Dr. Russell Trusso has always had a prescription for success. The highly acclaimed Cleveland, Ohio jewelry designer spent much of his adult life in medicine and simultaneously in fashion design. When not engaged in medical pursuits, he was turning heads in the world of couture. He retired from medicine in 1990 and turned to fine jewelry design to enhance his couture collection.
A rising star in the jewelry industry, his sophisticated one-of-a-kind pieces made of the finest materials are soft and romantic. Russell is a relative newcomer in to the jewelry industry who is pushing the boundaries of jewelry design with breakthrough technologies and a creative energy that doesn’t quit.
His large floral pieces with petals of carved gemstones, nuanced enamel, or uniquely shaped pearls and embedded gemstones, are entirely original. They are cutting edge, but with no trace of the hard modernist edge that the phrase might imply. In fact, the technologies he has invented only serve to make his creations all the more delicate and feminine. They are romantic and it’s difficult to use any word to describe them other than “beautiful.”
“When you own a piece of his collection, you join the likes of Madame Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Oprah Winfrey, women of power and dignity who have been inspired by his work and breathtaking craftsmanship.” But making headlines isn’t unusual for Trusso. In the 1990s, he left his post as chief of anesthesiology at St. Luke’s Hospital to launch a successful fashion career, creating sumptuous gowns for socialites that were sold next to the likes of Oscar de la Renta. He then turned his attention to jewelry design, melding the scientific, meticulous part of his mind with the artistry and creativity in his soul. His jewelry was soon snapped up by Gump’s, and the celebrities who shop there. He was featured on “The Early Show” with Bryant Gumbel. Bette Midler is a longtime fan. So is Winfrey, whose magazine stylists borrowed a pair of earrings for a photo shoot, then called later to see if she could buy them.
