I left because it no longer fit who I was becoming. What came next wasn't a perfect plan, but momentum. I gave myself space to think, experiment, and rebuild
How She Left a Job That No Longer Fit
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Influential Woman · Jewelry
Head of Design, AV JEWELRY of NY - Odelia | Alluxe, Inc.
New York, NY 10036
I chose to step into an uncertain path, managing fear through small steps. Courage meant refusing to let fear decide my direction, finding alignment gradually.
Sara Chujun Li · In Her Own Words
I left because it no longer fit who I was becoming. What came next wasn't a perfect plan, but momentum. I gave myself space to think, experiment, and rebuild
How She Left a Job That No Longer Fit
Explore moreI don't pay the price for someone else's behavior.
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Explore moreHer Story
Sara Chujun Li is a jewelry designer, creative director, and founder based in New York. Formerly the Head of Design at AV Jewelry of NY – Odelia, she now leads her own brands—LA LUNA Jewel and Amour Jewel—where she shapes modern jewelry through a synthesis of cultural sensibility, emotional storytelling, and technical rigor. With more than a decade of experience across design, product development, and creative strategy, she is recognized for her ability to translate conceptual narratives into refined, commercially successful collections.
Her work has received international recognition, including honors from the 2025 American Good Design Award and the 2025 MUSE Design Awards. Earlier in her career, she was awarded the prestigious Women's Jewelry Association (WJA) Student Scholarship Award, a distinction recognizing emerging excellence within the jewelry field.
A GIA Graduate Gemologist and alumna of both SCAD and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, she has built a career that moves fluidly across design, production, and creative direction within the international jewelry landscape. She has worked across design studios, manufacturing networks, and editorial-driven creative roles, giving her a holistic understanding of contemporary jewelry creation and production.
Through her independent practice, Sara continues to modernize traditional jewelry workflows by integrating digital design, modern craftsmanship, and cross-cultural storytelling—expanding the narrative and technical standards of today's jewelry industry.
Her Interview
01What do you attribute your success to?
I've learned that clarity comes from listening to my intuition. Staying committed to what I truly want—not what I'm “supposed” to want—has been the foundation of everything I've built.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most valuable advice I've ever been given is to breathe and create space when things feel tight. Pressure blinds you; distance restores judgment. I make better decisions when I stop reacting and let the situation reveal itself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women in this industry is simple: try everything, but don't cling to what doesn't work. Experiment, pivot fast, and keep your standards high. The right path becomes clear when you stop forcing the wrong one.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is that, as an international professional, you're often working in spaces that weren't designed with you in mind. But that also means you see what others miss. You bring new context, new standards, and new ways of thinking—and that disruption is exactly what pushes the industry forward.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me—both in my work and my life—are authenticity and integrity. I stay aligned with who I am, and I treat people with honesty, clarity, and respect.
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