Meet Michelle Minott | Jewelry Designer | Reiki Master

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Minott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Social impact has always been part of my intention. It’s not a marketing angle- it’s a responsibility. My work is rooted in healing, lineage, and community care, and those values shape everything I create.

At it’s core, my business helps people reconnect to themselves. Every piece of jewelry I design carries energy: protection, clarity, grounding, heart healing. I charge each piece in my signature crystal grid and infuse it with Reiki because I believe jewelry is more than adornment. It’s a talisman. It’s memory. It’s a reminder that you belong here and deserve beauty, rest, and care. That alone can be transformative, especially for Black women and femmes who are rarely told they are worthy of luxury, softness, and spiritual nourishment.

On a broader level, I believe in using my craft to show up for my community in tangible ways. When ICE raids began in Los Angeles this summer, I was heartbroken and furious. I did what I always do when grief hits: I sketched, listened, and created. That’s how the Charms for Liberation collection was born. Every sterling silver and 14K gold palm charm was made by hand, charged with protection and love, and 75% of profits were donated to Immigrant Defenders Law Center, an organization providing free legal support to families facing detention and deportation.

Together, our community raised $1,000 for ImmDef. It wasn’t just a fundraiser; it was a reminder that small businesses can still make a meaningful impact- and that beauty can be a form of resistance. My dream is to continue weaving activism into my practice wherever I can: supporting local artisans for fair wages, uplifting causes that matter, and creating work that aligns with my values.

Every piece I send out is crafted with intention and made to carry love forward. If my work can help someone feel protected, seen, empowered, or connected to their lineage, then I’m doing what I came here to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For a long time, I moved through the fashion industry trying to make myself fit into spaces that were never built with someone like me in mind. I spent twenty years in corporate mass-market design, creating clothing for every big-box store you can think of. I worked hard, climbed the ladder, and was regularly coached to edit myself into a more “palatable” version to get ahead.

The higher I rose, the fewer faces I saw that looked like mine. And as I became more of a luxury consumer, I felt even less welcome. My presence often felt like an exception (if it was acknowledged at all). As a Black woman, I was always aware of the gap. Not just in representation at work, but in how luxury spaces made me feel: self-conscious, out of place, like I had to shrink to belong.

The turning point came when I realized I wasn’t alone. So many of us were craving pieces that reflected our stories, our lineage, our magic. At the same time, the churn of designing nonstop collections every two to four weeks was taking its toll. As an artist, a mother, and a person living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I needed a way to slow down and create work with longevity — work I could breathe with.

Since my first bonus check as an assistant designer, I’d searched for one specific piece: real rose-gold bamboo earrings I could wear every day. I never found them. That longing followed me across cities and seasons until it finally clicked — the things I wanted didn’t exist because the people who would design them weren’t invited to the table. So I built my own.

Michelle Minott Fine Jewelry was born from that realization. From the desire to create heirlooms rooted in Black culture, spiritual intention, and my origins as a fashion-obsessed girl from the Bronx. My art is metaphysical. Every piece is infused with Reiki and charged in my signature crystal grid. My work is about protection, clarity, celebration, and connection — to spirit, to self, to lineage.

And no, it wasn’t easy. I’ve had to rebuild my sense of worth after years of shrinking myself. I’ve had to relearn how to trust my intuition, honor my body, and create at a pace that supports my health. I’ve had to step into visibility in an industry that didn’t always make space for me. But the process taught me that rest is a tool, intuition is a compass, and your story is your greatest asset.

What I’m most proud of is the community growing around this brand — especially Black women and femmes seeing themselves reflected in luxury without apology. I want the world to know that my jewelry isn’t just decoration. It is an intention made tangible. It is art rooted in ritual, healing, and generational connection. And every piece is created with the hope that the person wearing it feels worthy, seen, and loved.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Old habits die hard. In my former work life, I traveled the world to shop, gather inspiration, and explore neighborhoods through their boutiques, galleries, and bookstores. I still move through cities that way. There’s a lot to cover in a week, but here are the places I always return to — the ones that feel like home and show off what I love most about Los Angeles.

My home base: Larchmont Village

I’m lucky to live and work in Larchmont Village, tucked between Koreatown, Windsor Square, and Hancock Park. In the 13 years I’ve lived here, the boulevard has changed a lot, but a few anchors remain:

Chevalier’s Books — the oldest bookstore in LA. A must.
Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese — get the sandwiches early; they sell out fast.
If they’re out of bread, trendy Great White or the brand new diner Max & Helen’s are solid backups.
Go Get Em Tiger — my favorite coffee/tea spot for over a decade.

Then wander the street’s shops:

Flicka for kids’ clothing by small designers,
The Scent Room for niche fragrances from all over the world,
Shorthand for stationery, pens, cards, and gifts,
and the Larchmont Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Art + Music

A day of inspiration usually starts with a mid-city gallery or museum:

Jeffrey Deitch
Roberts Projects
LACMA
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (I just got a membership)

Then vinyl digging — because I will always love a good record store:

Supervinyl (walkable from Jeffrey Deitch in Hollywood)
Amoeba Music in Hollywood
Jacknife Records & Tapes in Atwater Village.

And if time allows, a stop at Book Soup in West Hollywood. Their staff recommendation cards are unmatched.

I also love taking people to Reparations Club, a Black-owned bookstore and community space that always has something you didn’t know you needed.

The very first time I came to LA, I went thrifting on Melrose. I was 20 years old and vowed to move here one day.

Views + Nature

No visit is complete without a trip up to the Griffith Observatory.
It’s one of the most stunning views in the city, and somehow it never loses its magic. I take every friend and family member who visits — it’s a non-negotiable.

Italian Food + Drinks

Italian food will always be my first choice. My go-to spots:

Marino Ristorante (Hancock Park) — family-owned for over 30 years
Dan Tana’s (Hollywood)
Donna’s (Echo Park)
Antico Nuovo (Koreatown)
Kali (Larchmont Village) — now an Italian steakhouse

For drinks:

Capri Club (Eagle Rock)
Normandie Club (Koreatown)
Tabula Rasa (East Hollywood)
La Bettola di Terroni (Larchmont) — walkable and convenient

LA is too layered to “do it all”!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe so much of who I am to my family and to the people who came before me. My paternal grandmother and grandfather were my earliest examples of what it looks like to move through the world with integrity, creativity, and quiet strength. They built me up in ways I’m still unpacking as an adult — through their love, their discipline, and the way they held our family together with so much grace.

I also carry deep gratitude for my ancestors. Their sacrifices, dreams, and resilience are the foundation I stand on. I feel them in my work, in my intuition, and in the moments when I’m reminded that I’m part of something bigger than myself. They continue to guide me, protect me, and pour into me in ways that are both spiritual and practical.

And of course, my son. He is my heart and my motivation. Everything I create is rooted in the hope that he grows up deeply aware of his worth; that he listens to himself, honors his spirit, and knows down to his essence that he matters. My work is for him as much as it’s for the generations that will follow. I want him, and all the children who come after us, to inherit a world where they feel worthy of care, love, beauty, and belonging.

If my work can help carry their blessings forward, if it can remind even one person of their worth, then I know I’m honoring the lineage I come from.

Website: https://michelleminott.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleminottfinejewelry/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleminott/

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleminottfinejewels

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Image Credits
Michelle Minott
Cècile Boko
Mia Kayser