Dara Kaye Jewelry has jumped on the “cute monster” craze with its new LeKayeKaye charm, a creature of its time that hopefully will have more investment potential than its fluffy counterpart.

The monster charm adds designer Dara Kaplan’s touch to the Labubu phenomenon that has taken over the cultural zeitgeist recently. Hype around these stuffed monsters has become so huge that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez reportedly received Labubu dolls as gifts at their lavish Italian wedding over the weekend.

Priced at $1,890, Dara Kaye’s 14k gold LeKayeKaye is posher than its plush pals. The on-trend jewel features lab-grown diamonds as the monster’s eyes and a lab-grown diamond pavé bail.

“It’s done the Dara Kaye way—elevated, and with solid gold and lab-grown diamonds,” Kaplan says. “As for wearing the LeKayeKaye charm, we personally love it on a long charm necklace, stacked with more subtle pieces.”

Kaplan expects her monster to delight clients. “Jewelry is not only a deeply personal item but so often considered serious, especially when it involves diamonds. But women today are throwing out the traditional playbook, which is why we are seeing more demand for unexpected and novelty pieces from our clients,” she says.

“That does not mean she is compromising on quality. She is adding these playful layers as investment pieces from her favorite jewelers.”

Collectors have gone crazy for Labubus—available as plush toys and figurines made by Chinese company Pop Mart—ever since Lisa, from the chart-topping K-pop band Blackpink, posted a picture with one on social media in April 2024. Trendsetters from Rihanna to Madonna to David Beckham subsequently posted similar photos, and the Labubu hunt began.

Despite their popularity, Labubus are not always described in the most positive terms: The Wall Street Journal called them “creepy little trolls” and quoted one owner as saying they are “ugly little critters.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the dolls are “affordable, feel-good pleasures” that gained popularity in response to another kind of monster: economic and political uncertainty.

Monsters always have a role to play in the human mind, Kaplan says, whether it is the idea of one hiding under your childhood bed or the “monstrous” ways people can act when provoked.

But they’re also beloved and memorable characters in children’s TV shows and movies, like Elmo and the other monster muppets on Sesame Street or DoodleBob, a drawing by SpongeBob SquarePants that comes to life.

“Yes, monsters are having a moment, but I think it alludes to something a bit deeper,” Kaplan says. “Monsters, plushies, and toys from when we were younger draw back to a childhood nostalgia and playfulness, which is why we are seeing adoption of these items being woven into our wardrobes and accessories.

“People want things that simply make them smile right now, and these little monsters certainly do,” she adds. “I can’t say that I own a Labubu. This little gold-and-diamond charm is much more my style.”

One has to wonder what else is in Kaplan’s sketchbook—another summertime trend charm, perhaps?

“I’ve never been one to follow rules—let’s be realistic, I started a fine jewelry brand that exclusively uses lab-grown stones,” the designer says. “As for what’s next: So much more, and never say never.”

(Photos courtesy of Dara Kaye Jewelry)

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