Djeneba Aduayom
Whether it’s an heirloom passed down through generations or a necklace you wear every single day, jewelry has the distinct ability to not only elevate an outfit but concurrently tell a story and evoke sentimental memories. And just as unique are the various range of designers behind these baubles. As Black-owned jewelry brands still fight to occupy the shelf space they deserve, you might help give them visibility—and add some special pieces to your collection—by supporting them along with your dollars.
Ahead, we compiled a listing of 36 Black-owned jewelry brands to buy now and eternally. From Admiral Row’s inexpensive classics and Mateo’s sculptural high quality jewels to Beads Byaree’s striking adornments crafted specifically to have a good time Black joy, these labels’ offerings should definitely be in your radar.
Commercial – Proceed Reading Below
The vibe: Inexpensive, on-trend
Price range: $
Designed in Los Angeles with roots within the Bay Area, mastermind Tenisha Wilde has California ease all the way down to a science. Her label Ten Wilde offers products from gold-plated to solid 14k, making chic jewelry accessible to all. Think: delicate stackable rings, hoop earrings in all proportions, and our personal favorite, this personalized tackle the classic pearl necklace.
What individuals are saying: “Hands down my favorite earrings ever. I’ve purchased them for myself and as gifts for multiple friends, they usually all love them as well!”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Contemporary, luxurious
Price range: $$-$$$$
If this circular emblem by Almasika looks familiar, that’s because you would possibly have caught Michelle Obama wearing a pendant version on Black-ish. No big deal. Designer Catherine Sarr cut her teeth within the diamond industry for years before launching her own label (she even had a stint at De Beers), and now’s one in all Chicago’s top diamond visionaries. Beyond creating high quality jewelry well worth the investment, she also sits on the Women’s Board and Advisory Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago and serves as a member of the Palais de Tokyo International Board.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Gemstone-heavy
Price range: $$-$$$
Danyell Rascoe created Dan-Yell as an extension of her childhood fascination with gems and stones that she saw within the gift shop on the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Years later, a visit to India rekindled her love for design, and Rascoe began crafting jewelry for herself. In line with the brand’s page, she stated, “My work goals to be delicate with a type of strength, that permits the jewellery to be a part of your on a regular basis life.” The result is gorgeous jewelry forged in 10k gold and sterling silver, encrusted with semiprecious stones paying homage to baubles you’d find in a museum.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Travel-themed, philanthropic
Price range: $
Kira West, a community cultivator and content creator born in Brooklyn, got down to use her travels as a source of inspiration and alter. With products inspired by globetrotting, 10 percent of MadeByKwest’s sales are donated to Girls Going Global, a nonprofit aiming “to deal with the disparity of ladies of color in international education and today’s field of travel and international affairs.”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Daring, cheeky
Price range: $
Say it prefer it is with Dominique Reneé. The nail artist turned jewelry designer creates cheeky jewelry with a playful bent. Phrases like “At all times on Your Mind” and “Sweet Lies” are splashed in 3D-printed bioplastic, making this a brand to look to if you desire to make a press release.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Wallet-friendly, versatile
Price range: $
Whether you’re searching for classic staples or subtle statement pieces, Admiral Row has you covered. The Atlanta-based brand carries a spread of inexpensive, quality baubles designed to earn a spot in your jewelry box for years to return, from thick, gold-plated hoops to customizable nameplate necklaces. Uniquely, the brand also houses a vintage shop filled one-of-a-kind, custom curations.
“I personally own the brand’s Oval Hoop earrings and wear them almost each day. I’m a gold hoop connoisseur (and own countless pairs), but I specifically love these for his or her chunky, oblong shape that doesn’t weigh down or irritate my sensitive lobes. After months of use, these still look as shiny because the day they arrived, too!”—Sam Peters, senior commerce editor, Hearst
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Dainty, nature-inspired
Price range: $-$$
Lauren Newton uses her background as a former zoologist to tell her designs, which ends up in natural forms like a pair of tusk-shaped earrings or textures molded after a stingray’s skin. When she works beyond the animal kingdom, you’ll fall in love along with her delicately intricate charms, including this sweet little skull.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Playful, vibrant
Price range: $-$$
Having worked at Sotheby’s, Ashley Harris uses her trained eye within the art industry to tell her own creative endeavor, Don’t Let Disco. The jewellery brand upends the beaded necklace, so consider it as an adult upgrade of the styles you made as a child. Necklaces and bracelets are skillfully curated by Harris using beads she’s sourced over time from vintage markets, creating an intentional, beautiful style that’s one in all a form.
