From Kim Kardashian to Doja Kat, ‘Teeth Jeweler’ Gabby Elan Talks the Rise of the Grill

Today’s luxury jewelry industry is booming with record-breaking auctions, social media trends and vibrant self-expression, to the point where people are accessorizing their mouths with dental jewelry, also known as “grillz.”

World jewelry market predicted Market intelligence data grow 7.95 percent of $56.5 billion (406.6 billion yuan) in 2022 to 60.9 billion dollars (438.3 billion yuan) in 2023.

And according to China Jewelry Trade Development Report in 2022, According to the China Gem and Jewelry Trade Association, China’s jewelry market is valued at approximately 719 billion yuan ($99.9 billion) in 2022, about the same as in 2021.

One particular area of ​​growth is dental jewelry, also known as grilling.

Along with the ever-growing cultural influence of hip-hop influencing the popularity of grillz, i.e.Young consumers and the trends driving the industry are changing as the industry rapidly expands.

“The stigma of grillz used to be: why would you wear that? This is trash or ghetto. But now everyone is wearing them, and it’s nice to see,” says Elan Pinkhasov, a representative of the New York jewelry brand Gabby Elan, founded in 1991 by his father Gabby Pinkhasov.

“The stigma of grillz used to be: why would you wear that? This is trash or ghetto. But now that everyone is wearing them, it’s nice to see it.”

The father-son duo grill for a loyal clientele of celebrities such as Pharrell Williams, Doja Cat, A$AP Rocky, Chris Brown, J Balvin, Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa.All of them are undoubtedly some of the most influential celebrities on the planet. This has spurred a massive adoption of dental gemstones, gold caps and grills, as well as a turn towards more personalized and adventurous jewelry shopping.

Elan Pinkhasov says that during his time at Grillz, the most detailed piece he created was the design of The Last Supper for American actor Luca Sabbat, which features an intricate presentation of the work of Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci that took about a month to write .

“You have to understand and analyze each client,” says Elan. “When they’re not sure what they want, you need to really study that client and learn more about their life, their history and what exactly represents them. I always do research whenever I get a new client. I’ll look for all their records, the album they’re best known for, color themes. Sometimes people don’t know how to express their preferences, and we try to find that for them.”

Elan’s clients range from 18 to 60 years old and come from a variety of professions. Grillz appeals to both men and women alike. For Asian jewelry consumers, quality is key without sparing any expense. Consumers in Asian countries typically select 18-carat or 22-carat diamonds from Gabby Elan. in London – 9 carats, and in America – 14.

“Grillz is just another way to express yourself and show your individuality. This trend has moved from celebrities to ordinary people,” says Elan. “Customizing a smile is very unique. This is the first thing people see. You can hide your wrist, watch or bracelet in your sleeve, but you can’t hide your smile.”

You are what you wear (on your teeth)

The role of jewelry as a link to human character should not be overlooked.

“They help us understand different parts of the history of hip-hop and how it evolved to where it is today,” says Cassandra Hutton, Sotheby’s senior vice president, global head of New York. Jing Daly. “Hip-hop is the largest cultural movement on the planet. Whether it’s jewelry, clothing or art, it’s hard to find a category that isn’t impacted in some way.”

Custom jewelry is being fueled by consumers’ growing desire to own something unique, driven in large part by the constant flow of trends in the music industry and social media. The value of bespoke works is also highlighted by auction houses such as the UK-based multinational Sotheby’s.

In July this year, music artist Drake bought the gold, ruby ​​and diamond ring of the late rapper Tupac Shakur for $1.01 million (7.2 million yuan), the most expensive hip-hop sale in global auction history.

Representatives from Sotheby’s Hatton explain that at auction, jewelry tends to surpass what it was originally invented for. “Objects are just vessels for meaning. You know, Tupac’s ring wasn’t even a ring to me. Obviously, because the cost is much greater than the cost of the materials, you know, gold, diamond and ruby ​​are nowhere near a million dollars,” she says.

The one-of-a-kind ring created by Shakur demonstrates the power of adding personality and character to jewelry, while also illustrating the impact that pop culture can have on the luxury industry.

Ultimately, however, it is the level of rarity that determines popularity at Sotheby’s auctions, Hutton says.

“First of all, I look for importance, whether it’s an influential object or something that people will recognize. Further, it depends on how sparse the object is. If you have lots and lots and lots of something, then the state is very important because you will have to compare all these things with each other. If you only have one, then the condition doesn’t matter.”

Most recently, Sotheby’s London autumn fine jewelery auction generated sales of more than $7.5 million (RMB 53.9 million), the second-highest figure ever achieved in the city.

Art becomes reality

The thread connecting the success of Sotheby’s and Gabby Elan’s is the expansion of celebrity culture. “In the music industry, artists become more than just musicians—they embody an entire lifestyle and personality that fans then emulate,” says Elan.

“Everything they do catches on, whatever they wear, people want to wear it. Wherever they go, people want to go,” he says.

Grillz may have once been reserved for famous rappers, but the connectedness of social media has given superstars a degree of visibility, causing the trends they set to filter through faster than ever before.

What’s more, Gen Z consumers see a lot of archival photos of celebrities that evoke nostalgia for an era they weren’t even a part of.

“All Gen Zers dress like they’re from the 1990s,” says Hutton. “It’s like the 1990s, remembering how people dressed in the 1960s and 1970s. There are a group of people who are not nostalgic, and there are people who are simply inspired by that period of time.”

The new face of jewelry appears to be driven by a consumer who champions individualization, self-expression, nostalgia and, most unabashedly, a love of popular culture.