When Rita Ora gives an interview, she sometimes likes to fiddle with a custom crystal charm on the end of a long chain: a whirling, moon-charged fidget spinner that she says protects her peace and energy.
Ora is currently promoting “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland,” the fifth installment of Disney’s beloved franchise, in which she stars as the Queen of Hearts. The release is part of a busy year for Ora, who recently wrapped production on the Amazon MGM film “Honeymoon With Harry,” as well as the live-action sci-fi movie “Voltron,” which is scheduled to be released in 2027. She’s also back in the studio working on new music, all while performing live throughout Europe.
“I’m very lucky,” she said. “I’m very excited about everything that’s coming.” In an interview that’s been edited and condensed, Ora discussed the necklace that helps to center her.
Tell me about this necklace.
This was a gift from one of my best friends, Jana. Jana had the necklace custom made. It’s all different crystals, which were all kind of curated around me. It’s like a little wheel that you can spin, that you can fiddle with around your neck. It’s actually a little bit of a stress- and fidget-relief slash crystals that protect my space and my energy and all the things that I’ve connected to. Especially in this business, you can easily get derailed, so this kind of keeps you centered. So I’m just going to pull up my bullet points because I don’t actually want to mess this up, because it was a really thoughtful gift.
Bullet points around what the different crystals mean?
Yeah. So I have a citrine in there for the playful, joyous energy. I’ve got smoky quartz in there to ground me whenever I need it. A green amethyst to nurture the innocence. And the clear quartz is to amplify my intentions and enhance awareness.
When did your friend give it to you?
Last year, for my 34th birthday. My love language is gift-giving. I always love to find things for people. But it’s not about how much they cost — it’s just those moments that you capture in the middle of a conversation. We’re all in the same kind of age group, me and my girlfriends, and a lot happens, I would say, in your 30s and mid-30s, balancing career and life and pressure and almost growing up, even though you feel like a kid still.
Do you know why your friend chose those specific crystals?
We did a reading. We have the same sort of fortune, spiritual-healer lady that I talk to once in a blue moon, when I feel like I need a pick-me-up or something to be excited about. And yeah, I guess she just contacted her, and my healer told her exactly what I’d need.
How do you feel when you’re wearing it?
Maybe it’s a mental thing, but I do feel protected. I mean, I do feel more grounded. I don’t know if it’s a placebo or whatnot, but I do feel like these things hold a lot of energy, and energy is real.
Do you wear it most of the time?
Yeah, I wear it whenever I can. I change my outfits all the time, so if it doesn’t match, it’s in my bag. It’s definitely always with me.
Is this the type of thing that you might pass down to someone someday? Or do you want to keep it with you for the long haul?
I’ll try and hold onto it until I feel like I don’t need it anymore, or somebody may need it more than me. But when things have been gifted to me, it takes a minute for me to gift it to other people.
Are you superstitious about your jewelry?
Yeah, I think Eastern Europeans, especially me coming from an Albanian background, it’s that we’re kind of raised with superstition. My grandma always did things under the full moon, and she would read a coffee cup upside down, and it’d be like a map for the future, all that type of stuff.
You’re supposed to charge crystals, right? What does that entail?
There’s different ways of recharging your crystals. Depends on what you are manifesting or you want to be protected by. You’ve got to be very clear on your intentions. You have to be also very careful, because if you keep it vague, you can manifest other things.
Is there a ritual to the manifestation itself?
I have my bullet points, intentions that I always want to cover, and then things that I want to achieve. And also cleaning out things that no longer serve me, even if it hurts me and brings me heartbreak or whatever that may be.
How does having something physical like this necklace help you feel more connected to those intentions?
I think objects, for me, make things feel more real and present. Some people are very strong into mentally just doing it. I wish I can get there one day, but I need something to work with.