Canada’s Mejuri is shaking up the jewellery business with its approach to bauble-buying

The Mejuri showroom at 43 Spring St. in New York.Tyler Hayward/Mejuri

Brands chasing that finicky millennial client would be wise to take a page from Mejuri’s playbook. Founded in 2015, the Toronto-based fine jewellery company takes a radical approach to the culture of bauble buying, shifting it from the once-or-twice-a-year gift received to something young women purchase for themselves (around 80 per cent of Mejuri shoppers buy for themselves or their friends). “We are part of the target market, so we design thinking of ourselves, our friends,” creative director Justine Lançon says.

Similar to highly covetable streetwear brands such as Supreme, Mejuri follows a drop model, where a handful of new pieces are introduced each Monday instead of the traditional seasonal offerings. “Going direct to consumer, we didn’t want to change the way that jewellery is made. We understand the traditions and techniques, and that the top manufacturers are there for a reason,” chief executive Noura Sakkijha says. “Selling directly to the consumer with non-traditional marketing, we cut down on a lot of inefficiencies and cost and pass the savings on to customers without compromising the quality of the product.”

Earlier this month, Mejuri expanded south of the border, with its first U.S. showroom joining the first Canadian location in Toronto. In New York’s bustling Nolita neighbourhood, the bright boutique is meant to be a gathering place where Mejuri’s clients can experience the ethically sourced gems in person and attend special events such as piercing parties and panel discussions on self-care. “We think of ourselves as elevated, but casual,” Lançon says. “When you enter the store, it’s very refined, but it’s also very welcoming.”

Mejuri Showroom, 43 Spring St., New York, mejuri.com.

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