Famed jewelry designer and Netflix’s “Bling Empire: New York” cast member, Lynn Ban, passed away at Aspen Valley Hospital in Aspen, Colorado, on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 2:15 PM. Ban, 52, endured a traumatic brain injury during a family ski vacation three weeks prior to her death.
Ban’s son, Sebastian, confirmed her passing via an Instagram post. “My mum passed away on Monday. I know she wanted to share her journey after her accident and brain surgery, so I thought she would appreciate one last post sharing the news to people who supported her.” He continued, “She was a fighter until the end and is the strongest woman I know. She was the funniest and coolest mum I could ever ask for. She took care of me, my dad, and our entire family throughout her whole life.”
The incident happened on December 24, 2024, at Aspen Mountain. “At the top of the mountain, I caught a tip and face planted,” Ban shared on Instagram on December 30. Initially suspected of having a concussion by ski patrol paramedics, Ban soon exhibited more severe symptoms. “I went in a taxi with Jett [Kain, her husband] and within 30 minutes they told us I had a brain bleed and needed to be airlifted to the trauma hospital.”
Ban was immediately operated on for an emergency craniotomy at the trauma center on December 24. Despite optimism from her medical team during the initial recovery phase, complications surfaced in mid-January. In her last public update on December 30, Ban said, “Last thing I remember was being intubated and waking up after an emergency craniotomy with Jett by my side.”
Born in Singapore and a graduate of New York University’s Stern School of Business and Parsons School of Design, Ban established a successful jewelry business known for its gothic and architectural aesthetics. Her signature collections included the Armor Series, with sterling silver pieces and black rhodium plating, and the Pavé Coil rings that Madonna wore during her 2023 Celebration Tour.
In 1992, after finishing her studies at NYU, Ban started Genki, a vintage couture boutique in the SoHo district of New York. The store, which specialized in 1970s and 1980s Versace and Chanel pieces, stayed in business until 2011. Subsequently, Ban launched Lynn Ban Jewelry, crafting dramatic pieces that attracted the attention of stylists and celebrities.
Her designs, priced between $300 to $25,000, attracted a high-profile clientele. Notably, Lady Gaga wore Ban’s chrome-plated silver pieces during her 2017 Super Bowl performance. Beyoncé donned her jewelry in the “Formation” music video. Additionally, Rihanna sported Ban’s designs in over 20 magazine editorials from 2012 to 2024.
By 2024, Ban had expanded her business to have showrooms in New York, London, and Paris. Her collections were available in high-end retailers such as Barneys New York, Dover Street Market, and Harvey Nichols. In November 2024, Ban revealed plans to open a flagship store in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands in 2025.
She was also a cast member on Netflix’s “Bling Empire: New York,” which premiered in January 2023. The show provided a glimpse into her personal life with husband and business partner Jett Kain, and featured their Manhattan penthouse and Ban’s vintage fashion collection, estimated to be worth over $1 million. Although Netflix discontinued the show in March 2023, Ban started filming a documentary about her jewelry business in October 2024.
Ban’s death is the second loss for the “Bling Empire” franchise, following the demise of Anna Shay in June 2023.