SHOW NOW
The vibe: Nostalgic
Price range: $
An ode to founder Morgan Thomas’s mother, Yam’s pieces are all handmade in Queens, Latest York. The nostalgia-driven line features gold-plated metals offset with playful charms like blown glass hearts.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Handcrafted, eclectic
Price range: $-$$
Helmed by designer Sade Mims, EDAS has every little thing your aesthetic mind craves: sustainable home goods, luxurious handbags, and, notably, eclectic jewelry made by hand.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Minimalistic yet elevated
Price range: $-$$$
If these “Vote” necklaces look familiar to you, it’s since you’ve seen them on the décolletage of none aside from Michelle Obama. Suffice it to say, designer and inventive director Chari Cuthbert creates with purpose.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Timeless
Price: $-$$$$
Although Matthew Harris was born in Jamaica, he cut his teeth in Latest York’s jewelry district and is now blazing the trail as one in all the highest modern designers in town. With jewels worn by Rihanna, Solange, and Zendaya, every little thing he touches (literally) turns to gold, diamonds, and precious gems.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Boho, mission-driven
Price range: $-$$
Omi Woods is on a mission to not only create future heirlooms inspired by the African diaspora but to empower everyone involved, from the miners to the eventual wearers. Using fair trade gold and staff protected with fair wages and community outreach, designer Ashley Alexis McFarlane goals and succeeds in producing jewelry that matters.
What individuals are saying: “Wow, stunning and understated sexiness! Beautiful and classic…Definitely value greater than five stars!!”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Geometric, gender-neutral
Price range: $$-$$$
For starters, Third Crown is backed by Beyoncé herself. Founders and co-designers Kristin and Kofi Essel pour their love and industry experience directly into their high quality wares, complete with heavy geometric shapes and gender neutral statement pieces.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Romantic
Price range: $$-$$$$
For romantic jewelry that fuses traditional cuts with a contemporary day slant, consider jewels by Valerie Madison. Pay special attention to her custom engagement rings, which feature unexpected touches like salt-and-pepper diamonds and rose-cut gems.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Whimsical, statement-making
Price range: $-$$
Backed by Solange and Tracee Ellis Ross (who wore Beads Byaree on ELLE’s August 2020 digital cover), Areeayl Goodwin’s brand is fast becoming a household name. She marries whimsy with power, evoking an emotional response along with her imaginative jewelry. The one thing more magical can be actually getting your hands on a chunk, since her designs are quick to sell out.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Emblematic, conversation-starting
Price range: $-$$
Johnny Nelson says his jewels are “conversation pieces that catch the attention.” The subject of dialogue? Anything from Black history to hip-hop to spirituality, with direct references to Harriet Tubman and the Wu-Tang Clan alike.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: High quality gold
Price range: $$-$$$$
The gold standard at Auvere is just that: pure, unadulterated gold. In 2016, Gina Love (a former real estate lawyer) and Steven Feldman founded Auvere on the premise that each one of their jewels be fabricated from 22 or 24 karat gold only, to let the metal really shine.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Modern gold
Price range: $-$$
If you happen to’re a gold-only form of person, look to Oma the Label. The brand excels at modernizing classic chains, rings, and even body jewelry, all in your favorite metal.
What individuals are saying: “Stylish, yet understated. Easy to order. Delivered in two days. Great throughout.”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Light-hearted, technicolor
Price range: $-$$
Fortune favors the daring, and that might be said specifically of Jade Gedeon, the creative brains behind We Dream in Color. Her collection will not be for the faint of heart, but it surely’s easy to fall in love along with her technicolor earrings, oversized necklaces, and designs made to make you smile.
What individuals are saying: “Lovely! Flashy! Elegant! Relatively lightweight [earrings] and never too heavy.”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Glitzy, maximalist
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Based within the Bay Area of California, founder Lauren Harwell Godfrey’s high-end jewelry speaks to your soul. She designs to heal, using 18k gold, luxuriously detailed inlay enamel, and a special use of color to guard wearers with symbolic pieces.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Architectural, philanthropic
Price range: $-$$$
Consider Marcia Vidal’s jewelry as talismans. Her handmade silver and gold jewels are the sort you’ll be able to’t imagine taking off. With proceeds from each purchase benefiting the non-profit organization Select Love, it’s hard to not wear your heart around you neck.
