Shin Ye Gwon's brand name is David Avalon, and it is estimated that he has made 400 grills in recent years, one of which is for Blackpink's Lisa.

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Seoul-For Shin Ye Gwon, a jewelry manufacturer under the brand name David Avalon, his latest work is a very special piece: a white gold and diamond necklace with the word "LM" designed for superstar rapper Lisa .

For a 24-year-old Korean hip-hop fan, getting commission is an important moment. It all started with the dental mold he made when he was a teenager and taught himself to make grills.

In a practical elevator-free studio near the bustling Seoul Station, Mr. Shin is now creating jewelry grills for Korean tough guys and tough guy singers, from diamond-studded jewelry (for example, Lisa’s necklace, which contains more than 400 small pieces). of).

He and his team of three are responsible for most of the manufacturing work, although he will send parts for professional work such as casting, electroplating and sometimes laser engraving.

On a recent afternoon, when Mr. Shin talked about meeting with Thai rapper Lisa, he was very excited. She is also a member of the Korean girl band Blackpink. Her first solo album "Lalisa" (her full name is Lalisa Manoban) was released in September and has sold 736,000 copies in Korea alone (the popular single’s video has been viewed more than 330 million times on YouTube) .

About three years ago, she met Mr. Shen because her stylist wanted her to make a grill for the video. "She came to me for a grill that fits her, and we realized that we were our peers and had a huge passion for rap and hip-hop," he said. "We became friends and she checked my work on Instagram."

Mr. Shin declined to disclose the price of the "LM" necklace, but said that the most expensive commission he has done for a Korean brand designer so far is $253,000.

He is already designing another necklace for the rapper. "I stubbornly want to create multiple versions for any product, so when a customer shows a design, I suggest to make 10 more," Mr. Shen said. "I believe that the essence of custom jewelry is to provide customers with a unique and unique symbol. I think this is the designer's mission to come up with better and more interesting ideas."

Mr. Shin, who was born in Seoul, said that he became interested in jewelry around the age of 6, even though he was always attracted by shiny objects. Then, when I was a teenager, "I saw a photo of American rapper ASAP Rocky wearing braces on the album cover for the first time. The moment I saw it, I felt a strong'that's it'," He said. "When I created my first grill in 2015, Korean grill culture did not exist."

Mr. Shen said that this is all trial and error. In 2016, he studied jewelry design at the Busan Institute of Science and Technology, but left after one semester—and then worked as an apprentice at a jewelry manufacturer that just started making grills.

But "There were a lot of complaints because the braces were inappropriate and very uncomfortable. I knew at the time that I needed to study this by myself," Mr. Shen said. "When I was an apprentice, the grill was too thick. Singer can't rap. It's thinner and easier to pronounce."

Using the information he found on the Internet, he made about 100 molds of his own teeth, each of which was slightly different, until he was satisfied with the final grill.

He estimates that in the past six years, he has made about 400 grills, and each grill is made with the customer’s alginate molds, which are the same as the impressions used by dentists and orthodontists. The materials are the same. Some grills carry logos, such as currency symbols, and can almost make the wearer stand out. He said the price is usually between US$2,500 and US$21,000.

"Bottom grills and side grills are very popular," he said. "More subtle. A bit mysterious."

Mr. Shen said that most of his works are passed on by word of mouth—literally—he has a long list of grills made for rappers: one is Penomeco’s mother-of-pearl; Loopy’s 14-carat gold model; And a 14-carat white gold and diamonds, designed for Justthis.

His rapper customers also order specialty jewelry. For example, Mr. Shen often wears his iconic gold cross and matching gold ring. Rapper BewhY asked Mr. Shin to make a similar necklace for him.

"He wanted it to be a cross because he was a very devout Christian, so I thought of Baroque design," Mr. Shen said. "I don't know why, but I suddenly thought of this idea, and BewhY said it was exactly what he wanted." Although BewhY's is decorated with pearls and diamond-studded rose gold details.

"There is no other person in South Korea who does a job like David Avalon," BewhY, whose real name is Li Bingyun, said in an email. "He doesn't make typical custom jewelry. It's only a matter of time before he is recognized by the world."

Mr. Shen said that he chose the name David Avalon for his brand—sometimes abbreviated to Avlon or Avln—because it is a combination of his favorite name David and a variant of the word abalone. The main components of many of his designs have been extracted. These two words and some related concepts are woven into his life and brand story in many ways.

He said that when he was a child, his mother often encouraged him to become "like David," the man in the Bible. David's face-Michelangelo's version-appears in many of Mr. Shin's works, from earrings to rings.

His hair was cut high, revealing a laurel wreath tattoo that wraps around his head and back of his head (and the tattoo on his neck spells his name, Gwon, in Chinese characters, ancient Korean characters system). He said that he associated the laurel crown with the biblical character David and used it as a symbol of "eternal and immortal glory", which is the slogan of his brand.

Mr. Shin also uses laurels in many of his designs. The core product of his autumn collection is called David Piece, which is a necklace made of approximately 6,000 diamonds, with a total weight of 45 carats and a price of approximately US$120,000. It is equipped with a laurel-shaped bracelet made of 2,200 diamonds, a total weight of 16 carats, and a value of $55,000.

These works are displayed on the brand's new website, which debuted earlier this month and arranged for international sales and shipping. Mr. Shen said that these works are status symbols and expressions of the young people who led the country's pop culture explosion.

“Most of the younger generation who consume fine jewelry here focus on unique and bold jewelry designs and high-end materials, while the older generation focuses on more traditional designs and well-known brands,” he said. "The purpose of consuming jewelry for all generations is to show off their wealth. But for young Koreans, high-quality high-end jewelry symbolizes success."