How I Got Here: Grace Winfrey Goes From Kinesiology to Gemology

By Karen Dybis | November 10, 2026

Think of Grace Winfrey’s journey into jewelry as a bit of Reese Witherspoon–like magic: She’s a Texas native who went to New York City to study gemology and ended up learning jewelry at one of the city’s biggest creative studios.

Winfrey channeled those Lone Star State memories and her Big Apple lessons on gemstones and bold color into her 2023 debut of Grace Winfrey Fine Jewelry. The brand speaks to her love of nature, travel, and symbolism.

This fall, Winfrey introduced her newest collection, Poppy Fortuna, inspired by nature and representations of luck and abundance. Throw in a little Italian landscape, and you have a collection filled with beans, clovers, sunflowers, and scarlet poppies.

It’s a surprising career transition for someone who studied yoga and kinesiology, Winfrey admits. But her heart and mind remained so focused on gemstones and finished jewelry she had to relent.

Grace Winfrey necklace — *The beaded necklaces, ladybug-shape jewelry, and rings in the Poppy Fortuna collection—such as this Garden Cigar Band ring ($23,450)—are inspired by Winfrey’s love of travel.*

“I’m fascinated by both the extraordinary things that come from the earth and the meaning we give them,” she says.

Winfrey grew up in Alexandria, Va., before moving to Austin halfway through her childhood. Her family has deep Texas roots, but her parents set up their first household in Alexandria to build their careers. Her mom is an interior designer originally from New Mexico, and family trips there gave Winfrey an appreciation for the state’s art, history, and culture, she says.

As a kid, Winfrey says she was fascinated by geology—many of her birthday gifts were, literally, boxes of rocks. It didn’t hurt that her grandfather was a real-life geologist, too. She read every document that came with these presents, learning the information about every specimen. She also loved her grandmother’s jewelry collection, and often organized it for her when the family visited.

“I’ve always been equally fascinated by the science of what comes from the earth and the beauty of what we can create from it,” Winfrey says. “For me, jewelry has always existed at the intersection of those two worlds.”

Grace Winfrey earrings — Sunflower Earrings With Ladybugs with 3.55 cts. t.w. yellow diamonds, 0.46 ct. t.w. smoky quartz, 0.32 ct. t.w. white diamonds, 0.24 ct. t.w. rubies, and 0.08 ct. t.w. black diamonds in 18k yellow gold, $30,950

Winfrey graduated in 2022 from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in kinesiology, which is the study of human movement and how the body functions. As a longtime yoga student–turned–instructor, Winfrey says she loves teaching and engaging people in their body and its strength.

However, jewelry and gemstones are a compelling lure, especially if you can get to NYC to study at the GIA. Winfrey gave in to her love for sketching finished jewelry designs and completed the Graduate Gemologist program in May 2023.

She says she pondered working for someone else and designing jewelry under someone else’s name. But the pull to create her own work was too strong. Still, she was only 23 and knew she needed to build relationships and experience in the industry.

A few months after founding her jewelry brand, she took a job at Necessary Excess, a creative studio founded by Meaghan Flynn Petropoulos specializing in jewelry brand development and wholesale sales. Winfrey spent a year as the Necessary Excess showroom manager soaking up all the knowledge she could.

Grace Winfrey bracelets — *Poppy Fortuna Lucky Bangle with 1.6 cts. t.w. emeralds, 0.74 ct. t.w. white diamonds, 0.53 ct. t.w. rubies, and 0.15 ct. t.w. black diamonds, and carved onyx in 18k yellow gold, $76,850*

“That experience was invaluable. I gained firsthand insight into the jewelry industry, the intricacies of running a small independent fine jewelry brand, and how to balance creativity with the realities of business,” she says.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that your creativity, imagination, and individuality are your greatest assets,” she says. “Someone else recognized something in me before I fully recognized it in myself, and I’m incredibly grateful to my mom for encouraging me to take that leap. I was terrified of failing and making mistakes, and I did both, many times. But those experiences taught me more than anything else could have. I’ve come to believe that sometimes, when something scares you, it’s a sign that it’s worth pursuing.”

It’s far from a conventional path, but each of these experiences has allowed Winfrey to shape her current role behind her own brand.

“Ultimately, my philosophy is simple: Joy is worth preserving. Jewelry has this unique ability to hold our most intimate memories while connecting us to one another. It’s a reminder that something deeply personal can also be deeply shared.”