This Young Jewelry Designer Redefined Luxury With Seashells

In Bustle’s Quick Question, we ask women leaders all about advice, from the best guidance they’ve ever gotten to what they’re still figuring out. Here, jewelry designer Otlotleng Moshupa — the 21-year-old winner of De Beers’ recent Shining Light Awards competition — shares the best career tips she’s ever received, how she gets clients to open up, and her long-term goals.

Though De Beers has a 137-year-old legacy, the diamond giant routinely supports young talent through various skill development initiatives. One such program is the Shining Light Awards, a biyearly competition for creatives in their final year of a jewelry design program based in one of De Beers’ four host countries: Botswana, Canada, Namibia, and South Africa.

The 2024 leg, which culminated on Dec. 6 in Johannesburg, saw over 100 finalists compete for the top prizes per country. Moses Madondo, CEO of De Beers Group Managed Operations, said in his speech at the awarding ceremony, “For nearly three decades, these awards have created opportunities for young jewelry designers, fostering their talent and connecting their stories to the enduring legacy of diamonds.”

The theme, “Luxury Redefined,” tasked participants with creating a complete set of sparklers befitting the jewelry behemoth, including a ring, necklace, earrings, and bracelet. Calling the entries “works of art,” Madondo told the fledgling talent, “[Your designs] are reflections of your heritage, your dreams, and the limitless potential of your imagination.”

Among the four winners De Beers awarded with seed money was Otlotleng Moshupa, a 21-year-old Motswana designer. The Majemantsho-born creative studied jewelry design in 2022 at Rustenberg’s ORBIT TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) College — on a whim. “It’s not something I wanted to do all the time,” Moshupa tells Bustle. Like a typical senior daunted by what to major in, she “just chose it.” And it paid off.

Eager to prove herself, she launched Radiant Reverie Jewellery in June 2024, a small-scale made-to-order business specializing in platinum and silver pieces with moissanite, a brilliant diamond alternative, and joined the competition in September.

Below, Otlotleng Moshupa chats through joining De Beers’ design competition, where she finds inspiration, and her advice for getting her jewelry clients to open up.

Could you talk about joining the De Beers competition?

It was originally a school competition. They chose the best designers in class and put them in one room. I submitted my designs to the school and when they liked them, I started the application process.

I had to design four pieces and my inspiration was shells. I submitted the rough sketch and got feedback from the school. They taught me everything and showed me my mistakes so I could fix them. The process took a month.

What was the best advice you received from it?

To focus and be passionate about what I’ve been doing. And to think out of the box and be innovative.

That was your first competition. Would you recommend joining competitions to young designers?

Yes, because it gives you a lot of opportunities.

You have such differing designs. Where do you get your inspiration from?

I take inspiration from natural things — grass, insects, seashells, oysters... There’s inspiration in everything. When it comes to animals, maybe a hair of an animal or a nose can be your inspiration also. Those smaller things in an animal or whatever you can see, you can come up with an idea.

What is the biggest challenge of being a new entrepreneur, and a young one at that?

I’m an introvert, so I don’t like talking to people, getting out there, and having to explain what you’re doing. But it’s a must to share your knowledge with people. You just have to be patient and trust the process.

How do you get over that?

I stay in a quiet place and drink water. I talk to myself, too. I tell myself, “You are the best. You’ve got this. This is yours.”

How do you recharge at the end of a long week?

I play soccer a lot. I enjoy going out and getting ice cream, but mostly I like being alone.

What’s your go-to outfit to boost your confidence?

I’m a tomboy, so I like to dress like a stereotypical guy. But when I’m going to meet new people, I dress like a lady with my chest out.

What advice can you give fellow young women entrepreneurs?

Be confident. Most of the time it’s not about you, it’s about the customer. Try to understand why your clients love a design, their hobbies, and what they like to wear. Sometimes you have to cater to your customers’ wants even if it isn’t your taste. Customers love to talk about themselves, let them. Don’t stop them.

What’s the one trait women need to start a business?

Determination and thinking out of the box.

Do you have any icons you want to pattern your career after?

Honestly, I’m my own hero. I’m my own inspiration. I look after myself that I want this to happen in my life. Most of my friends dream of becoming the next American Swiss (one of the leading jewelry stores in South Africa), but I would like to be even bigger — USA, my shops should be there; Mozambique, my shops should be there.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.