Amid Many Passions, Resident Launches Jewelry Line

Somehow, while carrying on a full-time teaching job, being a mother, doing various photography shoots and assisting her filmmaker spouse, Newtown Borough resident Gabrielle Russomagno has carved out time to pursue one more of her passions – jewelry making.

It’s a wonder Russomango has the time or energy to pursue her dream. But, she said, she has a simple trick: “I work all of the time."

As a result of being consistently busy, one would expect Russomango to be stressed-out, high strung and curt. Not the case.

Rather, Russomango, who chairs the visual arts department at Germantown Academy, is upbeat and clearly happy to be immersed in her work.

A year ago, Russomango began crafting her jewelry line, Ilsa Loves Rick (a Casablanca reference, which is appropriate given her ties to the filmmaking industry, but more on that later).

The line, which is being sold online through her website and at Etsy.com, has also been picked up by Philadelphia boutique, Aoki.  (She’ll be doing an exclusive line for Aoki in the near future.)

Russomango, a mother of one, unveiled her collection in October but jewelry making is a passion that started well before that. “I’ve been working in metals for years now,” she said. The idea for the jewelry line stemmed from her inability to find jewelry that she felt reflected her personal taste.

“For years, I’ve been looking for more arty kind of jewelry that isn’t ethnic” or, as she joked, “fancy lady jewelry.”  So she took matters into her own hands.

“I would find a beautiful stone and take it to After several rings and some 30-odd years deep into making things for a living, I figured how hard could this be?”

She began fabricating prototypes of hand-made designs. “I would wear them out. It was my version of beta testing in the market,” she said, adding that the pieces were well received.

“Everything is made in oxidized silver and gold. The line is really made to be the thing you wear every day. It’s not fancy jewelry,” she said. “I pretty much make what I want to wear.”

In the meantime, Russomango still carries on her teaching career as well as continues her work as a professional photographer. Plus, she assists her husband, award-winning independent filmmaker Paul Mezey, with various projects.

Mezey is the founder of Journeyman Pictures, whose film “Beasts of the Southern Wild” recently won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.  He also made “Maria Full of Grace,” “Half Nelson” and “Sugar.”  

Eventually, though, Russomango said she hopes to turn Ilsa Loves Rick into her full-time career.

To learn more about Ilsa Loves Rick, visit www.ilsalovesrick.com.