A new fine jewelry collection that reflects the culture’s evolving attitudes on marriage and traditional wedding jewelry has debuted online today.

Cofounded by Jess Hannah Révész, founder of J.Hannah Fine Jewelry, and business partner Chelsea Nicholson, Ceremony is a direct-to-consumer collection that includes several styles that were designed to be worn by both men and women.

The brand’s e-commerce site went live this week with 13 rings that encompass minimalist, modern-feeling ring styles wrought in ethically sourced 18k rose, yellow, and white gold—and, depending on the style, diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. Consumers can semi-customize most pieces by choosing their gold type and/or gemstone. Prices for rings range from $500 for plain bands to approximately $17,000 for high-carat diamond styles.

We caught up with Révész and Nicholson, who are based in Los Angeles, to find out more.

JCK: What was the initial idea for Ceremony, and why did you want to create this collection?

Jess Hannah Révész: We thought about what bridal could and should look like—what we would want for ourselves and for our friends—a place for acceptance, inclusivity, and creating your own traditions. Which wasn’t something that we were seeing in the market.

With this vision in mind I designed a collection of rings with the concept of timelessness as an inspiration [while] striving to blur the lines between vintage and modern. Rings for celebrating, supporting, and signifying love of all kinds.

What void in the wedding/bridal jewelry market do you hope to fill with Ceremony?

Chelsea Nicholson: We’ve noticed outdated tropes in the current engagement/wedding ring market. We’re excited about building a brand through a more modern lens, and to create the rings we want to wear. Most importantly…we’re celebrating love of all kinds, rather than being part of the outdated narrative that all love follows a certain stereotype. We realized early on that love is the core of Ceremony, and acceptance of every version of love is a key part of the brand.

Additionally, we’d like to bring a luxury product into the direct-to-consumer space.

Our designs, quality, and ethical sourcing are the primary focus of our product, not the final cost. We’ve seen that oftentimes with a direct-to-consumer model, the design or quality of materials is compromised to attain competitive pricing. But our goal isn’t to cut costs or keep the prices rock bottom. We use the DTC [direct-to-consumer] model to allow for attainable pricing, but for a supremely high-quality product. We’re based in Los Angeles, where each piece is thoughtfully designed, sourced responsibly, and created locally. We only use materials we can trace and trust…we utilize recycled stones when possible.

Ceremony Alder II ring in white gold, $850

Ceremony Anise ring in 18k yellow gold with 0.5 ct. diamond, $2,880

Ceremony Dahlia ring (not yet for sale on the site) in 18k rose gold with diamond

What would you say is the most defining/signature ring in the collection, and why?

Révész: My personal favorites are the Sienna and Ren styles. Both have equal parts feminine and masculine details, a perfect example of a few of the many unisex styles offered on the site.

What’s the retail strategy for the brand?

Nicholson: Online only to start! We hope to branch out into pop-ups and showrooms in the future.

How difficult (or easy!) was it to secure an ethical supply chain for the collection?

Nicholson: It has definitely been a process!  For us it comes down to personally knowing and trusting the people we work with, over a certificate that is potentially filled with corrupt loopholes. We source recycled stones whenever possible, and when that isn’t available we have suppliers who make sure their stones are fully traceable from mine to market and ethically supported every step of the way. It has really come down to finding the right people.

Top: An editorial photo from Ceremony, photographed by Claire Cottrell (all photos courtesy of Ceremony)

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