Opulent, Sustainable, and Affordable: Margo Grushets’s Astra Jewelry
Since moving to Spain in 2014, Margo Grushets has nurtured her passions for photography, design, and art, thus creating Astra Jewelry in June of 2024. She thoughtfully marries her cultural influences in Turkish and Russian roots in each of her innovative collections, whilst making sophistication and grandeur accessible to all with each piece of jewelry.
Margo Grushets, founder of Astra Jewelry
Like many passionate about fashion and design, Margo’s love for fashion sparked in her early childhood, inspired by hours playing with dolls and dressing up. However, it’s her early exposure to the culturally rich, vibrant bustling markets of Istanbul that truly sets her apart as a jewelry visionnaire. Her heritage’s influence on her artistic vision is unmistakable, with materials like zirconia and gold playing a prominent role in her pieces. In her creative process, she observes art and cultural themes she likes and incorporates elements of them into her collections through moodboards or drawings. Moreover, she takes charge of every aspect of her business - from the marketing to the photography and even the website, she oversees alone.
Although Astra’s pieces embody luxury, Margo actually strives to make the collections as affordable as possible. She centers sustainability and accessibility, releasing stocks of collections based on demand. Upon meeting Margo, she was so put together that the dazzling glamor of Astra Jewelry made so much sense. However, upon speaking with her, her humility and her background was so endearing that it clearly reflects in her brand and her art. She truly redefines luxury and what it means to feel confident in your accessories - proving elegance does not have to come with an unattainable price tag.
Balancing a budding business with the new difficult feats of university life is never easy, but Margo makes the balance look effortless. Outside of fashion, she frequents the gym and pursues her passion in photography. With every small business comes sacrifice, and we bonded over the little sacrifices to aspects like our social lives as small business owners. However, Margo’s determination to succeed in the fashion design industry is evident as she pursues her fashion design degree at IE University. She plans to use her degree and scale Astra into a possible physical store in Madrid, holding jewelry and her own clothing line in the future.
Astra is not just a jewelry brand - it’s a showcase of Margo’s unique blend of heritage and her passion for accessible luxury. Margo so kindly gifted me a Turkey-inspired piece from her recent collection, a stunning bracelet veiling small colourful gemstones; the perfect piece to add a touch of glam to any everyday outfit. I was so grateful to have a chance to speak with Margo and discuss her entrepreneurial background, and I wish her so much luck on her upcoming winter collection for Astra!