Blog > December 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
I hope you're all having a great holiday! I've been taking a bit of a break so I'm popping in today with some random pluckings from my bookmarks to make up for some of the missed days. Have a Happy New Year, everyone!
Recycled paper rings by California's Francesca Vitali (aka Frucci).
Crystal rose (¥31,500) and skulls (¥29,400) by Japan's Hoya.
Pigmented shibuichi (silver & copper) by Italy's Lucia Massei.
Blackened copper with glass by Switzerland's Heidi Roethlin.
Bright vs. eroded colours by Syracuse, NY's Michelle DaRin.
Organic metal and amber by Poland's Marcin Tymiński.
Triple point and jack charm rings by Austin's Jamie A. Kelsch.
Spices in resin (~US$90) by Atlanta's Stephanie Edstrom.
Bolt 2 and Borg 2 rings (US$55-90) by Arizona's Jennifer Sasek.
Ceramic tile rings (CAD$85) by Vancouver's Jasna Sokolovic.
Landscape rings by Boston's Suebird 13.
Acrylic "flutter bye" rings by the UK's Helpless Romantic (£10).
Smooth, chunky silver by UK jeweller Loree Bologna.
Metal and felt from Barcelona's obo.
Plastic and metal by Japanese jeweller Asagi Maeda.
See you in 2008!
Friday, December 21, 2007
These happy rings make me think of candy-coated raindrops just like the lyrics from that cheesy '90s song. I don't know if Gwenne Pagarigan and Kerianne Quick are fans of Soul for Real but I do know they make just the right jewellery to brighten tonight's winter solstice. The Los Angeles duo work together as J-is for Jewelry.
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Even more jewellery:
- Lima Jewellery (Scotland) - measuring tape
- This Charming Man (Australia) - food & beartraps
- Nashelle (Bend, OR) - pretty & delicate
- Rebecca Adrian (Chicago) - gem clusters
- Lydia Fast (Fort Wayne, IN) - artistic & botanical
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Just a quickie post today: acrylic and steel rings by Budapest, Hungary's Bence Fördõs of Materiart.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Obsessively checking your mailbox for packages to arrive? You wouldn't have to if you wore your mailbox on your finger. (Apparently, this person likes to order lots of forks online.) Ring by Iceland's Helga Mogensen.
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Even more jewellery:
- Fallon & Fenton (New York) - sister lines
- Cristina Aabdo (Brazil) - gold & crystal
- Blugrn Design (Washington, DC) - cutouts & briolettes
- Squem by Emma Farnworth (UK) - postage stamps
- Marie Scarpa (Petaluma, CA) - woven wheels
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
In the battle of tidy vs. twisted, which side are you on? Top row: plated steel rings from Swedish jeweller Tore Svensson's "Inside 4 x 4 cm" series. Bottom: gold and silver "jumbled up" rings by Germany's Martina Tornow. Seeing these pieces contrasted against each other reminds me of that quote about being like a duck: calm on the surface but paddling like mad underneath. Sound advice, though perhaps not entirely heart healthy.
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Even more jewellery:
- Viva Mafia (Los Angeles) - gold-plated brass
- Sabina (Sweden) - simple silver
- Paula Thittichai (UK) - organic enamel
- Lulu Frost (New York) - vintage style
- Petra Luz (Montreal) - clean forms
Monday, December 17, 2007
The holidays are a hectic time for many. Hectic. There's no way to say that word slowly, is there? Just saying it puts me in a HECTIC! state. It's an entire self-fulfilling prophecy rolled into two syllables. So, anyway, here's some soothing simplicity to start the week. Above: interesting but uncomplicated silver rings by New Orelans jeweller Rachael Adamiak.
Below: if you prefer gold, there's this tear-shaped ring by Israel's Michael Oren (US$266 at neelee.com). Wear it with the point centered or with the point off to the side, showing the flat edge with the diamond.
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Even more jewellery:
- Violet Manners (London) - hands & keys
- Efva Attling (Sweden) - fine & shiny
- Chris Habana (Brooklyn) - fashion & jewellery
- Sandy Mitchell (UK) - bead & wirework
- Giedymin Jablonski (Poland) - amber & artifacts
Friday, December 14, 2007
Ana Cardim's "swing jewels" allow for dozens of colour variations thanks to interchangeable parts that attach with everybody's favourite shoelace replacement, Velcro! Don't miss the rest of this Barcelona artist's work, including more rings and the awesome "garbage pin."
