Make Way: Monica Rich Kosann Introduces ‘Bridgerton’ Collection

Regencycore-style lockets, poesy rings, and bee charms inspired by the hit Netflix series could be yours, truly.

Michelle Graff michelle.graff@nationaljeweler.com

20221115_Monica Rich Kosann Bridgerton collaboration header.jpg

Monica Rich Kosann teamed with “Bridgerton” costume designer Ellen Mirojnick to create a collection of fine jewelry inspired by the hit show. Shown here, from top to bottom, are the “Bee” charm, “Queen” poesy ring on a chain, and “Wisteria” locket, all in 18-karat yellow gold.

New York—Monica Rich Kosann’s latest collaboration started the way so many great relationships do—with the type of synergy between creatives that is impossible to manufacture.

The result: a jewelry collection based on one of the breakout hits of the pandemic era, Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” and the opportunity to take a seat at the Shondaland table with other artists.

Shondaland is the production company owned by Shonda Rhimes, the writer and producer behind “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “Inventing Anna,” as well as Bridgerton.

Based on the novels by Julia Quinn and set in early-1800s England, Bridgerton traces the ups and downs of the members of the upper-crust Bridgerton family all while a “Gossip Girl”-esque narrator, the delightful Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews), stirs the society pot with her blind item gossip column.

The first season premiered in December 2020 and it became one of the streaming service’s most-watched shows.

Monica Rich Kosann’s partnership with “Bridgerton” started with a casual chat between the brand’s eponymous founder and the TV show’s Emmy-winning costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick.

Talks about small collaboration quickly grew into much more as the women discovered their shared passion for paying homage to the past, but in a modern way, Kosann explained.

“We connected immediately on our love of jewelry, our love of taking iconic, historical pieces and making them new and modern,” she said. “Our philosophies were the same; it was incredible.”

“The two of us were like two kids in a candy shop together.”

Their synergy sparked a sizable jewelry collection that dropped Tuesday, as well as the chance for Kosann’s company to be a participant in Shondaland’s new “Seat at the Table” initiative.

For Seat at the Table, Shondaland is bringing creatives like costume designers, whose work often sparks the trends that make merchandising from televisions shows and movies possible, in on collaboration and merchandising deals. (Mirojnick’s work dressing the women and men of the Bridgerton universe is one of the main drivers behind the current Regencycore trend.)

The partnership between Mirojnick and Kosann on a Bridgerton-inspired fine jewelry line is the first collaboration under Seat at the Table.

“It’s really been quite an adventure to be working with someone like Ellen and I feel really, really honored ... to have that first seat the table,” Kosann said. “I am flattered they wanted to do it with me.”

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Bridgerton x Monica Rich Kosann is built around three main styles: a queenly poesy ring, a bold bee charm, and a romantic locket, pieces that will instantly make sense to fans.

Kosann and her team also sprinkled diamonds throughout the collection, another nod to the show. Both seasons of Bridgerton center on the selection of the “Diamond of the Season,” the young, now-marriageable woman whom the queen deems to be the standout of the social season.

Crafted in the shape of the crown and baring a simple, bold message on the inside, QUEEN, the poesy ring is both a character reference—the most powerful person in the Bridgerton universe is Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel)—and a callback.

With a name derived from the French word for poem, poésie, a poesy ring is a ring with a message engraved on it, be it a religious belief or a pledge of loyalty to a lover or friend.

1-20221115_poesy ring gold.jpg — The 18-karat gold “Queen” poesy ring retails for $815.

2-20221115_poesy ring silver.jpg — The silver version is set with sapphires and retails for $160. It’s also available on a chain for $245.

3-20221115_poesy ring on chain.jpg — The gold version retails for $965 on a black steel chain and $1,365 on an 18-karat gold chain.

They’ve been made and worn since the Middle Ages and while personalization remains prominent in jewelry today, very few designers market their styles as “poesy” rings—except for Kosann.

Available in 18-karat gold with diamonds or sterling silver with white sapphires, the “Queen” poesy ring can be worn singularly, stacked, or on a chain. It retails for $160 to $1,365.

“Lockets are … the sexiest piece of jewelry a woman can wear.” — Monica Rich Kosann

An insightful insect, the bee weaves its way through both seasons of Bridgerton, symbolizing loss, grief, hope, female power and the pervasive gossip (i.e., the buzz) among “The Ton,” the show’s high-society characters.

The “Bee” charm is available in 18-karat gold with diamonds or in sterling silver with white sapphires and can be purchased on its own or on a chain. Prices range from $195 to $1,385.

Of course, no collection from Kosann would be complete without her brand’s signature piece, the locket.

“Lockets are sexy,” Kosann said. “It’s the sexiest piece of jewelry a woman can wear.”

Like the poesy ring and the bee charm, the Bridgerton locket incorporates symbolism from the show.

4-20221115_Wisteria locket gold.jpg — The vines on the “Wisteria” locket bend themselves into the shape of a heart and of a “B,” a nod to the Bridgerton family, while the series’ symbolic bee is on the back. The locket retails for $2,695 on its own in 18-karat gold, and $3,250 on an 18-karat gold chain.

5-20221115_Wisteria locket silver.jpg — The silver Wisteria locket is $445 without chain and $595 with chain.

6-20221115_bee charm silver.jpg — The wings of the “Bee” charm in silver are set with white sapphires. It retails for $195 on its own, and $295 on a sterling silver chain.

7-20221115_bee charm gold.jpg — The gold version of this incredible insect is $1,385 on an 18-karat gold chain (as pictured here), $985 on a black steel chain, and $835 without chain.

8-20221115_Bridgerton charm necklace.jpg — The collection also includes design-your-own charm necklaces and bracelets in gold and silver. The gold version pictured here is $5,930. “We want people to start collecting these pieces,” Kosann said.

The wisteria on its front curls into the shape of both a “soft heart,” as Kosann describes it, and the letter “B,” a nod to the series’ central family. There is a bee on the back of the locket.

The “Wisteria” locket is available in 18-karat gold with diamonds and sterling silver with white sapphires. Retail prices range from $445-$3,250.

 
Welcome back to Bridgerton! Season 3 is officially in production pic.twitter.com/t24N0wX4KT
— Netflix (@netflix) July 20, 2022

The first two seasons of Bridgerton are now available on Netflix, with the streaming service announcing in April 2021 that Seasons 3 and 4 are forthcoming. Filming for Season 3 has already begun, with Netflix tweeting behind-the-scenes footage over the summer.

Monica Rich Kosann is selling the Bridgerton fine jewelry collection at the brand’s two New York City stores as well as on its website.

Additional pieces are set to debut in the spring.