Frank Ocean, G-Dragon: Fine jewelry merchandise potential

As luxury consumers increasingly prioritize investment purchases and fan culture continues to boom, music artist-led fine jewelry is emerging as a trend-to-watch. Despite sporadic crossovers between music and fine jewelry, the space remains underdeveloped. Yet, the combination of luxury’s fastest-growing category, and the cultural influence of global fan communities presents a growing opportunity for fine jewelry merchandise. K-pop icon G-Dragon’s ongoing partnership with high-jewelry house Jacob & Co. marks one of the most high-profile intersections between music and luxury this year. The music artist’s brand Peaceminusone collaborated on a recent collection that reimagines the artist’s signature daisy motif in pendants, with one priced at $1,200 and another at $11,000. These price tags are evidently aimed at K-pop’s older audience demographic of Gen Zers or young millennials. In general, being a K-pop fan is an expensive hobby, due to the price of concert tickets, merchandise, and other collectible items, which translates to a demographic of high-spending consumers who brands want to engage. “G-Dragon has been a longstanding friend, partner, and supporter of Jacob & Co. Our shared commitment to creative excellence and mutual respect for each other’s artistry has fueled a partnership that continues to evolve,” says Benjamin Arabov, CEO of Jacob & Co. “Over the years, we’ve collaborated on pieces such as the one-of-one Peaceminusone Daisy Lapel Pin, the Astronomia Solar G-Dragon Timepiece, and now the Peaceminusone Pendant. Each project builds on the last, and we’re excited to keep creating more together.” While G-Dragon represents the collaboration model, other artists are pioneering the independent brand-building approach. Frank Ocean’s luxury label Homer has also been reasserting its presence this year after a two-year social media hiatus, reigniting buzz by having Spanish pop idol Rosalia star in a new campaign, and opening new stores in Los Angeles, London, and New York. Additionally, the brand unveiled its Frankenstein-Cord collection, co-created with New York jewelry legend Barry Kieselstein-Cord. It spans from $535 earrings to an 18k white gold, lab-grown diamond “High Jewelry Necklace” priced near $700,000. Exploring untapped potential Between 2019 and 2023, leather goods and jewelry grew faster than any other personal luxury goods category, driven by rising demand for investment pieces, according to McKinsey. The consultancy also forecasts both will continue to outpace the luxury market from 2025 to 2027, with 4% to 6% annual growth. While Homer has previously come under scrutiny for high price tags (the brand sold a sex toy for $25,000 in 2022), there is evidently an increasing appetite for investment in fine jewelry in 2025. In recent years, though, a growing roster of K-pop stars has become the face of fine jewelry campaigns, underscoring the genre’s influence in luxury marketing. Blackpink’s Jennie has fronted multiple Chanel high jewelry collections, while Jisoo has been a global ambassador for Cartier’s Panthère line. Blackpink’s Rosé represents Tiffany & Co., often debuting pieces from its high jewelry range on red carpets, and Lisa has appeared in Bvlgari’s Serpenti and high jewelry campaigns. Beyond Blackpink, Exo’s Kai has worked with Gucci’s fine jewelry division, and Aespa’s Karina recently joined Chopard as a friend of the house. These partnerships, while impactful in terms of brand visibility, largely follow a traditional ambassador model, leaving open the opportunity for K-pop talent to move beyond endorsing fine jewelry into designing or co-creating collectible, artist-led pieces. As well as music’s most fashionable figures, other experiments hint at untapped space: Pharrell’s Joopiter auctions have sold personal luxury objects to global collectors; Travis Scott has commissioned custom Cactus Jack pieces from jewelers to anchor his merchandise universe. In Asia, where fan culture already drives high-ticket spending, fine jewelry collaborations could be the next logical upgrade from tour merchandise hoodies or posters. For Arabov, it was a no-brainer to work with a K-pop star. “G-Dragon’s influence in South Korea and across Asia is unparalleled,” he says. “This [latest] pendant speaks to his audience on a personal level. Collectors and fans see it not only as a piece of jewelry but as an extension of his creative world. In markets where artistry and craftsmanship are celebrated, the pendant quickly became both a style statement and a meaningful limited edition keepsake.” Luxury is about investment in 2025 Jewelry’s resilience is tied largely to its investment potential, as well as the emotional weight that it holds as a category. Consumers are more willing to spend more on pieces that are gifts, or will increase in value over time. McKinsey notes that in the near future, personal luxury shoppers will prioritize purchases with enduring value, both financial and cultural. In this sense, the combination of music artist merchandise and fine jewelry is a marriage of investment-led buying and experience-driven consumption. Clients are becoming more interested in luxury experiences, not just luxury goods, McKinsey writes in the report. A pendant, ring, or brooch conceived by an artist and released in tandem with an album or performance is both an artifact of that experience and a lasting, tradable object. If sneakers and streetwear collaborations turned limited-edition apparel into speculative assets, music-driven fine jewelry could do the same, only starting from a higher base of intrinsic value. That in turn could create a new collectible class, where rarity, materials, and cultural cachet combine to entice both superfans and seasoned collectors. The convergence of a growth market in fine jewelry, an evolving luxury consumer mindset, and a global fan economy primed for high-value purchases makes this a ripe moment for music artists to enter the category in earnest. Frank Ocean and G-Dragon have shown two viable paths: brand-building and high-profile collaborations. The next frontier will belong to the artists who can merge their creative identity with jewelry’s investment appeal, turning fan devotion into enduring cultural and financial value.

Unpacking the fine jewelry merchandise opportunity

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Unpacking the fine jewelry merchandise opportunity