Betsy & Iya

Housed on a leafy street  in Portland’s charming Nob Hill neighborhood, the shop and studio of Betsy & Iya sit under one roof, its spaces buzzing with creative energy and gleaming eye candy. Step inside and you’ll be entranced by a plethora of unique and interesting pieces of jewelry, all entirely crafted on site.

in 2008, Betsy Cross jumped ship from her career in theater arts by choosing to take a risk and pursue her passion in jewelry design. As she grew her business, her husband, Will, joined the company, and they opened their brick and mortar shop in 2011.  Their work is inspired by color, asymmetry, contrast and balance. They love to incorporate curves and geometrics into their work. In addition to their own Betsy & Iya jewelry collection, Betsy designs wedding jewelry, exploring the idea of creating two individual pieces that can be joined together (as in love) as well as custom designs. Betsy designs each piece herself, which is then crafted by the team of artisans in the workshop. The shop also stocks the work of other independent artists and designers from throughout the country, which the company loves and is passionate to represent.

As a collector of their work, I appreciate the unique designs, simple but dramatic, and find them to be extremely wearable. I always make sure to pop by their shop whenever I’m in Portland to see what’s new. I often hear the hammering of metal, as jewelry is being crafted in the attached studio. On one visit, I asked for a pair of Ocaso Hoop earrings in brass. They were out of stock at that moment, but were currently being made in the studio, so I could get a pair as soon as they were completed. How cool is that?

Betsy & Iya is a company with the mantra, “Beautiful things made by people who care.” They are focused on an ethical and sustainable business model, including RECAST, their unique buy-back program, in which they will buy back Betsy & Iya jewelry from their customers, clean it up and resell at a discount. They also incorporate recycled metal into their work because they aim to keep their products out of land fills. And they only work with vendors of gems sourced conflict-free. Betsy & Iya is a company with a conscience… and I love supporting a business with a cause!

Address: 1777 NW 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97210

Tel: 503.227.5482

Website betsyandiya.com

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