What individuals are saying: “Highly recommend this exquisite jeweler. Excellent communication and delightful handcrafted product. Cannot wait to wear my amazing ring!”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Glass & stone-heavy
Price range: $$
Founder Ope Omojola’s pieces are wearable artistic endeavors. With each stone cut by hand, her jewelry enhances its source materials, and by default, enhances your whole look.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Delicate, sinuous
Price range: $-$$$
Fans of Vrai are sure to like Khadijah Fulton’s line, White Space. The designer created Vrai’s wedding collection, but her own brand is decidedly more delicate, with items like baroque pearls and sinuous earrings that curve along the ear.
What individuals are saying: “Beyond expectations. Wonderful quality, versatile styling, and the sizing is a dream; [the ring I bought] matches well on my ring, middle, and forefinger. My recent favorite piece obviously.”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Striking, nature-inspired
Price range: $
Alicia Goodwin’s Lingua Nigra “is inspired by nature, with a concentrate on ancient talismans, Victorian era work, and mourning sentimental jewelry.” The pieces speak for themselves.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Ethically-made, modern
Price range: $
SOKO puts people first. The jewellery and tech company empowers artisans in Kenya by offering them a tech platform that connects them with global markets. In other words, SOKO directly reaches its artisans via mobile app, cutting out the center man. The designs themselves are modern and ideal for on a regular basis wear.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Avant-garde
Price range: $-$$
In case your taste in jewelry is more area of interest, take a look at Angely Martinez, whose work is inspired by an avant-garde aesthetic with splashes of Baroque Rococo art.
What individuals are saying: “Loved the item I received and the short turnaround time. Beautiful handcrafted earrings; can’t wait to wear them out to a show soon!”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Chic-meets-understated
Price range: $-$$$$
Not all jewelry has to fall within the “classic” or “statement” category. Working example: Bernard James, with pieces starting from flower-studded cuban link chains to mixed metal bracelets, is a quiet combination of each. (Editor’s note: James’s dog wears a custom chain, as featured in ELLE.)
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Easy, colourful, mission-driven
Price range: $
Founded in 2011 by pastors Jeremiah Kuria and Zane Wilemon, Ubuntu Life originally partnered with nine mothers in Kenya to assist produce home goods that will support them financially. The subsequent yr, the brand expanded and commenced working with Maasai craftswomen within the Ngong Hills, who utilized their traditional beadwork knowledge to create beautiful bracelets. Ubuntu Life continued to grow, but its goal to support communities and supply sustainable employment has never modified.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Artisanal, versatile
Price range: $-$$
Shayba Muhammad’s poetic brass jewelry is sensual and meditative suddenly. Her designs encourage you to be intentional along with your jewelry decisions, whether it’s with a chic choker or a pair of twisted hoop earrings. “I need women to feel at home with Mahnal,” she says.
What individuals are saying: “I looooove my Alistal necklace! It’s lightweight and comfy and appears great with every little thing. I just love how the big clasp attaches on to the links. Easy and stylish.”
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Edgy, unexpected
Price range: $-$$$
With stints at Narciso Rodriguez and Barney’s, Jameel Mohammed is an emerging design talent with a brilliant future. Khiry’s alluring pieces range from voluptuous curves to Horus pendants and custom high quality jewelry, so we expect to see more from him soon.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Eclectic, mythology-inspired
Price range: $-$$$
L’Enchateur is the sort of bijou that you just simply must tag in your grid post, otherwise your comment section will probably be flooded with “where’d you get that” questions. Founded by an identical twins Dynasty and Soull Ogun and inspired by science, religion, mythology, magic, and fairy tales, even the brand’s quietest designs speak volumes.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Sculptural, vibrant
Price range: $
Get noticed in Taylor Nikole’s jewelry. Her handmade, sculptural earrings merge art and fashion—and can ensure a minimum of three compliments per wear. Above all, the pieces truly spark joy.
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Metal-forward, experimental
Price range: $60-$350
Experimental in nature and handcrafted in Nairobi, Kenya, Theresia Kyalo’s pieces subvert what we expect of as jewelry. Her beautiful, made-to-order metalwork is really a sight to see (and wear).
SHOP NOW
The vibe: Colourful, conceptual, quirky
Price range: $-$$
Jewelry doesn’t need to be serious, and founder Sydney Ziems and her brand Serendipitous Project will certainly lift your spirits. Her colourful, conceptual designs are like a DIY project gone right, with items like carved turquoise rings bedazzled with gemstones and barrettes fabricated from seashells.
SHOP NOW
Commercial – Proceed Reading Below
