NOURA SAKKIJHA OF MEJURI
Noura Sakkijha is the co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, a global fine jewelry brand known for redefining luxury through accessible pricing, modern design, and a direct-to-consumer approach. Since launching the company, Noura has led Mejuri’s rapid growth by challenging traditional industry norms and building a community-driven brand that empowers women to buy jewelry for themselves. Her leadership combines strategic innovation with a strong customer focus, positioning Mejuri as a leader in the modern jewelry space.
Main Questions:
Before you launched Mejuri, what problem in the traditional luxury jewelry industry bothered you the most?
As part of the third generation in my family to work in the jewelry industry, my relationship with jewelry was shaped long before Mejuri existed. I grew up seeing how pieces mark life’s moments — how they’re worn, passed down, and held onto — and how deeply personal they can be. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and heritage. It also gave me clarity on what was missing. Fine jewelry was often reserved for special occasions, centered around gifting, and priced in ways that created distance between the product and the people meant to wear it — especially women buying for themselves.
I believed there was room to preserve the craftsmanship and quality of traditional jewelry while modernizing how people discover, purchase, and wear it. Mejuri was created to make fine jewelry feel approachable and part of daily self-expression, without compromising on craftsmanship or the integrity of the industry we admire. That idea became the foundation of Mejuri. And from day one, our philosophy has remained the same: buy yourself the damn diamond.
What were some unexpected roadblocks in your founding journey, and how did you navigate them/ what did you learn from them?
One of the biggest early hurdles was raising our seed round. Many investors didn’t initially believe a modern, direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand could work, or that customers would feel comfortable buying jewelry online. A lot of our early effort went into educating investors about changing consumer behavior and the shift toward self-purchasing, transparency, and digital-first retail.
What I learned is that being early often means needing to build conviction in others. Staying confident in our vision and backing it with data and customer insights was essential. Once we demonstrated strong organic growth and repeat behavior, the investor narrative shifted quickly. It reinforced the value of persistence and of letting the business prove the opportunity.
It seems counterintuitive to brand as both a luxury brand and an accessible choice for everyday consumers. How does Mejuri balance these two conflicting messages in its branding and company thesis?
We believe luxury should be defined by quality and experience, not by exclusivity. Our pieces are made with the same materials and craftsmanship you’d find at traditional luxury brands, but we remove the layers of markup that make fine jewelry feel out of reach. So the balance comes naturally; the product itself is elevated and timeless - that’s the luxury part – but the way we talk to our customers, the price point, and the everyday wearability make it feel approachable. We’ve always wanted people to feel like fine jewelry is something they can enjoy now, not something they have to wait for a special occasion to justify. As a result, we’ve redefined what luxury feels like for a new generation.
What roles has social media played in Mejuri’s growth? Was this intentional or a surprise to you, and how did you harness the power of social media to grow your brand?
Social media has played a tremendous role in our growth, and it was very intentional. Jewelry is incredibly personal, and people want to see how it lives in the real world. Social platforms gave us a way to bring that to life. Early on, we focused on building relationships with real customers and creators who genuinely connected with the brand.
What truly surprised us was how organically that community grew. People were excited to share how they styled their pieces, and that authentic storytelling created a sense of belonging around the brand. It also gave us invaluable insight into our customer – what they gravitate toward, how they express themselves, and how jewelry fits into their everyday lives.
Over time, social media became far more than a visibility channel; it evolved into a community engine that shaped the brand itself and continued to fuel our growth.
How exactly does Mejuri keep its prices so low while other brands are unable to? Do you think other brands will soon adopt Mejuri’s methods?
Our pricing really comes down to how we built the business from day one. We work directly with our manufacturing partners and we sell directly to our customers which helps us avoid wholesale markups and pass the savings onto our customers
It’s a very intentional model that lets us offer fine jewelry at a more accessible price point without compromising on quality. Other brands may adopt this method, but many brands may be built on structures and markups that are difficult to unwind. We were fortunate to design our model with transparency and efficiency at the core, and that’s what makes it possible.
Your business offers pieces as well as piercing studios and one-on-one styling. Why did you decide to branch into selling services too, and what do you believe this component adds to the brand?
For us, services are a natural extension of how people experience jewelry. Piercing studios and styling appointments bring the brand to life in a more personal, tangible way. They provide customers the chance to build their stack, try pieces in new combinations, and make the experience feel more special.
What we love most is how these services create moments of connection. Offering experiences, not just products, helps customers build their own stories with the brand. It turns what could be a simple purchase into something memorable, which is why 50% of our revenue each month comes from repeat customers.
You’ve recently worked on bringing your business into the sports world. How did you cater to the unique needs of this new consumer base? What drew you to sports jewelry, and what did you learn from the experience?
Our move into the sports world felt like a very natural extension of who we are as a brand. Women in sport are redefining what it means to show up fully as yourself, and jewelry plays a role in that. Collaborating with them has pushed us creatively and reinforced how naturally our brand aligns with their drive, individuality, and confidence.
Our focus is creating pieces that are lightweight, durable, and secure enough to move with them, without losing the aesthetic that makes them feel like Mejuri pieces. It was about supporting their performance while still allowing room for self-expression.
What we learned is that our community values living an active lifestyle without compromising on personal style. They want pieces that can keep up with their routines and reflect who they are. This insight will continue to guide how we innovate, design, and show up for them in the world of sport and beyond.
You’ve recently expanded your brand into the Middle East, which you noted as a milestone as a Middle Eastern founder. Has your cultural background impacted the jewelry and brand you’ve created, and if so, how?
Growing up in Jordan and as a third-generation jeweler, jewelry was always part of daily life - it carried meaning, tradition, and emotional connection for me. That perspective shaped a lot of our philosophy at Mejuri: fine jewelry should be something you live in.
Expanding into the region felt like coming full circle. The Middle Eastern consumer has a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, but also embraces modernity and self-expression. That balance mirrors what Mejuri stands for. It’s been incredibly meaningful to see the brand resonate in a place that has influenced so much of my own appreciation for jewelry.
Quick Takes:
Dream brand to collab with?
There are so many inspiring brands out there, but I’m always drawn to those that share our values around craftsmanship, community, and modern design. A dream collaboration would be with a brand that’s redefining its own category the way we’ve tried to redefine fine jewelry - something unexpected yet deeply aligned. I love the idea of partnering with a brand that brings a new perspective or medium to the table, while staying true to the Mejuri aesthetic.
Best trait in a business partner?
Shared conviction - you can navigate almost any challenge if you and your partner fundamentally believe in the same vision and trust each other. I also think complementary strengths are essential - someone who sees what you don’t, pushes you thoughtfully, and makes the overall decision-making stronger. At the core, it’s all about trust and aligned values.
What is the most common misconception about Mejuri?
A common misconception is that our accessible pricing means the quality must be different from traditional luxury brands. In reality, we use the same materials and craftsmanship - they’re simply priced differently because our business model is built around transparency and efficiency. We created Mejuri to make fine jewelry part of everyday life, not to compromise on what makes it special.
If you could only wear one Mejuri piece for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s like picking a favourite child — but right now, it would be one of our most iconic collections: the Puzzle Rings. They perfectly capture what I love about our approach to design — clean, modern, and playful, with an underlying sense of intention. What makes them especially meaningful is how our customers wear them: most people don’t stop at just one, they stack three or more, mixing and matching to create something that feels entirely their own. They’re designed to be worn together or apart, so you can style them differently depending on your mood, your outfit, or the story you want to tell that day.