How I Got Here: Reema Chopra Lets Stones Speak Through Khepri Jewels

By Karen Dybis | January 15, 2025

Reema Chopra’s transition from banking to jewelry design may be unusual on the surface, but her decisions in both fields have followed a common thread: Luck favors the prepared.

That idea of being ready for opportunities has helped Chopra (pictured) throughout her career, especially since creating her fine jewelry brand, Khepri Jewels. Her foundation in a structured, professional space gave her what she needs for this world centered on rubies, diamonds, and her favorite of all gemstones, emeralds.

“My dad always stressed the importance for me to have my own business and always pushed me in that direction,” Chopra says. “He reiterated the importance of working in a 9-to-5 corporate environment at the start of a career.

“To this day, I’m up before the sun rises, and I’ve mentally moved mountains before noon,” Chopra says. “Self-discipline and structure are the most important assets when starting or creating a business. A successful idea or concept is second.”

Khepri Jewels necklaces — *Emerald, which Reema Chopra calls her signature stone, is the key gem in Khepri Jewels’ Jardin collection.*

Chopra’s jewelry journey commenced early in life, as she has fond memories from childhood of wild jewelry hunts with her mother. “She was a jewelry connoisseur and collector. I often spent days at her jeweler, watching her pick stones and turn her vision into reality,” Chopra says. “She was ahead of her time, working with gems and concepts that were not often seen or explored.”

Around age 7 or 8, Chopra’s mother gave her the tiny leftover stones from the lots she purchased along with a notepad and pen. The intention was to keep the child quiet and busy—but a designer’s eye emerged,.

“Hours would fly by as I designed,” recalls Chopra. “Not much has changed [from then to now] as most of my initial designs are creations from stones that I found versus seeking stones for my designs. The stones themselves inspire and, in a way, conjure a story to be told.”

Chopra was born in Canada, but her family moved to India shortly after her birth because her father had business in New Delhi. Her childhood was split between India and Europe. While attending a private school run by Cambridge University in New Delhi, Chopra spent many stressful hours studying. Her respite was art class, and painting became her way to decompress.

Khepri Jewels diamonds — *Chopra says she prefers to use larger gemstones, especially natural diamonds, to offer Khepri clients a bolder look.*

When she finished high school, her family moved back to Canada, and Chopra graduated from York University in Toronto. Between her business studies and sitting with her father as he worked, Chopra says she learned all about being an entrepreneur.

She began working at the large Canadian bank CIBC in 2009, during her last year at York, and stayed there until 2013, when she married and moved to New York City. Initially a private banker, Chopra moved into mortgages and then private wealth and asset management at CIBC.

A Canadian citizen, Chopra did not have a permit to work in the United States when she came to New York. She tapped into her experience with jewelry and made custom pieces for private collectors. Chopra says she did well for several years with that kind of work but wanted to break into retail and find a larger audience for her jewelry.

She eventually set aside design and worked in diamond wholesaling and jewelry manufacturing for different companies. Simultaneously, she studied at GIA and got certified as a gemologist.

Khepri Jewels bracelets — *Chopra named her emerald collection Jardin—French for* garden—because emeralds’ inclusions remind her of the organic patterns of a lush landscape.

She debuted Khepri Jewels in 2023, with a goal of making statement pieces that are classic, cool, and modern. She seeks hues that represent life’s abundance and vibrancy, and wants her clients to feel inspired when they wear her jewelry.

“Khepri is a god from ancient Egyptian lore who represents the rising morning sun. He was the god of rebirth, transformation, and resurrection,” Chopra says. “The name Khepri means ‘to come into existence.’ Khepri was depicted in the form of a human with the head of a scarab beetle, so it became a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, and protection in the afterlife.”

Scarabs only detect the light of the galaxy by arcing their heads to orient themselves and navigate, Chopra says. To represent that, a tiny star is stamped on the closure of every Khepri necklace.

“It is to remind us that nature always moves forward, and so should we,” she says.

(Photos courtesy of Khepri Jewels)