about

Ruth Avra Kleinman was born & raised in Bethesda, MD. Ruth’s passion for jewelry design was evident from the age of 10, when she began creating beaded jewelry and selling pieces at her parents dinner parties. At the age of 14, Ruth expanded her business and began selling her creations in the retail market. To develop her talent, Ruth studied traditional metal work under her mentor, Eleanor Moty, at the University of Wisconsin. After school, Ruth interned with Sara Samoiloff, a now-retired jewelry designer, and worked for Kate Spade as Assistant to the Creative Director, where she learned about creating corporate identity and running a successful business. Through these experiences, Ruth found the education and inspiration needed to launch her own jewelry design line - something that she had known she would do since childhood. Ruth settled in South Florida and launched Ruth Avra.

Ruth’s pieces combine traditional metal-working techniques with her own personal design style. She uses a variety of materials, from sterling silver to stingray leather, in creating her designs but her favorite mediums are silver and gold because she learns something new every time she makes a new piece. Her passion for jewelry design is evident in more than just her wearable art; Ruth also teaches metal-smithing classes at the Artcenter/South Florida in South Beach.