MEET YASHA
Artistically Engineering Earth’s Treasures into Distinct, Wearable Art
Worn here: Ala pōʻai pendant, Curve Necklace, and Candace Pearl Dangle I earrings.
For Yasha, a gemstone is where the story begins. Its color, character, and unexpected beauty guide the design. Dr. Joie Taylor, known as Yasha, brings an engineer’s precision and a musician’s sense of rhythm to jewelry that feels deeply personal. Graceful curves recall movement and dance; bold compositions give each stone room to express itself.
The story behind Ala pōʻai
The first Ala pōʻai began with a beautiful 10-carat round peridot. I wanted to create a setting that honored its shape, using the skills I had at the time: forming large rings and making bezels. As I studied the stone and the rings I had made, I began to imagine orbs of light gathering around it.
That vision became a pendant built from circles, with round gemstones and handmade rings arranged to suggest the outline of a diamond. I loved the way a few simple shapes could become something so full of movement. People connected with the design, and over time I began making Ala pōʻai with other gemstones, each one bringing its own character to the original idea.
A member of the Lahaina Art Society, Yasha’s jewelry has been featured at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Napua Gallery, Enchantress Boutique at The Shops at Wailea, Sargent’s Fine Art, Maui Hands, Pink by Nature, and more. An Artist in Residence at the Grand Wailea Maui (A Waldorf Astoria Resort), Eisenhauer Gallery Martha’s Vineyard, Bella Cosa Jackson Hole, an Artist in Residence at Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, Maui, and a Guest Artist Jewelry Designer at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, her work, which has been described by the Curator of Corporate Collections for Waldorf Astoria Michael Gilbert as “unique” and “world class,” exemplifies the modern woman: Powerful and feminine, brave and sensitive, and vibrant and unexpected.
Earth’s Treasures
The environments that have enthralled Yasha are made manifest in cutting-edge but timeless compositions. From diamonds to opals and turquoise to larimar, each gemstone is carefully selected to be worn both every day and for special occasions. Every piece in her collection was also built to endure, and to be worn from generation to generation.
Artistic Intelligence
Yasha holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clark Atlanta University and a Ph.D. in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. She got her start in jewelry as a self-taught bead-smith, which was followed by two years of courses in the fundamentals of jewelry manufacturing, metalsmithing, and gemstone setting at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center in Maui, Hawaii. Yasha handcrafts pieces herself while also working with a team of jewelers to manufacture her designs efficiently. In design, she calls upon her engineering CAD design experience with Matrix for ultimate precision, as well as 3D printing and casting. She calls the South Side of Maui home, and is constantly at work on fresh, innovative pieces.
Find a piece that feels like you
“If a gemstone has caught your eye, or you’re not quite sure where to begin, I’d love to help. Tell me about the colors you love, the occasion you’re celebrating, or the person you have in mind. Together, we can explore a piece that feels like a personal connection.”
Yasha
Beyond the jewelry studio
Yasha’s creative life also unfolds through music and performance. Explore her work as a vocalist and saxophonist at Hawaii Jazz. For more about her engineering education and professional background, visit Dr. Joie C. Taylor’s personal website and CV.