.”
An example is the Elisa, Chumlea says, a longtime favorite for the Kendra Scott brand. The design team used the brand’s signature icons in an intentional way to create something both rich in detail and instantly recognizable as Kendra Scott, she says.
“We infused our Kendra Scott heritage shapes, like the the Elisa, into the halo design of the Iconic Halo rings,” Chumlea says. “We also thoughtfully placed a singular yellow sapphire at the bridge or base of the solitaire and halo rings to give that extra Kendra Scott touch representing joy, optimism, and the promise of a bright future.”
Kendra Scott launched its fine jewelry in 2016 and has since added a comprehensive range of sterling silver, men’s jewelry, and, most recently, Kendra Scott watches. Customers have led the brand in this direction, Chumlea says, adding its fine-jewelry rings as their wedding bands. As a result, an engagement ring collection felt like the right next step.
“At Kendra Scott, we continually seek opportunities to provide accessible, luxury jewelry to our customers that they can wear for every special moment in their life,” Chumlea says. “Our design team is incredible–we have a tenured team that has spent years with Kendra developing our design DNA and creative foundation. This has allowed us to be agile when line- extension opportunities arise.”
The in-house and virtual diamond experts are key to this process, Chumlea adds, sitting down with clients directly in 45-minute (or longer) appointments to go over every detail of the process.
“Diamond experts are equipped to assist a client from ideation to creation during their custom ring design process. In each appointment, a client will work directly with a diamond expert to curate their perfect ring,” Chumlea says.
“The client will have the opportunity to touch and try on the variety of sample rings and make personalized selections including metal color, diamond cut, and carat weight that will be custom-made exactly to the client’s preferences.”
Kendra Scott says all of its new engagement rings are custom, made to order, and delivered in approximately three weeks. Available in solitaire, halo, and signature silhouettes, the rings feature a traditional center stone, including round, oval, and emerald. Customers have the option to customize the ring with their choice of 14k white, rose, or yellow gold.
Top: On Monday Kendra Scott launched its first engagement ring collection, bringing the designer’s signature style like this round, iconic halo diamond ring as well as a new in-house and virtual diamond-expert buying experience to the brand (photos courtesy of Kendra Scott).
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