Monica Rich Kosann has always been a storyteller.
Growing up in New York City and attending the legendary High School of Music & Art (the “Fame” school), before college and studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, she discovered her passion when her father handed her his old camera to “play” with as a teenager. She was “immediately smitten,” she says, and soon launched a successful career as a portrait photographer. But it was her habit of gifting vintage powder compacts and antique cigarette cases to photography clients that sparked something deeper — a realization that sentimental, emotional pieces struck a profound chord with women.
In 2004, Kosann transformed that insight into her eponymous internationally recognized fine-jewelry brand in her hometown of New York City (monicarichkosann.com). What began with reimagining the traditional locket, which is still what she’s best known for, has evolved into a collection of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
After building a devoted following in Michigan, Kosann opened her newest boutique at the Somerset Collection in Troy in October 2024 — her first freestanding store outside of the New York area, joining two Manhattan locations and a shop at Bergdorf Goodman.
The Somerset Collection boutique showcases the brand’s commitment to sustainable, ethical luxury. As a Certified B Corporation (designating that a business meets high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency), Kosann crafts heritage pieces using 18K yellow gold, sterling silver, precious gemstones and diamonds — quality meant to last from generation to generation.
“Our jewelry allows the wearer to express herself,” she says. “It becomes her daily armor and fosters a connection — it has a function and a purpose, and that really moves me.”
A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she's built her reputation on a simple but powerful philosophy: “Your Story, Not Ours.”
“I found that there was something emotional to be explored on a deeper level,” says Kosann, who runs her business with her husband. “I began with lockets and then got into charms — but everything I design is about empowering a woman for her daily life and marking her milestones. We appreciate when others tell us that we created a fine jewelry category around personal storytelling. It’s something I’m very proud of.”
Kosann’s designs are rooted in an appreciation of vintage and antique pieces, as “they are unique and evoke the time, the craftsmanship and care each one holds,” she says. With a nod to history and sentiment, she breathes new life into antique designs with a modern freshness — creating spaces for mantras, inspirations and cherished photographs. Her pieces have adorned everyone from Gisele Bundchen and Sarah Jessica Parker to Kelly Clarkson, and featured in the pages of Vogue, The New York Times and Harper's Bazaar.
“Lockets are the sexiest piece of jewelry a woman can wear,” says Kosann. “They hold her secrets.”
“Everything I design is about empowering a woman for her daily life and marking her milestones." — Monica Rich Kosann