Blog > August 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Faruk Akin is a designer. In between designing catalogues, logos, furniture, glass vessels, housewares, cookware and clothing, he's come up with over eighty (eight-zero!) collections of silver and gold jewellery, all in a style befitting someone whose background is more in graphic design than jewellery design. Featured here is but a small sampling don't miss the rest of this Turkish creator's portfolio! (I think the gold pieces are especially good.)
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Silvina Romero (Spain) - colourful textiles
- Karen Welsh (UK) - silkscreened porcelain
- Sonority (Japan) - pretty pendants
- Scarlet Jewellery (London) - modern classics
- Karey Kyle (New York) - chains & briolettes
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Ooh, I love a good, graphic punch in the eye, and this ring delivers! It's great to see familiar ideas refreshed; I've seen wood & silver rings, I've seen ruler rings and I've seen rings inlaid with vintage materials but not all at once like this. By Sarah Stanton and Jay Kukor of Michigan's Sarah Stanton Designs.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Chip Chop (Australia) - scrabble pendants
- Hiila (Japan) - leather & pearls
- Frk. Hvid (Denmark) - sweet & simple
- Jo Pond (UK) - cocoons & buttons
- Lizzie Scheck (Los Angeles) - pavé charms
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
As someone who cannot stand drinking water that's less than halfway crystalizing into ice, I have a great appreciation for these pieces by Vera Horsman of Vancouver's Solid Jewellery Design. Although, if they're not freezing to the touch, I'll be very disappointed.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Melissa Cameron (Australia) - mini people
- Lauren Schlossberg (Baltimore) - modern beadwork
- InBloom (Frederick, MD) - botanical metals
- Julia Groos (Boston) - silver & colour
- Anna Sofia Designs (Massachusetts) - glazed paper
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Do you have a secret Slinky stash? Is Coil your favourite band? Do you wish all staircases were spiral? Then I may have found your kindred spirit in Prague native Daniela Dobesova.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Maren and Ruby (Hollywood) - wood & chains
- Karen Michaud (New Zealand) - silver & fabric
- William Cheshire (UK) - urban men's
- Les Deux (Belgium) - black & white
- Latham & Neve (UK) - contemporary silver
Monday, August 27, 2007
The plastic art of Peter Chang: they say seeing is believing but I've been looking at these rings for days and I still don't believe it. The amazing works of this UK artist are currently on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. Go see it (and believe) if you can!
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Lua Chea (Argentina) - colourful necklaces
- Bad Shannon (Brooklyn) - wings & steak
- Donna D'Aquino (Mt. Rainier, MD) - lots of lines
- Wired and Wonderful (Toronto) - wirework
- Dallas Pridgen (Chapel Hill, NC) - cutesy silver
Friday, August 24, 2007
Either I need a faster way to get through my queue of rings or people need to quit being so creative! Hmm. Let's go with the former. Here are some random pluckings from my bookmarks:
Top: B. Stimpfl-Abele (Austria)
Bottom: Sim Luttin (Australia)
Top: Lisa Ordina (Exton, PA)
Bottom: Marie-Lise Gasser (Switzerland)
Top: Judith Hoefel (Germany)
Bottom: Susan May (UK)
Top: Patricia von Musulin (New York)
Bottom: Kaja Gjedebo (Norway)
Top: Mimi So (New York)
Bottom: Hablando en Plata (Mexico)
Even more jewellery:
- Claudia Stebler (Germany) - arty & industrial
- Mediums to Masses (Oakland, CA) - patterned glass
- Chic People (Raleigh, NC) - brightly beaded
- Knot Studio (Brooklyn) - knit silver
- Raquel Moreno (Spain) - gorgeous gold
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Oh, hey! Remember pentagons? Germany's Babette von Dohnanyi does! With all those circles and squares and cubes and tubes out there, these five-sided rings are surprisingly novel.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Sarah Packington (UK) - light acrylic
- Emma Caton (UK) - cast resin
- Federica Pallaver (Italy) - modern & boxy
- Lattis Design (Seattle) - contemporary metalwork
- Lacey Kalivoda (Baltimore, MD) - buttons & lace
