Dýrfinna Torfadóttir was born in 1955 in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. She was brought up in Ísafjörður, North-west Iceland, and lived there after finishing her studies. In 2001 she moved to Akranes, a town adjacent to Reykjavík, and in Akranes she operates a small studio-workshop and gallery.
Dýrfinna pursued her goldsmithing studies in Akureyri, North-Iceland, and in Valdres, Norway, and obtained her certificate as master goldsmith in 1983. That same year she opened a studio and a giftshop in Ísafjörður, the latter of which she still runs there with handcrafted jewellery and giftware on offer.

Dýrfinna has participated in a number of private and group exhibitions and has received various prizes and awards. She was, for instance, awarded the First prize for the Iceland Fashion Piece of Jewellery in the years of 1997, 1998, and 1999.