Smart rings have gotten very popular in recent years, but for some people there is a major sticking point — smart rings are not very flashy or attractive. “I think that thing is so — God bless — ugly, that I cannot wear that thing, I just can’t do it,” one user told Business Insider about her new Oura ring. But she still really wanted the health benefits of the device, so she turned to a fine jeweler for help.
Henri Noël founder Vivian Grimes first had the idea to start selling high-end jackets for smart rings last fall. The custom pieces, made with real fine metal and jewels, start at $2,800 and have become quite popular. Since showing off the designs online in March, Grimes has received 40 customer enquiries with more coming in every day.
And she’s not alone — other fine jewelers throughout the U.S. have seen demand for custom smart ring jackets jump. A jeweler in West Hollywood has sold jackets that cost as much as $10,000. “I think jewelry designers, just like me, saw the growing popularity of something functional that we wanted to make beautiful too,” said Jenya Srour, founder and chief designer of 24kt Concierge.
