June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Serenity now. Like a miniature version of ikebana, this perfectly-balanced piece is utter Zen.

All rings above by Rhode Island's Yong Joo Kim, who aims to "reconfigure the ordinary."

Bonus link: you can also meditate on this "Zen garden" ring by Texas-based Lauren McAdams. The sand and miniature rake allow you to arrange your own personal rock garden.

Even more jewellery:

Karin Kato (Japan) - sand & resin
Jeong Eun Lee (Korea) - alchemy pendants
Catherine Woodall (UK) - domed leaves
Lili Ujueta (Germany) - contemporary silver
Marco Balderi (Italy) - organic gold

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Jewellery that provokes a gut reaction: these rings are made of silver, steel, citrine and, yes, gut. For the story behind her "Gnaw" series, visit Michigan's Katie Rearick.

Bonus link:
These rings may be more eye-popping than gut-wrenching. "Opti" eyeball rings in polymer clay by Toronto's Beat Black (Sarah Norton).

Even more jewellery:

Lillian Crowe (New York) - ribs & hearts
Hannah Warner (UK) - skulls & coral
Owlita (Oregon) - feather earrings
&c. (Seattle) - vintage chains
Mónica Gómez (Colombia) - contemporary silver

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Monday, June 28, 2010

I know I posted some other measuring tape rings just a couple of months ago but I couldn't pass these ones up. What I really like about today's designer is how she uses measuring tape to "draw" images, coiling the coloured tape into miniature sculptures.

Like so! For more, see Australia's Yasmine Ellis.

Bonus link: perhaps you're a seamster/tress who's looking for both form and function in your jewellery (unravelling that measuring tape would be a shame). For you, Maryland's Dottyral offers a number of pincushion rings.

Even more jewellery:

Glücksli (Switzerland) - thread & charms
Jessica Worley (UK) - conceptual textile
Yuki Sumiya (Japan) - metal art
Lyndsay Caleo (New York) - modern classics
Kirsten Louwrier (Netherlands) - knit necklaces

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Friday, June 25, 2010

Kicking off another World Cup weekend is this "Lego Legs" ring by Australia's Kyla Jay.

Also turning toys into rings is Finnish jeweller Jaana Tuomisto. Have a fun weekend, everyone!

Bonus link: Calgary's Find Me Riveting knows all about children's playtime. Her carousel ring is part of a five-piece set that can be assembled into a miniature playground (visit her site for the rest, like the monkeybars bracelet).

Even more jewellery:

Tussilago (Sweden) - children's necklaces
Philippe Kindelis (UK) - lego & zipties
Kotsu-Kotsu (Japan) - button clusters
Juliet Rutigliano (Connecticut) - studs & sticks
Michele Grady (New Jersey) - copper & silver

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Some people like sprouts in their sandwiches. I like sprouts in my rings — and so does England's Cindy Ashbridge, who magnifies her silver patterns with an overlay of magnifying quartz.

Here's a wild piece with gold tentacles sprouting far and wide by Dutch metalsmith Greetje van den Geest.

Bonus link:
One more cute sprout ring in oxidized silver, from the "three petals" collection by Spanish jeweller María Goti. She has some great rings in her "el viejo balancín" series, too!

Even more jewellery:

Susanne Elstner (Germany) - metal sprouts
Lu Pin (Poland) - silk thread
Melanie LeBlanc (Toronto) - organic & textured
Charlotte Brown (UK) - stamped silver
Sue Aygarn-Kowalski (Massachusetts) - bubbles & pods

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Trees aren't the only things whose rings reveal their age. "How Old I Am" is an ongoing project by UK artist Laura Potter. In her own words: "I made approximately 100 rings using 0.5mm 18ct gold wire. Each year on my birthday I solder one ring closed around another, thereby producing a chain of connected circles that may be worn together as a ring. The body of the ring builds over time, with each separate wire circle representing a complete year of my life. This ring will only be finished when I am."

Take an extended lunch, because she has a large portfolio of conceptual jewellery, etc., to explore.

Bonus link:
For a similar concept, check out this "annual ring" with tree-like rings by Kami Designs, aka Sydney- based Korean jeweller A Mi Kim (visit her site for a better view).

