Ilsa Loves Rick jewelry is made by hand in small batches in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, marrying minimalist design with downtown cool in a line of jewelry that is at once effortless and stylish. After recognizing a need for simple and every-day-wearable jewelry, Gabrielle Russomagno, a photographer, took the first steps toward creating the line in 2009 by training in small metals and creating one of a kind pieces for herself. Soon after, her rings and necklaces began to garner attention, and in 2011 the Ilsa Loves Rick line was born, taking into consideration the delicate tension between modern detail and classic shapes. The brand takes its name from the iconic characters in the film Casablanca, a timeless classic and powerful story about passion and individuality.
Ilsa Loves Rick designs reflect a commitment to artisan traditions and are a departure from overdone, and mass-produced accessories that dominate the marketplace. Eschewing trends, the jewelry is made with attention to detail from high quality gold fill, sterling silver, and leather, each piece one of a kind, uniquely crafted with forge markings and a patina that can be made only by hand.
Protecting the Environment
The metals used in all of our products are made in the USA and treated and refined in a sensitive manner. Our primary metals supplier has undertaken efforts to ensure that its products do not harm the community, the workers, or the environment. Our supplier has:
- eliminated harmful cadmium from the solders, twenty years before this became common practice.
- conducted routine consumption audits of their buildings, reducing energy consumption over 30% in the last ten years.
- their refineries recycle silver and gold from a variety of sources, winning numerous environmental awards over the years.
- replaced toxic solvents from their cleaning processes with biodegradable soap.
- built a megawatt commercial solar array to supply most of the company’s power with nearly five acres of its own solar panels.
Items we don’t manufacture ourselves are carefully sourced whenever possible from companies that also use reclaimed/recycled metals. We have also undertaken efforts to make our workplace more environmentally friendly through waste and metal recycling. All of our packaging is made from recycled materials.
About the Designer
After receiving her MFA in photography from Yale School of Art, Gabrielle Russomagno began a long career as a portrait photographer prior to launching Ilsa Loves Rick. Collected by museums and galleries, her photographic work evolved overtime into collaborations with sculptors and then into immersive media environments, before her creativity found a home in small metals. The modernist aesthetic that grounds her art work is reflected in jewelry designs that are at once simple, elegant and organic. The pieces are designed to feel quiet when worn individually and more bold when layered.