ALYSON IARRUSSO BLENDS COASTAL CHARM WITH QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP
Alyson Iarrusso’s path to fine jewelry is anything but conventional. With a 20-year career in education, her thoughtful, intentional approach to design is shaped as much by her academic roots as by the coastal landscapes she’s always called home.
Raised in Connecticut with strong ties to Cape Cod, Iarrusso spent her early career teaching social studies to high school students in New England and, later, in Hawaii. It was during her decade in Honolulu, when she was immersed in native Hawaiian culture and the rhythms of island life, that she began designing jewelry. “I was paddling outrigger canoes and one of my teammates taught me how to solder,” she recalled. “I set up a studio on my lanai and started experimenting with shells, pearls, and metals.” She learned the art of bench work and metal smithing, and began selling her designs through trunk shows and local boutiques where she earned a loyal following.