Even more jewellery:

Sara Ferrari (Italy) - timeline bracelets
Robin Quigley (Rhode Island) - art jewellery
Chloe Shay (Australia) - silver & colour
Dinny Hall (UK) - simple & modern
Roarke (New York) - beads & leather

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

No need to get snippy — unless you're wearing this brass and silver scissors ring by New York metalsmith Theresa Hauser.

And if you wanted to cut into something a little tastier than paper, Halifax jeweller Vanessa Neily has this knife and fork set.

Bonus link: complete your table setting with this melted silver spoon ring by England's Tom Machin. The eco-minded designer also has a peach pit ring!

Even more jewellery:

Lizzy Lawrence (UK) - recycled cutlery
Q Hisashi Shibata (Japan) - puffy scissors
Lauren Vanessa Tickle (New York) - dollar bills
Emma Sher (Australia) - geodes & silver
Josephine Bergsøe (Denmark) - metal & gems

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Four is an unlucky number in Japanese but jeweller Takashi Fujimori's "tetra" ring is safe, since you can really only see three colours at a time. Worn on or between the fingers, in four possible colour configurations, it's really eight rings in one for the lucky owner.

Bonus link:
For another ring with a triangular arrangement of primary colours, check out this piece by Belgium's Sed Jewelry Design.

Even more jewellery:

Kree8tive Jewellery (UK) - rainbow colours
Lauren Blais (Massachusetts) - art jewellery
Aileen Gural (New York) - string & stones
CruzDellacasa (Argentina) - beaded neckpieces
Beer in Blik (Belgium) - silver & flowers

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Tomatoes, bell peppers, blueberries, rings — all wonderful things that grow in greenhouses.

For lots more of interest, including this ring with interchangeable globes, see New York metalsmith JooHyun Lee.

Bonus link:
She may not have greenhouses but Brooklyn's Jill K. Davis has plenty of this house. Her entire collection features the same cute, simple abode you see on this ring.

Even more jewellery:

Katherine Rudolph (New Hampshire) - architectural forms
Jennifer Crupi (New Jersey) - conceptual metal
Cecile Boccara (France) - colourful silk
Kate Moncrieff (UK) - gold & beads
Mynta (Montreal) - modern silver

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Here's a gem-shaped ring in a material I don't think I've seen treated this way before: wool! See New Jersey's Maricha Genovese for more felted work, as well a series exploring celebrity.

Above: another fluff of white. Just like the ring says, Poland's Anna Orska turns paper (as well as thread and other textiles) into soft jewels.

Bonus link:
Yet another fluffy white ring: this pom pom ring is by Naye Quiros, a Mexican-born jeweller based in Argentina. Visit her site for lots of bold and shiny fashion jewellery.

Even more jewellery:

Caroline Ellen (New York) - diamonds & gold
Feisty Elle (California) - felt & wood
Ana-Maria Pasescu-Stewart (UK) - knotted & braided
Arianna Pittini (Italy) - paper & metal
Belinda Giles (Australia) - simple & fluid

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

As I was just saying, I have a love of all things gem-shaped — especially when it comes with a spin, like these "rough rings" by Emilie Shapiro. They showcase marquise- and emerald-shaped silver that's been distressed in a way that "real" gems normally can't be.

The Long Island jeweller has a large portfolio of work (including the pieces above), so get a-visitin'!

Bonus link: speaking of distressed gems... buried here in the sand is a ring from Korea's Stonenwater Studio (Jaebeom Jeong). It's part of the "troves re-traced" series, which explores the concept of worthlessness. [NOTE: there currently seems to be a problem with the Stonenwater website which makes the link unsafe to click on. I will leave the link unclickable but, for future reference, it is www.stonenwater.kr]

Even more jewellery:

Mallory Weston (New Jersey) - faceted metal
Laura Saud (Argentina) - modern silver
Glitter & Twisted (UK) - lasercut acrylic
Sarah Kovacs (Ohio) - antlers & stones
Katrin Rohde (Germany) - carved tagua

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

If I have a thing for gem-shaped metal, can I say I have two things for Selda Okutan? The Turkish jeweller doubles up on the idea with her "Like Diamond" series, which features not just metal gems but also gem-shaped bands.

