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In Las Vegas, BIJC Designers Bring Fresh Perspectives—and Serious Style

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Founded in 2020, the Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) has had a presence at JCK Las Vegas since 2022. This year, a smattering of its members are showing across The Venetian Expo. They include Dorian Webb at the Luxury show, Lauren Newton in the Design Collective at JCK, and Rejected Hearts Club in the show’s Fashion/Bridge pavilion.

While their lines reflect their individual experiences in the jewelry trade, collectively, all three designers highlight the industry’s continuing efforts to attract diverse talent and resonate with a broader community of buyers. Below, we offer a taste of what to expect in Vegas from this talented trio.

Dorian Webb
Dorian Webb hoops
18 mm knife-edge huggies in 18k gold with 0.365 ct. t.w. diamonds, $7,495; Dorian Webb

At stand D119 in the Luxury show, Oakland, Calif.–based designer Dorian Webb will introduce new pieces to her Trellis collection, including 18k yellow gold knife‑edge earrings and stackable rings set with natural diamonds. A 2026 finalist for the David Yurman Gem Award, Webb brings an architectural sensibility to the collection, which is designed to transition seamlessly from day to night. “The knife‑edge forms and stackable profiles invite collectors to layer, mix, and build their own stories,” Webb tells JCK, “making each combination a unique expression of the wearer’s vision.”

Dorian Webb band
Lattice knife-edge ring in 18k gold with 0.09 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,695; Dorian Webb
Dorian Webb ring
Trellis knife-edge ring in 18k gold with 0.27 ct. t.w. diamonds, $3,495; Dorian Webb
Lauren Newton
Lauren Newton diamond ring
Scallop signet ring in 18k gold with 3.02 ct. lab-grown old mine–cut diamond, $11,060; Lauren Newton

From playful, kitschy designs inspired by nostalgia for her childhood and her background in zoology to modern takes on Victorian-era motifs and gem setting techniques (including her signature scallop setting), Lauren Newton’s 18k gold fine jewelry collection reflects what she’s learned over 15 years as a bench jeweler. “I love the idea of luxury being playful and not taking itself too seriously,” she tells JCK. “Jewelry should be loved and lived in.”

The Brooklyn-based designer is showing at JCK for the first time this year—find her at booth 14049A in the Design Collective.

Lauren Newton purple sapphire ring
Scallop ring in 18k gold with 3.08 ct. purple sapphire and diamonds, $9,100; Lauren Newton
Lauren Newton star charm
Scallop Sea Star charm in 18k gold with 0.33 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,600; Lauren Newton
Rejected Hearts Club
Rejected Hearts Club Single Hearted Girl Brown Heart Earrings
Single Hearted Girl Brown Heart dangle earrings in gold-filled metal with enamel, $150; Rejected Hearts Club

Jamie Batiste founded Rejected Hearts Club in 2010 after losing her brother to a rare autoimmune disease and going through a breakup. The Austin, Texas–based entrepreneur is returning to JCK, where she’ll show a collection of “emotionally resonant fine jewelry at an accessible price point” at booth 12133 in the Bridge neighborhood.

Rejected Hearts Club Story of Three Hearts studs
Story of 3 Hearts studs in 14k rose gold with lab-grown diamonds, $650; Rejected Hearts Club

Take, for example, the Story of Three Hearts stud earrings, one of the brand’s signature styles, designed to sit close to the ear “as a quiet daily reminder that your heart was always worth keeping,” Batiste says, referring to the brand’s founding ethos, which is based on the idea of three hearts: “the heart you gave away freely, fully, without hesitation; the heart that was handed back to you, rejected; and the heart we give back to you.”

Top: Socialite Celeste necklace in copper-tone wire with blue hematite beads and rose gold stainless steel hearts, $300; Rejected Hearts Club

By: Victoria Gomelsky

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