September 2008

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

A clever though sobering commentary on domestic violence by British designer Jule Jenckel.

Bonus link: a more pleasant word ring by Swiss jeweller Mimi Von Moos (that's "gut" in German, not English — I did say pleasant).

Even more jewellery:

Adorn + Cherish (Roslindale, MA) - reworked vintage
Quercus Silver (UK) - silver & resin
Wordworks (Santa Fe, NM) - stamped silver

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Monday, September 29, 2008

Riddle: there's an integer hidden in this photo — what is it? Answer: 100. You know, one-hand-red! Har har. Don't blame me, blame Japan's 100Infinity.

If the only red hand you want to wear is your own, bloody it up with these "white wedding" rings from London-based Dutch designer Laurie Schram, aka SCHRmm Jewellery.

Bonus link: for a less violent take on red, see these dyed natural sponge rings by London's Sarah May Marshall.

Even more jewellery:

Science of Luxury (Australia) - body parts
Tarbys Fabrik (Sweden) - hearts & flowers
Megumi Jewelry (Los Angeles) - pearls & beads

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Friday, September 26, 2008

What's old is old again — and totally fresh! Hong Kong's Qift reworks old buttons, putting a clean, new face on a style that's classic and retro. It's like they popped right off a favourite childhood jumper! Simultaneously modern, old-school and cute as a you-know-what.

Bonus link: for jewellery with recycled buttons still in their original condition, check out North Carolina's Susan Sykes.

Even more jewellery:

Ulrikke Vogt (London) - floral cutouts
Sophie Rees (UK) - buttons & lace
Torsten Reissmann (Germany) - clean steel

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

YAMR (Yet Another Magnet Ring). If only all rings were magnetized — it would make for some interesting storage options. This "stick with me" ring is by Dutch industrial designer Ramón Middelkoop.

Bonus link: these "kiss" rings are similar in concept but lip-shaped for extra fun. By Hiroshi Ujiie of Japanese design group Link.

Even more jewellery:

Rachel Weatherall (UK) - vintage formica
Carmen Hauser (Germany) - collars & ties
Mirjam Ginsberg (Switzerland) - gems & pearls

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Don't you hate it when your ring flaps open in the wind? Boston's Andrea Williams, aka Bound Earth, keeps her hinged split rocks secured with rare earth magnets so you don't have to worry about accidental finger-skin exposure.

Above: more magnets! Rings with rearrangeable magnet parts, US$20, by New York's Dynomighty Design (Terrence Kelleman).

Bonus link: if magnets aren't secure enough for you, UK jeweller Georgina Browett fastens her hinged rings with good old-fashioned pins.

Even more jewellery:

Sam Shaw (Maine) - twigs & stones
Ashley Akers (Texas) - pebbles & gems
Wendolyn Hammer (Portsmouth, NH) - rocks & metal

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

One day, you might be on a game show. And you might be at the million dollar question. And it might be, "Name a Sri Lankan jeweller other than Kali Arulpragasam." And you might look back on today, and smile, and answer, "London-based Tamara Gomez!" And I might be delusional, but don't let that stop you from checking out her slightly quirky yet refined collection.

Bonus link: in contrast to the sleek orbit ring above are these wild and colourful orbit rings by Marjorie K. Schick, art professor at Pittsburg State (without an h, as in Pittsburg, Kansas). Must be seen full-size!

Even more jewellery:

Claire McDermott (Philadelphia) - recycled skateboards
Collette Waudby (UK) - simple silver
Rosena Sammi (New York) - ornate gold

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Dancer/toothpaste/jar-lid scissor-ish double-ring by Australia's Dougal Haslem. Throw in a robotic dino-donkey and it's just like a weird dream I once had.

Yeah, like that.