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Denmark's Gitte Helle gives us a taste of what it would be like if IKEA were to sell jewellery. That taste, it turns out, is sweeter than a meatball covered in lingonberry jam. This cute, colourful piece was made from product parts purchased at that blue and yellow box of wonders.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Jené DeSpain (San Francisco) - birds & octagons
- Laila Aitken (UK) - playful acrylic
- Bonnie Basham (Los Angeles) - white & wood
- Soixante Neuf (New York) - vermeil & charms
- Agas & Tamar (Jersey City, NJ) - matte metal
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
These rings are absolutely perfect. I could stare at the balance and proportion all day long especially the one on the bottom left, which I've come to know affectionately as "bottom leftie." Imagine them on a grand scale, like giant sculptures! As I said: perfect. This moment of zen brought to you by Swiss jeweller Valentine DuBois.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Anne Morgan (UK) - silver & washi
- Michelle Merchant (Twinsburg, OH) - pyrex clusters
- Tom Binns (Venice, CA) - faux couture
- Dyanne Belle (New York) - hammered gold
- Lisa Crowder (Austin, TX) - disc layers
Monday, August 20, 2007
If you've ever taken a peek at my personal ring collection, you may have noticed a page dedicated to a gentleman by the name of Robert Dodd. He handcrafts rings out of antique celluloid and has been doing so for an incredible 70 years. Thanks to his sons Jerry and Pete for introducing me to their father's work! Several people have asked me where they can purchase his rings. Well, great news: I now have a few of Robert Dodd's pieces in my shop. It's a great gallery, even if you're just browsing, so check it out! (I took the photo above, so all those pieces are available.)
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Fernworks (Seattle) - nature in resin
- Bethany Cocco (Brooklyn) - oxidized silver
- Peter Bauhuis (Munich) - metal art
- Tanya Igic (UK) - leather flowers
- Turq Jewelry (Atlanta) - colourful clusters
Friday, August 17, 2007
Elena R. Gaspá and Elvirá H. Mateu owe me a massage. The Spanish duo produces so much amazing work that I spent a good portion of the evening stressing over which pieces to feature here. Good thing I limit myself to rings! Visit Rara Avis Nidus to feast on their bounty of organic metalwork.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Bijoux du Monde (New Westminster, BC) - insects & resin
- Kathleen Diresta (Sea Cliff, NY) - circles & squares
- Lotus Jewelry Studio (Baltimore) - silver & copper
- Surly-ramics (Hollywood) - ceramic pendants
- Ghost & Lola (Australia) - elaborate necklaces
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Pixelated perforations galore! Hogging the world's supply of corners but for a good cause is Barcelona's Nerea Aixàs. How obsessed is this sculptor/jeweller? She's even managed to put corners on her circles.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Anne Poon (San Francisco) - long chains
- Laura Stark (New York) - colour & gold
- Colobockle (Japan) - fabric collage
- MimiBe (Victoria, BC) - colourful enamel
- Clown Chic (Miami Beach) - chicken feet
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
These fun, stackable "add up!" slices are brought to you by Germany's Kleinod (but raise your hand if you thought it was Brooklyn-based AlissiaMT). You can purchase rings individually for about €35-40 each or get three for €99.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Katherine Azarmi-Rose (Los Angeles) - snakes & stingrays
- Jeanette Lopez-Zepeda (Denmark) - red & blue
- Leah Alexandra (Vancouver) - feminine gold
- Melanie Tomlinson (UK) - bursting & blooming
- Jill O'Reilly (Lexington, MA) - shiny silver
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Bears and bulls and people in over their heads? It's almost as though Emma Franklin were inspired by the stock market! (Yeah, probably not.) Visit her site to see more animal heads from this UK jeweller.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Rae Vittorelli (Philadelphia) - porcelain awesomeness
- Cero Designs (Brooklyn) - wooden cuffs
- Jo Bagshaw (UK) - buttons & silver
- Katie Costello (Malibu, CA) - long necklaces
- Flora Book (Seattle) - textile metal
Monday, August 13, 2007
I can't quite get a reading on Jenna Wainwright somewhat ironic, as she designs for Barometer of New York. Her "jeux-elry" (as she brilliantly calls it) is splashes of '80s and contemporary, urban and folk, metal and, as you can see, plastic lettuce leaves. Pictured above: rabbit ring, silver and plastic toy, US$110.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Amarillo Joyas (Spain) - religion & light
