Sacred Jewelry to Inspire your Inner Knowing

For as long as I can remember, I’ve looked for meaning in everything: plants, crystals, the ocean, mythology, music, meditation. With time, I began to understand that the meaning I found in all of these things ultimately had one source: myself. I also came to recognize that when we give our inner lives a place of importance, the whole world takes on a new light.

This search for meaning inspired me to become an artist and a jewelry designer. I wanted to create pieces that weren’t just adornment, but were symbols of awareness and self-worth. Sacred talismans that could be passed on and tell a story for a lifetime.

My own story begins on an island.

I was born in Mauritius and even though I now live and work in Shanghai, part of me never truly left my birthplace. The rhythm of island life continues to thrum through me like a heartbeat and express itself through my art.

Okra was a staple food in Mauritius. It was my mother’s favorite vegetable and she saw it as more than just food. It was nourishment for the body and the soul and eating it would make you shine from the inside out. Every evening before bed, she would slice some okra into thin pieces and soak it overnight, drinking the infused water in the morning as a way to cleanse and revitalize herself. This daily ritual fascinated me and inspired me to create my own rituals to honor my body, my spirit, my life, and my well-being.

When I launched my jewelry brand in 2013, I named it Okra as a way to honor my mother and the wisdom she shared with me. Okra is also an invitation to my customers to turn inward and reconnect with themselves and all that is sacred within them, through rituals, symbols, talismans, and whatever evokes serenity in their lives.

I infuse my jewelry with meaning by using “gifts from the earth” such as seashells, gemstones, and precious metals. I also use an ancient technique known as lost wax casting to create timeless heirlooms that are steeped in tradition and whose meaning won’t fade with time. Everything I make is with the intent of awakening awareness and to remind my customers that “the power isn’t out there, it’s in you.” (This is a quote I love by writer Marie Forleo.)

Julie Pang Artist, Jewelry Designer, Mother, and Okra Founder