Bonus link: the robotic dino-donkey might like this robot ring by Michigan's Emoodicon (US$49.99); it comes with interchangeable robot faces featuring different emoticons :)

Even more jewellery:

Stacey Hough (Lancaster, PA) - lightbulb clusters
Ubu Bijoux (France) - chunky metal
Willy Schut (Netherlands) - rubber & textiles

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Friday, September 19, 2008

These rings make me sick to my stomach — and I bet Helen Wood would be happy to hear it. Inspired by rollercoasters (clearly), the UK jeweller packs all the queasy thrill and motion of those fairground rides into tiny pieces of acrylic and silver. So fun, you'll never need a barrel of monkeys again. Wheeeee~!

Bonus link: if you like that dizzying effect, Londoner Emma Farquharson of Emma Q Jewellery has more spirals and circles for your enjoyment.

Even more jewellery:

Sue Gregor (UK) - patterned acrylic
Piece Zetta (Tokyo) - gold & stones
Muscari (New Jersey) - bridal flowers

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Take "NO" out of the alphabet and you get "MPQ." That's fitting, because you'll be saying nothing but "YES" when you visit M|P|Q, home of Argentinian silversmiths Marina Massone, Tatina Pini and Paula Qüerio. Though their leather and silver rings are fab, their necklaces, in particular, have me drooling. In the photo above, the three in the top row are by Pini, the bottom left by Massone and the bottom right by Qüerio.

Bonus link: check out Graciela Lescano, another Argentinian jeweller, who does nice work in mixed metal and thread.

Even more jewellery:

Ugo Cacciatori (Italy) - old-world style
Martine (Japan) - sweet & delicate
Birna Sigurbjornsdottir (Seattle) - silver circles

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

These rings aren't just pretty — they're smart, too. The bubbly "encoder rings" by Australia's Jonathan Ben-Tovim are "decorated with tiny blobs and holes that actually represent letters in binary code." Each can store a message up to 64 characters long, which means they could probably beat me at Scrabble.

Bonus link: here's another binary ring from Houston's greenKarat, an eco-conscious company that uses recycled metals.

Even more jewellery:

Leah Heiss (Australia) - science & tech
Takto (Spain) - clean gold
Sarah Jane McCallum (UK) - silver waves

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A burst of acrylic colour from Chile's Paola Raggo. Why does colour always burst, anyway? Didn't anyone ever teach it to knock?

Bonus link: here's some colour that blooms instead of bursts. Enamel and carnelian sakura ring by Austria's Stefanie Kalina.

Even more jewellery:

Kay - Keiko Ozaki (Japan) - antique style
Carole Allen (UK) - sweet & simple
La Mygale en Tutu (France) - cute glass

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Monday, September 15, 2008

You don't need colour to brighten your Monday — just check out these carved crystal creations in black and clear by Paris jeweller Muriel Grateau.

Above, more monochrome mastery: textured basket rings by Germany's Tania Gallas, skewed oval by Argentina's Amaya Cicala and white cup by Sweden's Castello Hansen.

Bonus links: pearls and oxidized silver provide the b&w in these slim profile rings by California's Maja Designs (left) and Turkey's Senay Akin.

Even more jewellery:

Miss Wee (Australia) - onyx & mother-of-pearl
Laura Elizabeth (Los Angeles) - leaves & geodes
Conny Kokot (Germany) - contemporary metal

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Friday, September 12, 2008

Alexandra Baum's "hand objects" are meant to alleviate nervousness by giving the wearer something reassuring to hold onto. The wool and leather pieces offer softness and warmth while the metal grips are molded to the person's hand for a perfect fit.

If that's stretching the definition of "ring" too much for your liking but you don't have a hand object of your own to quell your discomfort, don't fret — the German artist does "regular" rings, too:

Bonus link: that first picture looks rather like a banana so here's an actual banana ring in gold by Japan's Selfish Juliet.

Even more jewellery:

Jennifer Braithwaite (London) - modern silhouettes
Alessandra Calvani (Italy) - playful leather
Starwater7 (Germany) - coins & crystals

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

I don't react well to insect bites. If a mosquito so much as looks at me, I get an eyeball-sized lump that eventually goes bright pink and then fades, as it flattens, into a black and blue pastiche. It's been seven days since I took a quick walk through these bushes and my limbs still look like I got into a bad fight with a hammer and then tried to camouflage the bruising with raspberry stains. Insects: if you can't beat 'em, turn 'em into rings.

