Foundrae Sues Pandora Over Alleged Medallion Design Copying, Seeks Recall

Foundrae, the New York jewelry brand founded by Beth Hutchens in 2015, filed a federal copyright infringement suit against Pandora in February, accusing the Danish jewelry giant of copying two of its signature medallion designs for Pandora's Talisman collection. The case, filed February 17 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (no. 1:26-cv-01331), names Pandora's "Crossing Arrows" and "Sun and Moon" medallions as the infringing pieces. Foundrae's complaint, brought by law firm Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, alleges both designs copy expression protected by Foundrae's registered copyrights.

Pandora launched its Talisman collection in August 2025, its first venture into medallion jewelry, with 12 pieces featuring symbols including a lion, a rose, arrows, and celestial motifs. Foundrae's court documents state the collection is "so similar in look and feel to FoundRae's signature pieces, and the marketing tactics promoting the collection so reminiscent of FoundRae's aesthetic, that FoundRae found itself fielding inquiries from customers pointing out the similarities." Beyond the general resemblance, the complaint singles out two designs: the "Crossing Arrows" and "Sun and Moon" medallions copied "nearly verbatim the protected expression of the original designs."

The complaint's timeline matters. Foundrae sent Pandora a cease-and-desist letter in October 2025; according to the complaint, Pandora continued selling the disputed pieces regardless. That sequence underpins Foundrae's claim that Pandora "has engaged in willful copyright infringement in violation of the Copyright Act of 1976."

Foundrae seeks monetary damages, both actual and statutory, a permanent injunction barring further sales, seizure and destruction of infringing items, and a full recall from distributors.

Hutchens founded Foundrae in 2015, building the brand around 18-karat gold medallions set with diamonds and drawing on mythology, nature, and classical symbols across more than 20 distinct designs, including motifs such as a lion, a rose, arrows, and celestial imagery. She is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, was nominated for the CFDA's Emerging Designer of the Year in 2019 as the only jewelry designer in the category, and received the 2018 Town & Country Jewelry Award for Breakthrough of the Year. The brand has attracted celebrity clientele including Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Emily Ratajkowski.

The contrast at the center of this case is stark. Foundrae's 18-karat gold medallions occupy the fine jewelry market, while Pandora operates at mass-market scale with global retail distribution. The Talisman collection entering that symbolic vocabulary, at volume, is precisely what Foundrae's complaint frames as the harm. Pandora had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.