How I Got Here: Derin Dündar Makes Jewelry for Unconventional Love Stories

Here’s a little-known but fascinating fact about Ursula Rickmers founder Derin Dündar: His first job was as a child voice-over actor for Turkish television, and he was the Turkish voice of Macaulay Culkin.

“In Turkey, all international movies and shows are dubbed. And this isn’t merely a technical process but an art form unto itself,” Dündar explains. “Each Hollywood actor traditionally has a dedicated Turkish voice—a convention taken quite seriously in the industry.”

It was a “beautifully circuitous” path from voice-over to fashion merchandising to antique rugs to fine jewelry, Dündar says. But it’s a journey that shaped who Dündar is and helped set the foundation for his newest enterprise, Ursula Rickmers.

Dündar lives in Miami, but his brand’s fine jewelry is made at a workshop in Istanbul. He and his craftspeople create art deco–inspired rings with rare sapphires and gray or salt-and-pepper diamonds. He describes them as unique engagement rings for unconventional love stories.

The Anthea ring ($7,520) features a 2.53 ct. pear-shape diamond in an east-west setting.

A prime example is Ursula Rickmers’ Anthea ring. Its center stone is a natural gray diamond in a rose-cut pear shape, set in a horizontal orientation. The 18k gold ring sparks curiosity and interest among those who see it, and are intrigued by its sideways look and the stormy depth of its unusual stone.

Dündar says he discovered his love for these special diamonds and the idea for an alternative fine jewelry label during a trip to Bangkok.

“These extraordinary stones had character and individuality that perfectly mirrored what I valued in my vintage textiles,” Dündar says. “The parallels between these seemingly disparate products—each unique with imperfections that enhance rather than dimmish their value—became the foundation for Ursula Rickmers.”

Dündar was born and raised in Istanbul, a city that bridges Asia and Europe. His father was an apparel merchant who had business in both continents. His mother worked in television. He graduated from a private English-language high school.

Derin Dündar found his way into fine jewelry from a rug company he established during the pandemic.

After high school, he moved to Italy to study Italian and attended Istituto Marangoni in Milan, focusing on fashion design and merchandising. He lived for a short time in Los Angeles, where he took business classes at Orange Coast College, but the high cost of living sent him back to Rome and, later, Istanbul.

Rather than finish college, Dündar at 23 created his first business, a fashion-merchandising company.

“The timing was strategic—Turkey’s textile exports were peaking, and I sensed an economic crisis on the horizon,” Dündar says. “I decided a head start in business was more valuable than completing my degree, a decision that despite its challenges proved formative for my future ventures.”

Dündar sold his company in 2019 and felt ready for a change. He started a vintage textile and rug business out of a pandemic-timed hobby, naming it Merak, which means curiosity in Turkish.

“It was during my time sourcing rugs in Istanbul’s historic Grand Bazaar that I discovered its hidden jewelry ateliers,” Dündar says. “I was introduced to master jewelry craftsmen and became immediately captivated by their work. I recognized a market gap for an alternative fine jewelry label that challenged convention, beginning with rings.”

The Arben ring ($11,980) has a 2.19 ct kite-cut Tanzanian sapphire that seems to shift between mint green and light teal hues.

Dündar says Ursula Rickmers is dedicated to preserving Istanbul’s centuries of traditional jewelry craftsmanship, but never at the expense of the brand’s aesthetic values. The brand’s designs honor these techniques while reimagining them for contemporary sensibilities.

“Our jewelry philosophy centers on celebrating the perfectly imperfect. Sustainability is nonnegotiable for us, which is why we exclusively use recycled white diamonds as accent stones,” says Dündar. “We deliberately avoid traditional white diamonds as centerpieces, finding them both conventionally marketed and less compelling than their colored counterparts.”

Because of the materials he prefers, Ursula Rickmers isn’t pursuing the traditional luxury customer. Instead, he says, he designs for the intellectually curious, design-focused client who values individuality over conformity.

“Our pieces speak to those who understand that true luxury lies in character and uniqueness rather than conventional status symbols,” Dündar says. “While we primarily create engagement rings, it wasn’t a strategic choice to enter a lucrative market. We simply believe that these important moments deserve something different, and we’ve found that many others feel the same way.”

Top: Derin Dündar is the founder of new fine jewelry brand Ursula Rickmers. (Photos courtesy of Ursula Rickmers)