Noted jewelry designer and “Bling Empire: New York” personality Lynn Ban, passed away on January 20, 2025, at 2:15 PM. She died at the Aspen Valley Hospital in Aspen, Colorado, following a traumatic brain injury incurred during a family ski trip. Ban was 52 at the time of her death.
Ban’s son Sebastian announced her passing on Instagram. In his post, he noted that she had wanted to document her journey after her accident and brain surgery, so he felt she would “appreciate one last post” informing those who supported her. He described her as a “fighter until the end” and the “strongest woman” he knew, adding that she was the “funniest and coolest mum” who dedicated her life to caring for their family.
Ban’s injury occurred on December 24, 2024, at Aspen Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. In a December 30 Instagram post, she recounted losing control at the summit, saying she “caught a tip and face planted.” Initially examined by ski patrol for a concussion, her condition worsened. She recalled taking a taxi with her husband, Jett Kain, and learning within “30 minutes” that she had a brain bleed and needed to be airlifted to a trauma hospital.
Emergency craniotomy surgery was conducted at the trauma center on December 24, 2024. The initial recovery period saw optimism from her medical team, but complications developed in mid-January 2025. Her last public update on December 30, 2024 read, “Last thing I remember was being intubated and waking up after an emergency craniotomy with Jett by my side.”
Born and raised in Singapore, Ban attended New York University’s Stern School of Business and Parsons School of Design. She developed a jewelry empire renowned for its gothic aesthetic and architectural designs. Her signature collections included the Armor Series, sterling silver pieces with black rhodium plating, and the Pavé Coil rings Madonna wore during her 2023 Celebration Tour.
Following her graduation from NYU in 1992, Ban opened Genki, a vintage couture boutique in the SoHo district of New York. The boutique, specializing in Versace and Chanel pieces from the 70s and 80s, operated until 2011. Ban then started Lynn Ban Jewelry, producing dramatic pieces that attracted stylists and celebrities.
Ban’s designs, priced between $300 and $25,000, drew a high-profile clientele. Pieces from her collection adorned Lady Gaga during her 2017 Super Bowl performance, and Beyoncé featured her jewelry in the “Formation” music video. Moreover, Rihanna wore Ban’s designs in over 20 magazine editorials from 2012 to 2024.
By 2024, Ban’s enterprise had grown to include New York, London, and Paris showrooms. Luxury retailers like Barneys New York, Dover Street Market, and Harvey Nichols featured her collections. In November 2024, she announced plans to open a flagship store at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore in 2025.
Ban and her husband, Jett Kain, were featured in Bling Empire: New York, which premiered on Netflix in January 2023. The show showed their Manhattan penthouse and her “million-dollar” vintage fashion collection. Although Netflix canceled the series in March 2023, Ban continued her passion for storytelling, beginning work on a documentary about her jewelry business in October 2024.
Ban’s passing represents the second loss for the “Bling Empire” series, with Anna Shay’s passing occurring in June 2023.