Above, top-to-bottom, then left-to-right: steampunk insect ring made from watch parts by Pittsburgh's 19Moons; beetle ring by Reservoir 4 of Los Angeles; bee cut-out by Michigan's Beth Millner; horsefly in reclaimed metal by Alkemie Jewelry, also of Los Angeles; and "buggytroll" ring/box by London-based Rie Taniguchi (whose metal creatures are a must-see).

Bonus link: for a real insect made of real insect parts, check out this bee encased in resin by Switzerland's Schmuck Stück.

Even more jewellery:

Ana Nordeste (Brazil) - clean & modern
Amanda K. Lockrow (Los Angeles) - resin in silver
Maria Lau (UK) - braided necklaces

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Does that ring worn on the left hand signify en-cage-ment? Gold cage ring by French jeweller Christophe Marguier. Also shown are ball cage rings by London's Yuko Hotta.

Bonus link: one more cage ring, this time by German- born, UK-based Maike Barteldres, who specializes in slate and stone jewellery.

Even more jewellery:

Shonah (Australia) - patterned pendants
Rosanne Pugliese (New York) - metal & quartz
Petra Collection (Greece) - chunky beads

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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

See these fabulous acrylic cube rings? No? That's because the last time I checked in on Irish jeweller David McCaul was December 2007, and he's since made my initial write-up of his cube rings completely irrelevant by revamping his site. I guess that's what I get for procrastinating as long as most humans gestate. Luckily, he's replaced them with these wonderful rollercoastery pieces in gold.

Bonus link: if you still have a hankering for some cubes, check out Germany's Stefanie von Scheven and her chunky resin collection.

Even more jewellery:

Verdeagua Alhajas (Spain) - boho gold
Leilani Jensen (Seattle) - stone-like glass
Sweet Tooth (San Francisco) - smileys & speechbubbles

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Monday, September 8, 2008

Harvey Dent and Anton Chigurh may have their coins but you can gamble your fate with the flip of some dice! This piece, reminiscent of those lotto ball machines, is cheekily-named "like marriage." It's just one of many rings by Spanish designer Natalia Saldías. Here's some more of her work:

Even more jewellery:

Brenda Vidal (Brazil) - quartz & gems
Rebecca Haas (Brooklyn) - simple & modern
Laura Murray (Scotland) - beads & wire

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

On a break! I'm off for five days (including today), so here are five days' worth of metalsmiths to explore. See you Monday!

Above: gorgeous organic shapes by Germany's Regina Schütz.

Landscape rings by San Francisco's Alice Roche.

Bowl ring by UK silversmith Miranda Meilleur.

Textured silver by Spain's Rebecca Modelli.

Pearly pods by Tokyo's Rie Nagumo.

See you next week!

Even more jewellery:

Zita Jansen (Netherlands) - botanical metal
Andrée Derapalyée Brown (New York) - simple & classic
Candyware (UK) - bright candy
Zalie Smagghe (France) - romantic necklaces
Bruno Lillemets (Estonia) - rings & objects

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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

I love these. Simple but, as a wise purveyor of flat-packed Swedish furniture once said, unböring. Shapely rings by Cleveland, Ohio's Susan Skoczen.

Bonus link: for simple and unboring with a splash of colourful resin, check out UK jeweller Lianne McCurrach.

Even more jewellery:

Hollie Ten (Los Angeles) - bold & graphic
Torill Isachsen (Norway) - modern gems
Holly Masterson (Santa Fe, NM) - "ancient contemporary"

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Monday, September 1, 2008

If I could be any hand, I'd want to be that hand. These colourful creations in polyester resin are by Jasmine Scott, who's based in Florida but hails from New Zealand — not surprising, as most of my favourite resin artists seem to come from NZ and Australia! The rings shown here range from US$65 to $130.

Bonus link: for more resin dome rings, check out Los Angeles-based Stefania Panfili of Modern Vintage; this piece embedded with silver leaf is US$35.