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fter a decade-long career in fashion and personal styling, designer Jade Ruzzo was drawn to the immutability of fine jewelry as a form of creative self-expression and, in 2022, launched her eponymous collection. Jade’s unabashed embrace of the permanence of the medium can be seen in her lavish use of precious metals, her bold choice of gemstones and the unexpected settings she incorporates into her work. While overt in the intentions behind her designs, with collections and pieces named for her biggest influences, her jewelry’s clean lines and sophisticated silhouettes establish a consonance and quiet elegance to her work, “To me, nothing is more beautiful than a simple design that whispers instead of yells,” explains Jade. “There’s such power in that.”
“To me, nothing is more beautiful than a simple design that whispers instead of yells,”
Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Auditory references are another distinguishing feature of the brand. Jade’s late father, Vic, was a drummer, and growing up surrounded by the sounds of music had a profound associative effect on the designer. To her, the sounds of the percussion section of a band are “strong, steady, timeless and vital,” and she translates these visceral emotions and vivid memories into tactile form through her work. When designing, she is also focused on a holistic experience of wearing her jewelry, embracing the sense of sound as much as sight and touch when conceiving each piece.
"Tennessee" collection. Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Working in both Los Angeles and New York City, and residing in New York’s verdant Hudson Valley, Jade designed her signature Tennessee collection while in the state, the ubiquitousness of its music scene fueling the direction of the collection. Held firm within a frame of precious metals, bezel-set diamonds or gemstones “drip” and dangle from rings, pendants, earrings and a stunning torque necklace, mimicking the way the sounds of Tennessee feel through Jade’s unique lens.
"Cymbal" Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Her Percussion collection is yet another love letter to her dad, with pieces like Cowbell, Cymbal, Drumhead and Chime paying loving and luxurious homage to his life’s work and evoking movement through unique textures and fluid lines.
"Pop" Collection. Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Jade’s latest collection, Pop, is a subtle nod to boy bands and teen pop divas of the late ‘90’s and early aughts, the “pops” coming by way of colorful gemstones.
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
The sentimentality inherent in Jade’s work translates into heirloom quality craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail in her designs. Each of the gemstones incorporated into her jewelry have been hand-selected to convey specific feelings or emotions, and she takes full advantage of the malleability of the metals with which she works, resulting in a chic, 1970’s disco sophisticate aesthetic. Never one to blindly follow trends, her work is full of big attitude, enhancing for the wearer what can never go out of style—confidence, grace and personality.
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
Image courtesy of Jade Ruzzo
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