Joyia Honors International Women’s Day

M.A. Dworkin

Joyia Inspirational Jewelry has moved into its fabulous new store location on Queen Cross Street in Christiansted. After nearly twelve years at the old gallery space across the street, there is little doubt that the new shop is exactly as Joyia describes it: A place where “Magic happens here…” 

“We can’t wait to welcome you to our new home and continue this beautiful journey together as we spread our wings and fly to new heights,” Joyia announced.

Joyia Jewelry is a family owned sustainable fine jewelry brand based out of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was founded by Joyia Jones and her husband Carlo Pedrini in 2012. They have since created dozens of handcrafted designs that have wowed the fashion world and have been presented on the runway at New York Fashion Week. Her amazing jewelry is prized by fashion models, beauty contest winners, divas and superstars. Joyia’s gold and silver collections have graced the pages of fashion and women’s magazines across the globe. They are not only eye-catching but come with a special meaning that will remain with the bearer for years to come. 

Joyia believes that just as food is nourishment for your body, JOY is the nourishment for your soul. Her pieces are meant to guide you to your JOY and the life you are meant to live!

At her new store location, Joyia recently hosted a celebration in honor of  International Women’s Day.  

Women business leaders from all over the Big Island and USVI showed up to meet n’ greet and talk about their current business ideas. Shelley Williams, CEO/President of Great Exploration Tours, spoke about the significance of the day.

“Today is International Women’s Day, which is celebrated around the world. The purpose of this day is to honor women’s achievements, recognize challenges, and focus on women’s rights and gender equality,” Ms. Williams went on to speak about her own business, Great Exploration Tours, which is now on all three islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her business is a destination for private and luxury tours that provides vacation planning and destination management services. They offer cruise ship excursions, vacation and honeymoon packages, and transportation services. “We wanted to come to St. Croix and see how we can help grow tourism on the island.”

Erica Dupree Cline, owner of the remarkable chocolate shop, Bleu Chocolat, in the Caravelle Arcade, just a few blocks away, stopped in to pay her respects to the meaning of the day. She also provided some amazing Chocolate truffle balls for all the chocolate lovers who came to celebrate.

“It’s great to be a woman today and celebrate International Women’s Day on St. Croix. Women have to communicate with each other and support each other as much as possible,” Erica stated to St. Croix Times who was covering the event.

Joyia and Ms. Williams, from Great Exploration Tours, talked about their newest venture, a Christiansted Shopping Tour. The Tour starts off at the Joyia shop and includes a colorful history of the historic pink Wiesner Building. It then moves on to visit the upstairs factory where the Joyia Jewelry Collections are created. Everyone then heads back down into the shop where a signature cocktail is served, before patrons are whisked away to ten other shops scheduled on the tour along the historic streets of old Christiansted town.

And so the celebration of International Women’s Day was a great success at Joyia Inspirational Jewelry as business owners and women from all over the island stopped in to say hello, talk about their experiences and expound on their life and the joys and challenges of running their own business.