From Kara: I was first introduced to Ope Omojola of Octave Jewelry in the summer of 2022. I was instantly drawn to her love of geometric shapes and bright, vibrant colors. Turns out, she’s just as vibrant and beautiful as her jewelry.
What's your name, where do you currently live, and what do you do?
Hi! I’m Ope Omojola, I live in Brooklyn, New York, and I’m an artist of many stripes, but my main creative outlet is my brand, Octave Jewelry!
Were you always a creative? How were you first introduced to jewelry design/making? Can you describe the story and process of creating your own small business?
Jewelry began as my hobby. I was working in clothing production at the time, and was craving something more tactile to do outside of my job. My brother gifted me some night and weekend art classes for my birthday, and from the moment I first lit a torch I was hooked! I took a couple of classes, then rented a studio space so I could explore on my own time. I didn’t really think it would be a job, but I knew I wanted to nurture a solo creative practice and I liked that jewelry was something wearable but also sculptural at a manageable scale. And I just went from there, sketching obsessively then figuring out how to create what I put on the page.
The big “aha” moment was when I took a weekend workshop to learn how to cut stones. The permanence, the history, the world of color and geological storytelling in gemstones became the center of my work. I met a vendor in NYC’s diamond district who let me use his equipment on not-so-busy days and picked up skills while saving up for my own setup, and Octave was born out of that period of experimentation and discovery.
People liked the jewelry I was making for myself, and I started making pieces for friends, then strangers, then eventually stores!
What is your favorite thing to make? Favorite stone or material to work with?
I love making earrings. Funny enough, my mom pierced my ears when I was a baby. Like…within a few hours of being born. So I’ve worn earrings my entire life. I love seeing my work next to someone’s smiling face, and I’ve always felt like earrings can make even the most random outfit look intentional. Lately, though, I’ve been working with more couples on engagement and ceremonial jewelry, and being able to hear people’s love stories and translate that personal history into a wearable heirloom has been really transformative too.
In terms of stones I like to cut, Lapis Lazuli is probably the top of the top - it’s been mined mostly in one place for thousands of years, has a truly incredible history across cultures, and the rich ultramarine blue is so evocative. Maybe weird to say, but it even smells good when I cut it.
I also love Chrysoprase - there are a few places on earth it’s found but my favorite is from Tanzania - It’s this juicy vibrant minty green that looks amazing on everybody.
Does Octave Jewelry have a mission statement that you feel comfortable sharing?
Octave is jewelry for a life in motion.
The materials are precious, and I have a fine jewelry perspective, but I don’t ever want something I made to sit in a box waiting for someday. I want these to be the earrings you put on to feel special any day of the week, whether you’re at a gala or the preschool pick-up line. I want you to look down at the ring on your hand throughout the day and smile, feel connected to yourself and to the world around you.
I create with a lot of intention, and once my work is out of my hands I really want you to be living well with it on, whatever that means for you.
You've been a Range member for a while! Do you find that Range helps support your body for your particular line of work? Would you mind elaborating a bit if comfortable?
Wow where do I begin? Bottom line is Range, the instruction, the movement philosophy, have totally transformed my relationship to my body at work and in general. Being a maker is super physical; there’s a Brothers Grimm fairy tale called ‘The Three Spinners’ that is essentially a parable about overwork and repetitive stress injuries, I think about that story all the time.
But starting most days with a class on Range has really opened up my upper back and given me more hip mobility than I’ve ever had before. I work with lots of power tools, hammers and intricate tasks in weird body positions, and this movement has helped me feel so fluid, graceful, and powerful moving between activities.
I think Range has pushed me to focus more on rehab as well: attending to my feet, using my foam roller regularly, stopping in the middle of grueling studio days to stretch and rotate because I know I’ll feel so much better. Every maker should enjoy movement like this!
Two fun facts about yourself!
I love to cook! It’s my favorite meditation in my downtime, and I’m constantly experimenting with recipes and flavors. A friend recently described me as “95% pickles,” which is pretty accurate.
I’m a former musician trying to get back in the game (but without the perfectionism this time). One of my big goals this year is to learn a Philip Glass solo piano arrangement from his soundtrack to The Hours - wish me luck!
Where can we find you other than Instagram?
Usually taking long walks through the city or skulking around a museum! But on the internet I’m at my website, octavejewelry.com, or writing about stones and inspiration for my weekly-ish newsletter.