PARIS – For most individuals, a visit to the dentist is a frightening prospect.
However for high-quality jeweler Nadine Ghosn, it was the beginning of her tenth jewellery assortment, a lineup titled “Keep Contemporary,” the place oral care merchandise dazzle.
There’s a wholesome squeeze of toothpaste, its colourful strains of lively elements become wavy stripes of princess-cut diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines, a brand new gem in her repertoire, for rings and earcuffs. Within the pipeline are earrings impressed by single-use picks.
The largest novelty is an articulated bracelet formed like a toothbrush wrapped across the wrist, bristles akimbo as if already used. Over 60 hours have been essential to hand-wrap every strand and set it, for an uneven outcome. Handles are set with rubies or emeralds, a nod to the colourful detailing on the item.
The concept sprang from a selfie with Drake, wherein the pair are seen grinning broadly. “We smiled so exhausting and I despatched the image to him, saying, ‘we glance so pleased,’” she stated. “Then he goes, ‘We appear like we simply went to the dentist.’”
Bristles seen up shut.
Courtesy of Nadine Ghosn High-quality Jewellery
Whereas many gained’t have fond reminiscences of journeys to get their oral care seen to – root canals and cavities, anybody? – Ghosn being Ghosn, it solely twigged her creativeness.
A toothbrush “symbolizes a routine exercise that some discover therapeutic and is without doubt one of the first and final issues we come throughout each day,” stated the designer, who habitually attracts inspiration from on a regular basis objects.
Plus, being first to offer, say, a toothbrush the high-quality jewellery therapy, with a technical problem as well, is how she retains forward of the curve and would-be copiers.
“It’s clearly at all times a bit scary, concerning one thing that’s a bit exhausting to glamorize,” she continued. “The sport was to glorify and embellish it in a means that brings extra constructive [connotations] and invitations a smile once they see the gathering.”
And since opinions might range on toothpaste flavors, it provides her plenty of room to play and invite her shoppers in.
Customization performs a giant half in Ghosn’s designs – and her enterprise.
“I just like the notion of doing issues otherwise however I additionally love to do them distinctive to an individual’s aesthetic or story,” she stated. “I like that the shopper turns into a part of the storytelling and I don’t suppose a whole lot of manufacturers can try this at present.”
Already in her bestselling stacking burger ring, there was a alternative of traditional or vegetarian, and now, a heaping of caviar may be added, à la Hailey Bieber.
And naturally, the label on her crayon design in collaboration with Crayola may be personalised, whereas totally different colours are represented by exhausting stone leads and bottoms. Bar the value distinction between gem stones, there aren’t any additional prices concerned for the shopper.
It’s a win-win that’s performed a big position in her model’s progress.
Final 12 months her enterprise topped the $4 million gross sales mark. Regardless of a basic slowdown of luxurious from the pile-on of U.S. tariffs, geopolitical turmoil and macroeconomic headwinds, the corporate’s revenues are rising double-digit year-on-year thus far in 2025. The model’s repeat buy price is over 75 p.c, the jeweler stated.
She additionally credit one issue that’s helped her hold her 10-year-old enterprise contemporary – a largely direct-to-consumer mannequin.
A toothpaste ring and articulated toothbrush bracelet from Ghosn’s “Keep Contemporary” assortment.
Courtesy of Nadine Ghosn High-quality Jewellery
Whereas early years noticed her retailing on the likes of Colette, Le Bon Marché and Bergdorf Goodman, it’s not too long ago been rarer to see her work in show circumstances.
Today, between 90 and 95 p.c of her items are instantly offered by way of trunk-show model occasions and even the odd DM on social media.
And on this economic system, not having inventory out on consignment is an asset for an impartial jeweler with out the means to hedge gold, because the mega manufacturers in Place Vendôme may do.
That stated, Ghosn continues to work with retailers that she considers highly effective prescriptors whose clientele has affinity together with her world for short-term retail residencies. Over the previous 12 months she has popped up at Dover Road Market in London and at upscale boutique Hirschleifers, in Manhasset, NY.
These have been an total fruitful expertise, together with producing long-tail gross sales as soon as on-site stock ran out.
Nonetheless, Ghosn “doesn’t essentially consider in the entire retail platform,” she stated. “I firmly consider that placing a intermediary slows down a whole lot of the processes and makes it much less intimate between the designer and shopper.”
Proximity, together with a knack for tongue-in-cheek designs, can also be how she shaped lasting relationships with a cadre of bold-faced names that today contains Drake, Lil Yachty and Justin Bieber, most not too long ago noticed carrying a succession of diamond-studded earrings by Ghosn.
“Preserving my autonomy is to protect that inventive spark and take dangers, be bolder but in addition hopefully be celebrated for taking these dangers,” she stated. “I keep true to constructing boldly on one thing that actually sparks creativity, pleasure and brings that type of childhood curiosity again to the desk, not less than within the high-quality jewellery house.”
