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Brand Profile: Digby & Iona
An oxidized sterling-silver ring molded into the form of a tree stump, carved with the initials of two people in love. A delicate vermeil pendant in the shape of a deadly pistol, suspended from a fine silver chain. An oxidized bronze cuff engraved with intertwined nautical ropes, signifying “the ties that bind.”
With its idiosyncratic, intelligent, and whimsical take on fine jewelry, Brooklyn-based Digby & Iona has cultivated a loyal following. In name, it sounds like a couple, but Digby & Iona is the work of one man, designer Aaron Ruff. “I wanted something more romantic than my own name, and not gender specific,” he explains. “‘Digby and Iona’ comes from two towns I passed through during a road trip across Nova Scotia.”
Finding inspiration far from the beaten path is nothing new for Ruff. Growing up in Maine, he remembers being captivated by the rich natural world that surrounded him, and by books and antique objects. These things helped Ruff escape into a vivid imagination that would eventually become source material for his line. “My jewelry is based on memory and sentiment,” he says.
The son of a craftsman, Ruff headed to design school at Parsons to study furniture making and follow in his father’s footsteps. After a few years, though, he realized his true calling was to create much smaller objects.
“Romance and nostalgia [define] my mission as a jeweler,” Ruff says, “Making pieces which people give as gifts to one another is personal and intimate—it creates a connection—where furniture is much more utilitarian. I was able to come at jewelry from a different angle being a furniture maker.”
By working on a small scale, “I am able to create heirlooms that remain heirlooms,” Ruff explains. “I really like to imagine pieces staying in a family through the generations.” And while Digby & Iona’s pieces seem to come from another time, their look is altogether timeless.
Available now through @Wantful.