- 101 Jewelry (Warren, RI) - colour dots
- Sakiru (Vermont) - pretty earrings
- Love by Geneine Honey (Australia) - mirrored acrylic
- Alison B Antelman (California) - silver & seaglass
Friday, August 10, 2007
I wish I could say these rings were made by a professional bounty hunter who crafts Icelandic wool in his spare time. But no, they were made by Quisquilia & Pinzillacchera, a pair of doll- and puppet-makers from Florence, Italy. See? Sometimes, the world does make sense.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Hayley Mei (Australia) - lasercut acrylic
- B Jewelry (New York) - clean & simple
- Vanessa Yanow (Montreal) - zippers & pyrex
- Pashupatina (Van Nuys, CA) - quirky necklaces
- Sandra McEwen (Apex, NC) - cloisonné
Thursday, August 9, 2007
When I look at Ashley Maury's silver "cocktail rings," I imagine an artist working in Oregon's thriving art scene, creating rings reminiscent of constellations in a dark Alaskan night sky, shaping metal into forms as fluid as the ribbon of a rhythmic gymnast. By complete coincidence, Ashley lives in Portland, has a gallery in Alaska and enjoys competitive gymnastics.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- ClevinJensen (Denmark) - lips
- Oath (New York) - bobby pin pendants
- Hannah Martin (London) - gold & pearls
- Anastasia Azure (Smithville, TN) - woven wonders
- Dandi Maestre (Toronto) - natural chunks
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
I see a lot of jewellers combine silver and enamel in organic shapes but Germany's Sabine Müller is different because these juicy colours are acrylic, not enamel! The combination of acrylic and metal so often results in jewellery that's sleek and geometric that these botanical creations are, to me, truly fresh.
![]() |
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Hazel Atkinson (UK) - anodized aluminum
- ToyMe (Italy) - playful silver
- Craft (New Jersey) - buttons & yarn
- Bonnie Allen (Boston) - chunky stones
- Signe Njust (Denmark) - modern gold
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Her other set of rings are topped with glossy black ponytails so, yes, she has heard of leave-in conditioner. Above: strangely appealing tangled tresses by Texas-based Masumi Kataoka.
Another member of the International Society for Dangling Bundles of Hair in the Palm is Australia's Simone Walsh.
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Moe Moe (Australia) - patterns on metal
- Palèn (Champaign, IL) - chains & briolettes
- Meddle (Moscow) - crochet
- Ted Rossi (Brooklyn) - snakeskin
- Aran Galligan (North Carolina) - organic enamel pendants
- Stéphane Landureau (France) - brushed silver
Monday, August 6, 2007
So this is what a religious experience feels like. Are they all so pretty and snow-coney? London's Kelvin J. Birk drapes his gorgeous rings with decadent clusters of crushed gemstones. Just smashing!
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Günter Krauss (Germany) - fashion statements
- Paper Snake (Toronto) - scissors & animals
- Piicph (Denmark) - cute gold & silver
Friday, August 3, 2007
Summer heat calls for light and airy pieces that just graze the skin! I may sound like an unimaginative clothing catalogue but Denmark's Mette Vivelsted shows how that overused mantra can apply to your metal jewellery as well. Ventilation: it's hot!
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Bety K. Majerníková (Slovakia) - tv & bubbles
- Boo Poulin (Rochester, NY) - steel & pearls
- Eloquin (Atlanta) - modern metalsmithing
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Lithuania's Solveiga and Alfredas Kriviciai rail against consumer culture with their "disposable life" series. I'm torn if I laud their anti-materialism, do I have to scrub my mouth with same toothbrush for the rest of my life?
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Andrea Borst (Germany) - glass nature
- Jenni Caldwell (UK) - modern silver
- Devienna Anggraini (Providence, RI) - dots & blobs
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
No, this isn't Frank Gehry doing executive office supplies. This is fingerwear from oflux, by Puerto Rico's Aurorisa Mateo. Pictured above, clockwise from top left, are her "Beg," "Inhuman," "Extinct" and "Overkill" rings (US$500-$1,500).
![]() |
Even more jewellery:
- Lucky Me Beads (Colorado) - recycled vintage
- One Eyed Collie (Seattle) - mood swings
- Mundana (Argentina) - bead clusters