In the 1980s, Eric Russell and Carolyn Strib created jewelry inspired by vintage costume jewelry in Pennsylvania. Their creations combined modernist influences and utilized a variety of precious metals—sterling silver, gold of varying purity (14, 18, and 22 karats), and a variety of materials, including colored stones, tourmaline, pearls, and diamonds.
Eric Russell was born in 1954 and began designing jewelry at the age of fourteen, actively participating in craft shows. He is known for creating silver earrings with expressive textured surfaces, enhanced by patina and 18-karat yellow gold accents. In 1990, he introduced a collection of 18-karat gold earrings encrusted with colored diamonds. From 1981 to 1985, Russell regularly exhibited his work at art exhibitions and sold it through various galleries.
Carolyn Strib met Eric Russell in 1979 at Jonathan Stebner’s studio in Philadelphia. Strib honed her craft at the Philadelphia College of Art, while Russell worked on jewelry for the Rhinebeck Craft Show. She created round brooches using sterling silver, 18- and 22-karat gold, pearls, and aquamarine (1986). In 1983, earrings in 22-karat gold, sterling silver, and tourmaline were released.
A distinctive characteristic of Strib and Russell’s work was the concept of “controlled disorder”: each piece was a complex composition of numerous details that were surprisingly harmonious with one another. The pieces bear the maker’s mark of Caroline Strib and Eric Russell and are signed “©CAROLINE S/S 18KT”.
