On August 26, an unexpected spotlight shone down on New York City-based jeweler Kindred Lubeck. Travis Kelce had tapped her independent brand, Artifex Fine Jewelry, to design Taylor Swift’s diamond engagement ring. It didn’t take long after the happy couple shared their relationship status update with their combined 289.9 million Instagram followers for Lubeck’s responsibly-sourced gemstones and intricately engraved bands to make international news. Within 24 hours, her own Instagram following increased by several hundred thousand. Jewelry experts cast their bets for the ring’s carat weight and final valuation. (It’s somewhere between $750,000 and over $1.5 million, depending on who you ask.) And observers who’d only casually glanced at Taylor Swift’s jewelry stack prior were wondering: How was this designer chosen?
Selecting a relatively small, independent label for a major pop star’s engagement ring might have seemed like a curveball. Swift and her stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer, regularly frost her Chiefs games and red carpet outfits with five-figure pieces from Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton, after all. Sarah Chapelle, the fashion journalist and best-selling author of Taylor Swift Style, who chronicles the Grammy winner’s wardrobe across her Instagram account and newsletter, says scrolling through the designer’s feed is evidence of her alignment with Swift’s aesthetic. “Just as Taylor’s songs are written in a distinct artistic voice, Kindred’s jewelry tells an unmistakable story. Her delicate, art deco-leaning style aligns seamlessly with Taylor,” she explains.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement with a diamond ring by Kindred Lubeck, founder of Artifex Fine Jewelry.
(Image credit: Taylor Swift)
But the choice goes deeper than matching Swift’s wardrobe on the outside. To really know Taylor Swift’s style is to understand her “TNT” jewelry (short for “Taylor and Travis”) has largely come from independent, women-led brands. For one of the most significant pieces she could own, she would follow the same intentional script she’s used for other bejeweled purchases since Kelce came into the picture.
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Zoom in on outfits from Taylor Swift’s turn in the Arrowhead Stadium stands or her trips to Chez Margaux and Zero Bond in New York City, and names like Jacquie Aiche and FoundRae will surface as frequently as the LVMH megabrands. The Last Line, led by Shelley Gibbs Sanders, designed a ruby red heart earring she wore to the 2024 Super Bowl. Golfer Michelle Wie West’s collaboration with the diamond brand Wove resulted in a diamond-encrusted tennis bracelet that Swift would wear to several Chiefs games (and to a Stanley Cup finals game).
This, Chapelle says, is a pattern her engagement ring continues. “Much like Taylor’s first season of NFL fashion that often spotlighted small, local, and female-owned labels, Travis’s decision to commission an independent female jeweler over a more established brand felt equally intentional, personal, and in line with their values as a couple.”
Swift wore a “T” heart charm by FoundRae in her engagement reveal photos.
(Image credit: Taylor Swift; Foundrae)
For a trip to the Stanely Cup finals, Swift coordinated a double-T Tiffany ring with a custom “TNT” friendship bracelet by Wove x Michelle Wie West.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Initial necklaces and stacking rings have made their way into Taylor Swift tracks like “Call It What You Want” and “The Tortured Poets Department.” You can imagine the pieces she’s referencing with a quick look at her recent jewelry stacks. “Unlike her red carpet jewelry—which is typically bigger, bolder, cocktail-style pieces—her everyday jewelry is often minimal, layer-able, and repeatable,” Chapelle says. “You can tell she really loves something because she’ll wear it all the time.”
Lately, that something is “T” letter jewelry, taking the form of a custom Lorraine Schwartz leg-chain-turned-necklace or a Jacquie Aiche pavé diamond huggie earring. The former has been worn three times: First at the 2025 Grammys, then at the 2025 Super Bowl, and finally, at birthday dinner for Brittany Mahomes. The latter accompanied Swift throughout her Eras Tour—and took on more significance as her relationship unfolded offstage. As far as romantic gestures go, these shared initial pieces are more under-the-radar than her new ring—but no less special.
Swift celebrated Kelce’s win at the 2024 Super Bowl with heart-shaped earrings by The Last Line.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
On dates in New York City, Swift has worn a Bon Bon Whims tennis necklace set with a bubbly heart charm.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Women-led brands from BonBonWhims to Anita Somayaji have contributed one-off tennis bracelets and Zodiac charms to Swift’s jewelry stack. Meanwhile, Beth Hutchens’s FoundRae is one of the most frequent in Taylor Swift’s sentimental repertoire. The label even joined her engagement ring announcement outfit in the form of a “T” heart earring.
“The brand weaves a lot of mythological and classical symbols into their pieces,” Chapelle notes. “There’s something artistic and poetic to their jewelry that I imagine appeals to Taylor.”
For the designers, landing in her sentimental stack isn’t about the relationship their client is commemorating, necessarily. “On a personal level, it’s meaningful to me because I believe she works hard to empower women and that is something I also strive to do through FoundRae,” says Beth Hutchens of FoundRae. “I feel truly flattered that she has chosen pieces from our collection. Beyond that, her influence has introduced FoundRae to a much wider audience, reaching people who might not otherwise be familiar with what we do.”
Every time Taylor Swift chooses an independent jeweler to make a “TNT” reference, she’s likely boosting their business by sheer exposure. It’s a power many other influential women have and recognize: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has also acknowledged that she dresses with intention in the hope of elevating women-founded brands in the public eye.
Swift arrived at a June date in New York City with FoundRae’s Opal Gemstone Heart charm styled into her necklace stack.
(Image credit: Backgrid)
One of Chapelle’s favorite repeats to spot is Swift’s opal heart charm by Foundrae, retailing for $2,250. It first turned up on a Taylor and Travis date in June, then re-appeared during her surprise trip to Tight End University later that month. “Taylor has worn many opal pieces over the years,” Chapelle says. (Those include another Foundrae charm combining an opal and a pearl, called the “Forever and Always.” )
Lately, Chapelle notes the stone has seemed even more significant relative to Swift’s other jewelry: “Many wonder if it’s taken on a more personal meaning, as opal is Travis’s birthstone.”
On the New Heights podcast, Kelce recently revealed he’s been listening to The Life of a Showgirl, Swift’s upcoming twelfth album, ahead of its October 3 release. His favorite track is third on the album, and a clear reference to the jewelry she’s been wearing on repeat: “Opalite.”
If the track eventually comes with a music video and a Via Carota celebratory dinner, pay close attention to Swift’s jewelry stack. Chances are, she’ll pull out her favorite Foundrae charm again for the occasion: wearing her heart on her sleeve, and re-introducing her fans to a designer she loves while she’s at it.
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Taylor Swift
jewelry