Above: some of her rings with little figures.

Bonus link:
Italy's Fabio Cammarata is another artists whose jewellery features miniature figures (it's hard to tell in this photo but that globe is made of little silver people).

Even more jewellery:

Kimberly Willcox (Florida) - figural art
Linnie McLarty (UK) - modern silver
Denise Betesh (New Mexico) - gold granules
Cadyn Cherry Mosch (Georgia) - bead embroidery
Dolly Rockers (Australia) - bold & colourful

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Monday, June 14, 2010

These rings are like the colourful cousin of that magnetic poetry you see on fridges everywhere. I'll let Australia's Renee Ugazio explain (in prose):

"In 'Making Headlines,' the words from donated rubber wristbands were cut out and made available to people at various social, professional and arts events to rebuild into a more personal rhetoric. Through a commodity in which one slogan fits all, this project aims to use the vocabulary of hope (charity) and desire (marketing) to build personal statements that reflect individual ideas, identities and desires."

Visit her site for more.

Bonus link:
Looking for more headlines? Twin sisters Gi and Pindo of Florida make jewellery out of recycled newspapers! The papers are coiled and then sealed to be waterproof.

Even more jewellery:

Newspaper Jewelry (Indiana) - recycled papers
Uno Industries (Florida) - ballchains & magnets
Earthlings (Belgium) - playful & colourful
Emily Burnett (UK) - enamel satellites
Guigui Kohon (Argentina) - art jewellery

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Friday, June 11, 2010

I will resist all urges to call these rings HOT or SSSSSMOKIN' and tell you instead that Indiana's John Kent Garrott is interested in change. Once ignited, his combustible jewellery "cycle[s] through certain stages, producing an ephemeral moment and ultimately a transformed result."

Above: his "Spill" and "Five Minute Burn" rings.

Bonus link: charcoal ring made in collaboration for ArtEZ Institute's "Collectie Arnhem" exhibit by Dutch students Imme van der Haak, Nina Sajet, Ilvy Jacobs and Lieke de Koning.

Even more jewellery:

Moorea Seal (Seattle) - singed wood
Angela Gleason (California) - political statements
Lava Jewellery (UK) - contemporary silver
Anna Cristina (Germany) - geode slices
Serena Kojimoto (New York) - silver & briolettes

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Big, bold acrylic rings brought to you by Polish jeweller Jakub Śliwowski. In unrelated news, I feel like buying a new tape dispenser.

Bonus link:
Here's another acrylic ring (with silver) from Barcelona-based German jeweller Eugen Steier, whose style tends toward a blend of the minimal and the industrial.

Even more jewellery:

Claudia Brown (UK) - etched acrylic
Amalia Versaci (New Jersey) - zipper tape
Denise Disharoon (Georgia) - simple silver
Stuart Cathey (Rhode Island) - modern gold
Umlaute (Denmark) - colour samples

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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Today is White Wednesday, starting with this silver and plastic "Thumper" ring, above, by Philadelphia's Rebecca Annand.

Nylon and diamond clamp rings by designer Kouichi Okamoto of Japan's Kyouei Design.

Faceted porcelain "Stones" ring by Productive Mind, aka Hideo Nakayasu. He's a member of Novelax, a collective of Dutch-trained Japanese designers.

Bonus link: don't let her name fool you — Anne Black also has white rings in her collection. The well-known Danish ceramic designer, a favourite of mine, makes lots of lovely jewellery and housewares.

Even more jewellery:

Ali Fife (UK) - geometric porcelain
Anntian (Germany) - ceramic & textiles
Ariane Zurcher (New York) - glam gold
Wladis (Hungary) - simple & chunky
Ebru Danyal (Turkey) - pink poodles

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Previous rings — like this one (follow the "trompe l'oeil" link) and this one — have used magnifying lenses to humorously enlarge a "cheap" diamond. In her "Illusion" series, however, New Zealand's Stacey Whale seals loose gems under a magnifying lens to give the impression that the stones are floating in liquid.

Fine jeweller Moritz Glik of New York has a similar idea with these rings featuring diamonds and gold chips enclosed in double white sapphires.

