Community Highlights: Meet Julia Winter of Jewel Ya

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Winter.

Hi Julia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After a successful career in technology with IBM and Xerox and a heart that always leaned toward the creative, I took the leap to leave the corporate world and begin my life’s work with Jewel Ya. Now in our 21st year, Jewel Ya continues to excite and inspire me to create original, timeless and versatile jewelry designs.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning your own business is not a smooth ride. – it’s full of bumps, wrong turns and dead end roads. But it’s also a great adventure and an endless source of opportunities. My biggest lesson over the years is that it all works out. Work hard, do the right thing and stay focused. The landscape has changed as far as how customers shop. But the one thing that never has is that customer service and treating everyone the same way you want to be treated always wins.

My current business is a mix of wholesale, in-studio, online and events. Being able to offer our designs in all of these ways keeps it exciting and a challenge. I love creating a piece that I know in my heart will be worn on repeat and loved for years.

As you know, we’re big fans of Jewel Ya. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Jewel Ya is a Phoenix-based jewelry brand specializing in demi-fine designs handcrafted with 14k gold filled and sterling silver metals, natural freshwater pearls, and gemstones. We are best known for creating versatile “building block” pieces like our Beaded Lux bracelets, layering chains, and hoops with interchangeable drops. They form the foundation of a jewelry wardrobe. Clients often start with one piece and, year after year, continue to build on it, mixing new designs seamlessly with the styles they already own.

What sets us apart is both our design philosophy and the quality of our materials. We use fine metals – 14k gold filled that maintains its color and integrity over time, and sterling silver, a precious metal that can be polished back to brilliance for years of wear. Combined with pearls and natural and lab created gemstones, our designs are meant to be worn daily, layered endlessly, and enjoyed for years to come. We call it “classically current” style: on-trend, yet designed to last.

Brand-wise, I am most proud of the community we have built. Many of our customers have been with us for more than 15 years, adding new layers to their original Jewel Ya collections. They know they can count on us for elevated essentials that mix effortlessly with fine jewelry they already own.

What I most want readers to know is that Jewel Ya is not fast fashion. Our designs are refined, wearable, and made with attention to detail so they feel just as stylish at school drop-off as they do at a dinner out. Every piece is designed and made in our Phoenix studio with exceptional customer service.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that Phoenix is a really big “small town”. For the most part people are friendly.

What I like least is the traffic congestion getting in and out of Phoenix. I love hat we can travel many places but the congestion coming can be a challenge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jewelya.com
• Instagram: jewelyadesigns
• Facebook: jewelyadesigns

Image Credits
Pics by Place, Laurel Place Photography and AneMarie Photography