Jewelry Designer Spotlight: Mojee Design

It is 10 p.m. and Mojee Shokri’s creative juices begin to percolate. The luxe jewelry designer retreats to her design studio to mull over an inventory of semi-precious stones and fresh-water pearls scavenged from her travels in Southeast Asia, Turkey, and Iran. She remains steadfast weighing her options until inspiration strikes and the pattern is sketched in memory. Only then does she call it a day – as dawn breaks.

Shokri’s non-traditional work hours suit her personality and equally her collections: bold and ambitious. Her restless spirit led her to DC from Iran to study ten years ago and one art class later, she found her vocation as an artist.

She honed her skills in photography and painting before perfecting her craft in jewelry design. The only thing missing was her enterprise.

In true entrepreneurial-fashion, she knocked on the doors of the nation’s capital most reputable jewelry stores and introduced herself to Washington’s elite.

“I was young but persistent,” says the now 30-year-old. “If you love what you do then you just have to get yourself out there.”

Her collections are sold at Keith Lipert Gallery, Wink, and Muleh, and have been featured in Lucky, DC Modern Luxury, and Washingtonian Magazine, the latter crowning her as one of DC’s most beautiful people.

“Like my collections, I tend to have an eye for unique pieces, whether it is shoes, clothing, or jewelry. I describe my own personal style as chic and edgy. I always like to include a touch of something unique to accent what I’m wearing, just as my designs tend to have a touch of flare that makes the jewelry standout,” Shokri says.

When she is not attending to her jewelry (all produced by hand), she consults with her sister in Iran regarding their wedding planning business or scours artisan markets in remote parts of the world or studies the latest trends.

Shokri’s spring/summer 2010 collection, available online, borrows from Roman architecture and decadence reined in by softer colors and one statement stone or pendant.

“The collections evolve over time,” Shokri says. “But this season’s pieces are some of my most proud designs.” Just another’s day work.