Born To Shine

Greg Yüna grew up in the jewelry business and has won over an A-list clientele by fusing lifestyle and artistry in his custom designs

- by JANEÉ BOLDEN

IN NEW YORK CITY THE STREETS TELL THEIR own stories. On Mulberry Street in Nolita, where boutiques and restaurants line the blocks, one storefront stands apart. Step inside Greg Yüna's flagship store and you'll find cases gleaming with fine jewelry, where each piece carries the weight of a personal story.

For Queens native Yüna, the move to Nolita in 2024 was about rewriting the rules of luxury, walking away from the city's Diamond District where he got his start and betting on himself in a way that fused artistry, authenticity and risk.

"I never really felt comfortable selling a $100,000 piece out of a little kiosk," he told Newsweek during a visit to the store. "I wanted to give people more of an experience. Something luxe, something unique. I'd always wanted to be downtown."

Yüna grew up surrounded by the cultural diversity that defines New York. "Queens was a melting pot," he said. "I had friends from every background. You pick up a little bit of everything, and it shapes you. That's the beauty of being from New York."

Jewelry was, quite literally, in his bloodline. His grandfather had worked in the trade in Russia before the family migrated, and Yüna eventually began apprenticing with uncles in the Diamond District. By 2009, he was working full time in the family business. It was there, amid the suits and hard sells of 47th Street, that he noticed a void in fine jewelry that reflected the tastes of his peers, a generation of trendsetters who'd built their fortunes in arts and entertainment.

"I spoke the language of the culture," he said. "Everyone else was in a suit and tie. I was just being myself. When people from the worlds of hip-hop, fashion or sports walked in, they came straight to me."