Morgan Julann was born from a need to escape—a way to quiet the constant hum of anxiety that runs through the women in my family. My grandmother, my mother, and I have all carried it, passed down like an heirloom. As a child, I made jewelry with my mother and aunt, though it faded with time. In 2018, during one of the hardest chapters of my life, I found myself back creating jewelry as a way to soothe my mind. What started as a means of survival became something much greater—a way to connect, to create, and to honor the hands that came before me.

Jewelry is more than adornment; it is memory cast in metal, a tangible connection between past, present, and future. Every piece I make is deeply intentional, crafted in a state of flow where my hands move instinctively, surrendering to the process like water finding its course. This flow state is where I feel most connected—to my work, to myself, and to the lineage that brought me here.

My materials are chosen with the same care I give to my craft—sterling silver, gold, and precious gemstones, materials that will stand the test of time, just like the pieces I create. Some of my earliest works were made from melted-down silver jewelry passed down by my grandmother and mother, reshaped into something new yet carrying the weight of history. It was one of the most meaningful acts of my craft, a way to keep their presence alive in my work.

My grandmother always said, “Everything is going to be okay, we just don’t know how yet.” That sentiment has carried me through life and through this craft. Morgan Julann is my way of making sense of it all—of honoring the past, embracing imperfection, and creating something lasting. It is for those who believe jewelry should be more than beautiful—it should be a story, a legacy, a piece of something bigger than ourselves.

Morgan has dreamt of being an artist for as long as she can remember. Growing up surrounded by art and artful women, she’s been inspired and encouraged to create. It was her family that pushed her to study art at the University of Cincinnati through the DAAP program, despite the societal notion that to study art meant becoming a “starving artist.” Morgan’s formal education is in the art of photography, which she now uses to aid in marketing her business. However, her first creative love came in the form of jewelry. You could find Morgan rummaging through family jewelry boxes at any given time, especially her grandmothers. Her love deepened when she, her mother, and aunt learned and entrenched themselves in the art of beading. Eventually her beading practice trailed off allowing room for other creative explorations. Nonetheless, she has found herself back in the form of a bench jeweler. Now, when she creates, she’s often transported back to cherished memories made with her family’s matriarchs.