The Minimalist Jewelry Brand With a Growing Cult Following

We're not afraid to admit that when it comes to our staple jewelry pieces, we wear them over and over again (as in, over a thousand times). Which means that only a few quality staples are worthy enough of making our jewelry edit (the finer the metal, the better it will wear). I personally have a gold choker necklace and brass cuff that I won't even take off to shower. So when we hear about a line that's designed to "never be taken off," we're all ears. That's exactly how every piece of minimal jewelry is designed by the Los Angeles–based brand J.Hannah.

Designer Jess Revesz started her namesake line four years ago, inspired by the vintage pieces she inherited from her grandmother, and today J.Hannah has something of a cult following. If you gravitate at all toward a clean, minimalist aesthetic in any facet of your life from fashion to architecture and interior design, you've likely come across her Instagram feed. It's the kind of beautiful medley where fine art inspirations live next to the shots of signet rings and pendant necklaces in a way that makes the latter seem to be directly influenced by the former.

We spoke with Jess, who told Who What Wear about starting J.Hannah, her advice to other female entrepreneurs and what led her to start a line of coordinating nail polish. Ahead read our Q&A with the jewelry designer.

What made you want to create J.Hannah?

In college, I was taking classes with a jewelry maker and I mostly had just been obsessed with jewelry since I was little. I inherited some pieces from my grandma and was very interested in how they were made. I was like, I'm going to figure out how to make it myself.

What's the most important thing you consider when designing?

Comfort is hugely important to me. I am very fussy. I don't like huge things or trend pieces. That's kind of also why it's all fine. I don't like the idea of a throwaway piece. I want people to really put it on and be able to wear it forever and have it for generations to come. I dress very simply, and I almost think of it as jewelry for non-jewelry wearers in a way. I want it to have some sort of special meaning outside of how it looks.

Which are the most beloved pieces that you inherited?

I inherited a few pieces from my grandmother, but I guess one of the most special pieces is a necklace that I wear almost every day. It's a midcentury piece with a delicate oval bead. My Clara Collection was named for my grandmother, and each design is centered around the oval bead from this necklace of hers with variations in the construction and placement of the beads.

Your designs are minimal but still quite distinct. Where else do you pull inspiration for your line?

I think vintage pieces, in general, are a huge inspiration for me. My main hobbies are flea markets and perusing Craigslist. I spend a lot of time looking at vintage jewelry, furniture, and art too. It provides me an interesting source of inspiration outside of just the internet.

Who is the J.Hannah customer?

The person who follows me takes a 360 approach. It's not just about seeing a piece of jewelry in the store and picking it up because you like it. We approach it from a more lifestyle angle of doing supporting content like creating stories about inspiration to support why you connect to the brand.

Which piece defines J.Hannah the most?

Definitely, the classic Oval signet. We have different variations of them like I'm wearing the stack signet right now, but this size oval piece is definitely the most identifiable.

Do you have any tips for stacking rings?

I don't really stack rings that often, but if I do stack rings, I do a pinky stack. I like the way it looks with a strong pinky and simple everywhere else.

Shop more J.Hannah

Now see which pieces of jewelry Who What Wear editors have worn over a thousand times.