Meet Kindred Lubeck, the designer behind Taylor Swift's engagement ring
Kindred Lubeck is a New York City-based goldsmith and the founder of Artifex Fine Jewelry. She designed and handcrafted Taylor Swift's vintage-inspired engagement ring with help from the pop star's fiancé, Travis Kelce. Swift is a fan of Lubeck's work, and her first reaction to the ring was:
I know who made this!
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Kindred Lubeck is originally from Neptune Beach, Florida, but is now based in New York City, where she permanently moved to in 2024.
- Her father, Jay Lubeck, has been a goldsmith in the Sunshine State for over 50 years.
- Travis Kelce approached Kindred Lubeck to handcraft Taylor Swift's engagement ring, which is made of a rare old mine-cut diamond.
Kindred Lubeck's profile summary
Full name | Kindred Lubeck |
Place of birth | Neptune Beach, Florida, United States |
Current residence | New York City, New York, United States |
Parents | Jay Lubeck |
Education | Florida State University (Psychology) |
Profession | Goldsmith, hand engraver, vintage jewellery collector |
Social media | |
Website |
Kindred Lubeck is a second-generation goldsmith
Kindred is the daughter of Jay Lubeck, a master goldsmith based in Neptune Beach, Florida. Jay's interest in metal smithing started when he was around 17 years old. He moved to Jacksonville Beaches, where he became one of the first goldsmiths to build his business from scratch.
Lubeck learnt everything about goldsmithing by working with her father. She shared in her September 2024 interview with Voyage Jacksonville that she joined his jewellery business in late 2019 after leaving her job at a law firm at the age of 24.
Kindred graduated from Florida State University with a psychology degree before she knew she wanted to follow in her dad's footsteps. She started working on silver pieces, and when Covid-19 hit, her father had more time to teach her. She eventually worked on perfecting her skills in hand engraving gold pieces.
Source: Original
Lubeck was inspired by Kent Raible's work
Kindred looks up to master jewellery and visionary artist Kent Raible, who is known for his style that incorporates 18-carat gold, colored gemstones, and the ancient technique of granulation. The veteran goldsmith has been crafting silver and gold pieces since the early 1970s.
Lubeck attended Kent Raible's advanced goldsmithing course in Washington state, where his studio is based. She calls him "a true goldsmithing master."
Source: Instagram
Kindred is building her business in New York City
In the early 2020s, Lubeck started sharing her engraved pieces on social media, and people began making requests. She established her jewellery business, Artifex Fine Jewelry, in 2023. She left Florida around June 2024 to run her goldsmithing studio in The Big Apple.
The goldsmith told Voyage Jacksonville in their September 2024 interview that she did not take a loan to start her business, just "hard work and dedication." Her focus is engagement rings, but she also engraves wedding rings, pendants, and necklaces.
Kindred shares her pieces on her Instagram, where she has over 393,000 followers, and her TikTok, which has garnered over 400,000 followers. Her rings cost from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.
On her official website, an Olenna 5.02ct Old Mine Cognac Diamond ring sells for $38,300. A Lionna 1.96ct Mali Garnet with 14k yellow gold goes for $6,320. Special requests and customised orders cost more.
Source: Instagram
How much did Taylor Swift's engagement ring cost?
Jeweller Kindred Lubeck made Taylor Swift's engagement ring with an Old Mine Brilliant cut diamond, which is known for its vintage qualities. It stands out for its elongated cushion-cut.
The real cost of the gold and diamond piece has yet to be made public. Several jewellery experts estimate it to be worth between $500,000 and $1 million.
Travis Kelce reportedly designed the engagement ring with Kindred Lubeck in New York City. The yellow gold stone stands out for its detailed hand engravings customised for the You Belong with Me hitmaker.
Source: Instagram
How Taylor Swift reacted to Kelce's customised ring
Swift announced her engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end on August 26, 2025, with a series of pictures and the caption "Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married." The post is one of the most liked Instagram posts in 2025 with over 37.6 million likes.
The couple started dating in 2023. During her October 2025 appearance on the Heart Breakfast radio program, Taylor revealed that she had shown Travis a video of Kindred's work about a year and a half before the proposal. She said his choice of ring and jeweller made her feel understood.
It was like, 'You really know me.' I didn't know what I would want, but he did somehow, and that's kind of a flex.
Source: Getty Images
Conclusion
Kindred Lubeck's genius in handcrafting special engagement rings has propelled her to the front of the jewellery industry, less than two years since she set up her business. She reveals on her website that she was told she would never be a successful jewellery designer, but working on Taylor Swift's ring has proven she chose the right profession.
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Source: Briefly News
