Our History

Inspired by their extensive travels, and with a desire to make handcrafted, quality fine jewelry available to more people, Simon and Elizabeth open Vinca’s doors on the Country Club Plaza. At the time, the store was located on the third floor of the Plaza’s Seville Square, which has since been transformed into a movie theatre.

Vinca hires its first on-site jeweler-craftsman, Dung, and doubles its capacity to bring custom designs to life in house. Dung is still a part of the Vinca team today.

Simon makes his first visit to the opal mines in Central Australia, establishing another important from-the-source connection for gemstones.

Vinca gains entry into the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, the world’s pre-eminent jewelery show. Simon brings his middle daughter, Katherine, on the trip.

The family craftsman tradition is passed on, as Simon and Elizabeth’s then-13-year-old son Christian learns to cast gold and starts to design his first pieces.

Tu (far right) joins the Vinca team, establishing new systems and codes for customer care. Tu serves as Vinca’s store manager today.

Vinca moves to its current home at 4801 Jefferson Street. The street-level address cements Vinca’s place as a cornerstone of the Country Club Plaza, and allows for more people to be exposed to its unique designs through beautiful window displays.

Simon and his son Christian are invited the exclusive Annual Tahiti Black Pearl market, where they spend six days watching the harvest of natural black pearls, then selecting the inky beauties that will become part of many of Vinca’s signature pieces.

Simon and Elizabeth welcome their first grandchild, baby Elizabeth, into the family.

Vinca sends out its first original holiday card, a tradition that has greeted customers in their mailbox every holiday season since .

The Vinca family grows to 20: Simon and Elizabeth, their four children, and 9 grandchildren, with another expected in mid-2018. Blessings abound. Thank you, Kansas City, for letting us serve you.