Ruth Avra’s story starts when she was 10 years old, when a babysitter took her to a bead store. From that point on she was hooked on jewelry, and at the tender age of 14 she began selling her own products. Combined with a background in metalworking, she makes pieces from her studio in Miami which are both fashionable and artistic; I love the way she mixes color and cool metal.

The materials which Ruth uses are quite interesting–many of her belts use stingray hide, which accounts for their unusual stippled texture. Her patterns are uniform but mesmerizing, perhaps due to both the arrangement and the colors she chooses. Ruth also uses colored canvas, which is distinguishable by its mottled, almost stone-like pattern.

Avra’s jewelry fetches premium prices, but this is due in part to both the exotic materials and the fact that they are extremely limited editions; most are 10 pieces or less. In addition to belts, Ruth also makes delightful earrings, rings and necklaces. For more information, you can visit Ruth’s homepage here; you can buy from her homepage or from The Guild here.