A Hampton woman’s jewelry designs are now part of America250’s official collection commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s founding.
Alyson Iarrusso — a former history teacher turned fine‑jewelry designer — created a five‑piece line of 14‑karat gold earrings, rings, and pins featuring the patriotic palette of rubies, diamonds, and sapphires.
The pieces are sold through her brand, Cove Fine Jewelry, which was selected as the official fine‑jewelry licensee for America250, the Congressionally established initiative marking the semiquincentennial.
Crafted in New York City’s Diamond District, each piece carries the program’s signature “250” engraving.
America250 Executive Vice President Jen Condon said the anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the artistry and stories that shape the nation’s identity.
“This partnership with Cove Fine Jewelry brings that vision to life through pieces inspired by the elements that make our country unique,” Condon said.
Hampton jeweler’s lifelong tie to American history
Iarrusso, who spent more than two decades teaching history, said the recognition is especially meaningful because celebrating the nation’s founding has always held a special place in her family life.
“The Fourth of July was always very special for us,” she said. “We’d dress up in costumes and take part in the parade.”
Iarrusso’s childhood love of American history shaped her path, guiding her through a James Madison Memorial Fellowship, a master’s degree in U.S. history from the University of Hawaii, and a 24‑year career in education — much of it in Seacoast classrooms. But her lifelong pull toward design eventually won out, and she shifted her focus fully to building Cove Fine Jewelry.
Last November, Iarrusso won the 2025 Design Excellence Award for Brand Collaboration from the Accessories Council for a stunning ring representing the blooming hydrangeas of Cape Cod’s Wequassett Resort.
Inside the collection: Gold, platinum, and patriotic gemstones
Her five-piece America250 Collection features rubies, sapphires and diamonds, serving as a tribute to American heritage and craftsmanship. The ensemble includes earrings and rings, but also offers an America250 pin – both large and small – suitable for a man’s jacket lapel.
Ranging from $1,900 to $12,500, the pieces are available in 14k and 18k gold as well as platinum, Iarrusso said. The gemstones are lab‑grown, though customers may request earth‑mined stones.
“The size of the stones we use are quite large, so we use lab-grown gems,” she said. “But people can special order earth-mined stones.”
Some of her creations feature cushion cuts of rubies, diamonds and sapphires, but others show a pear-shaped ruby and an oval sapphire, with a cushion-cut diamond nestled in the center.
“These are big pieces,” she said. “The earrings are two carats.”
The jewelry has been selling well, Iarrusso said, and lately people have been opting for the white metal of platinum.
One of the things Iarrusso finds most satisfying in designing for America250 is the progress women have made in this country in the past two and a half centuries.
“When New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen learned about my pieces being carried on America250, she posted them on her website,” Iarrusso said. “That’s a female U.S. senator, posting about a female entrepreneur. In 1776, women didn’t have the right to vote.”
Iarrusso sells her America250 collection – along with her other jewelry designs – through her website at www.covefinejewelry.com or by calling 603-805-2290. Her pieces are also showcased and can be purchased from the America250 website.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald.Reporting by Angeljean Chiaramida, news@seacoastonline.com.
