Move over, Eras Tour â Taylor Swiftâs engagement ring is officially inspiring a new era of luxury design. đ
The artist behind the dazzling sparkler that captured the worldâs attention â Kindred Lubeck, founder of Artifex Jewelry â is returning to the spotlight. And this time, sheâs taking her craft to the Sothebyâs auction block, where three extraordinary rings are expected to fetch up to a quarter of a million dollars each.
Fans and collectors alike are calling it âthe Taylor effectâ â the way one engagement has reignited the global obsession with antique stones and timeless handcraft.
đŤ The Auction Everyoneâs Talking About
Sothebyâs has confirmed that on November 13, the world will get a chance to bid on three breathtaking new designs by Kindred Lubeck, created in collaboration with famed gem dealer Anup Jogani.
The collection, fittingly named âThe Gem Drop,â features:
đ A 4.05-carat old mine white diamond
đ An 8.66-carat cognac diamond
đ A 5.48-carat vivid blue sapphire
Each set in luminous gold, every stone tells its own story â full of character, history, and light.
âI really just let the stone do the talking,â Lubeck told Sothebyâs. âIf the stone is more geometric, I let that shape influence the engraving. Every piece has its own voice.â
And collectors are listening. Sothebyâs estimates the rings could bring in between $210,000 and $300,000, though insiders predict bidding will soar far beyond that once the gavel drops.
đ The Legacy of Taylorâs Ring
The buzz surrounding this sale can be traced back to one now-iconic design â the engagement ring Lubeck crafted for Taylor Swift, reportedly valued in the multi-million range.
Swiftâs ring â an elongated old mine-cut diamond bezel-set in hand-engraved 18K gold â has been described by jewelry experts as âa modern love story told in antique sparkle.â Measuring an estimated eight to ten carats, the one-of-a-kind piece sparked a renaissance for vintage craftsmanship in the jewelry world.
âMy role in the jewelry world,â Lubeck said, âis to keep handcraft alive.â
The Art of Imperfection
What makes Lubeckâs designs â and Swiftâs ring â so captivating isnât just their beauty. Itâs their soul.
Unlike modern, laser-cut stones, antique diamonds are hand-cut with broad facets, each one slightly different, creating a softer, more romantic glow.
âModern cuts are like disco balls,â Lubeck explained during an appearance on The Today Show. âOld mine cuts? They have these wide, dreamy flashes â they sparkle like candlelight. Thereâs something deeply human about that.â
Itâs this sense of individuality â the idea that each stone is imperfectly perfect â that resonates deeply with collectors and romantics alike.
đ How Taylor Sparked the Trend
Ever since Taylor Swiftâs engagement to Travis Kelce, searches for âantique engagement ringsâ and âold mine-cut diamondsâ have skyrocketed across Google and Pinterest. Jewelers report that fans now crave rings with history, warmth, and personality â much like the pop superstar herself.
âPeople want something different,â said Kathleen Smith Craig, Sothebyâs Head of Fine Jewelry. âThey want a story. They want individuality. And Kindredâs work delivers that.â
The Swift effect, it seems, has turned antique artistry into the new modern luxury.
⨠From the Workbench to the World Stage
Behind the glamour, Kindred Lubeck remains grounded in her craft.
âItâs meditative,â she said of her engraving process. âItâs my form of peace. Every groove tells part of a story â the metal breathes when you work by hand.â
Her philosophy â that jewelry should carry meaning, not just sparkle â echoes the same authenticity that defines Swiftâs music.
đ° A Collectorâs Dream
Sothebyâs anticipates a global frenzy when bidding opens on November 10, with final sales taking place November 13.
Each ring in âThe Gem Dropâ is expected to command between $210,000 and $300,000, but jewelry insiders whisper that final bids could surpass half a million dollars once Swifties and collectors collide.
Because for many, this isnât just about owning a ring â itâs about owning a piece of a moment, a movement, and a love story that captured the world.
đš The Takeaway
From the candlelit sparkle of an antique diamond to the modern glow of a superstarâs engagement, Kindred Lubeckâs artistry reminds us that beauty isnât found in perfection â itâs found in passion.
And as Taylor Swiftâs love story continues to inspire, her ring â and the woman who created it â have carved a lasting legacy in the world of fine jewelry.
When the hammer falls at Sothebyâs, one thing is certain: the magic that began on Taylor Swiftâs finger is far from over. đâ¨