Bonus link: both ideas collide in the "Stars of Africa" collection by Amsterdam's Royal Asscher. Diamonds are encased in fluid-filled sapphire domes, letting them float as though in a snow globe. Sales proceeds go to help Sierra Leone.

Even more jewellery:

Matthew Campbell (South Carolina) - floating gems
Judith Kinghorn (Minnesota) - intricate botanicals
Hannah Souter (UK) - modern domes
Chewed by Tuesday (Australia) - chewed pencaps
Fabio Corsini (Italy) - organic silver

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Monday, June 7, 2010

A humble paper towel transforms into a light and airy ring, decorated with stitching in black thread.

Oh. Make that black hair.

For more art jewellery, visit Rhode Island-based Japanese designer Yoshie Enda.

Bonus link:
For more bathroom rings, check out this tub and toilet combo by California's Tonya Tarr. She also has sofas and chairs if you're interested in other areas of the house.

Even more jewellery:

Grau Wal (New York) - braided hair
Carolina Martínez Linares (Spain) - glass & porcelain
Romy Derman (UK) - eclectic clusters
Sana Doumet (Florida) - silver & gold
Kim Lucci Elbualy (Pennsylvania) - sculptural copper

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Friday, June 4, 2010

All spikey and studded, this aggressive jewellery is a knock-out. New York's Eddie Borgo is inspired by punk but his gorgeous work in crystal and metal is more clean than noisy.

Bonus link: here's another spike ring by England's Michael Lionel, who makes simple but bold silver jewellery. This piece reminds me of jacks, the game. (Do kids play jacks anymore, or does it have to come out on Wii?)

Even more jewellery:

Sean W. Scully (Ohio) - bullets & medals
Sara Domenech (Spain) - metal strips
Julia Thompson (UK) - silver & cabs
A Small Collection (Texas) - minimal necklaces
Petra Reijrink (Netherlands) - carved flowers

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Thursday, June 3, 2010

Faceted, lacey, half-cut — not terms you'd normally associate with pearls, but Melanie Georgacopoulos doesn't do normal. The UK-based French-Greek jeweller modernizes what is often a conservative gem; I couldn't resist giving you a couple of non-ring examples, above, but visit her site for more!

Here's another take on the "ball and chain" pearl ring, this time by London's Ros Millar. These chain rings with crochet thread are from her "Growth" series.

Bonus link:
While we're on the topic of pearls... check out this bird with a pearl stuffed in its beak! The hilarious "Sookie" ring is available at Mi & Yu, a cute accessories shop based in Switzerland.

Even more jewellery:

Kendra Renee (San Francisco) - pearls in pods
Solrojo (Argentina) - solid resin
Seth Papac (Michigan) - art jewellery
Fiona Cran (UK) - texturized silver
Keith Lewis (New York) - colourful metal

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I feel like someone just gave me a present! Not because of the bow and decorative paper wrapping (although they help) but because a jeweller I like has finally launched her own website.

For more origami, as well as other modern metalwork (like the plus/minus ring above), see Italy's Silvia Nesti.

Bonus link: here's another bow ring, this time from Japan's Figue Sucrée. The tiny stone and delicate band are typical of the "simple and elegant" style she aims for. Additional styles also available at alternate site FiG.

Even more jewellery:

Souvenirs de Pomme (Belgium) - bows & pearls
Origami Jewellery (France) - metal origami
Imke Beek van der Meer (Netherlands) - sculptural paper
Tania Clarke Hall (UK) - lasercut leather
Jaime Sin (Toronto) - re-cast vintage

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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

There's just no delicate euphemism for "human limb cross-sections" — I even checked my Roget's thesaurus. But while Mr. Roget may not have been able to provide me with a synonym, he would've loved these rings (the man wasn't just a word nerd but one of London's most prominent physicians). These awe-inducing, if rather quease-inducing, rings are from the "mezi" ("my emotional zoom in between") collection by Slovakia's Redka Stuff (Radka Kovacikova), who asks the age-old question, "What is jewellery?"

Similar in inspiration but less gory are these silicone "skin" rings by Sweden's Malin Henningsson.

Bonus link:
French jeweller Andrea Pineros also has skin rings, except the skin is yours. Her open square ring is meant to turn the wearer's skin into the jewel.