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Even more jewellery:
- Evert Nijland (Netherlands) - glass & opulence
- Lisa Stewart (Beverly Hills) - modern gold
- Paul DeBlassie IV (New York) - organic titanium
- Gill Galloway-Whitehead (UK) - square brooches
- Kilobyte Couture (Mississippi) - geeky & playful
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dutch artist Marion van Cruchten's "Forgotten Memories" series is based on familiar childhood recollections, like blowing at a puff of dandelion seeds. I'd love to see her follow up with a "weeding the yard" ring in a "Forgotten Chores" series. (Those things have roots!)
Below are her rings made from coupons:
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Even more jewellery:
- Ninh Wysocan (New York) - metal crochet
- Deborah Zeldin-O'Neill (England) - steel & pearls
- Unit 4-E (Chicago) - silver tags
- Fiona Luing (Scotland) - freshwater pearls
- Anastacia Pesce (Cambridge, NY) - contemporary silver
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Portugal's Maria Ribeiro teaches us how to say "whimsical" in jewellerese.
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Even more jewellery:
- Adorn by Sandy (Charlotte, NC) - pmc pendants
- Bea Valdes (Philippines) - statement necklaces
- Barbara Cieslicki (Plainfield, NH) - lucite cabs
- Plümo (UK) - festive & glittery
- Carolyn Morris Bach (Rhode Island) - gold & creatures
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Germany's Gestalterforum showcases some fabulous designers from that country. I've mentioned some of them before but there are plenty I haven't, including Christine Harwart, the woman behind these bright plastic flower rings PVC with nylon bands, to be exact. The colours are so fresh and vibrant, they're almost better than the real thing! (I feel like I need to plant a tree just for saying that.)
Also from that site is this fun one from Claudia Stebler; you may have visited her site in August, or maybe some other time, since I'm probably not the only person in the world linking to pages on the internet:
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Even more jewellery:
- Lichen (Bainbridge Isl, WA) - paperstone & stainless steel
- Unk Kraus (Germany) - laminated necklaces
- Carol Martin (Durango, CO) - cast glass
- Polkadot Jewellery (UK) - vintage & retro
- Julieri (Santa Monica, CA) - gold & gemstones
Monday, December 10, 2007
If you've got a taste for Bauhaus, I suggest Australian designer Eleisha Nylund. She cooks up her industrial jewellery with a mix of silver, acrylic, resin and dashes of onyx and cubic zirconia.
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Even more jewellery:
- Maiden Glasgow (Scotland) - fabulous collective
- Jib and Genoa (Los Angeles) - handcut vermeil
- Jalea Jalea (Mexico) - vibrant necklaces
- Silvercocoon (Minneapolis) - modern acrylic
- Olivia Alger (Chicago) - chunky necklaces
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Weekend quickie: nice, modern and geometric amber by Poland's Dorota Kos (note: the "gallery" link seems to work only if you enter the Polish site, not the English site).
Friday, December 7, 2007
Like that folded paper "pick a colour" fortune-telling game from childhood, these rings start out flat but pop open with a twist! If only all rings could do that shipping would be so much easier. These metal, enamel and rubber pieces are by Vietnamese art jeweller Sam Tho Duong (now based in Germany).
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Even more jewellery:
- Natural Historie (Argentina) - metal & stone
- Pineapple Seed (California) - simple, Thai
- Realm by Jesse Walker (Washington, DC) - kilt pins
- Steven Anton Rehage (Miami Beach) - shiny silver
- Fire and Hammers (UK) - silver & stone
Thursday, December 6, 2007
I want my breath back! It's not often that a plain band can take my breath away but Austrian designer Andreas Eberharter turns simple shapes into absolute stunners with his gorgeous palette of muted tones. Visit his site for the full visual impact of these aluminum pieces (his online shop is coming soon). Pictured are the "shiny simple" and perforated "simple code" rings; I also snuck in some photos of his tubular bracelets and necklaces.
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Even more jewellery:
- Marianne Dulong (Denmark) - modern classics
- Bridget Lynne Designs (Canada) - gold & crystal
- Carole Allen (UK) - enamel & silver
- Andy Cooperman (Seattle) - sculptural metal
- Brat Jewelry (California) - bats & diamonds
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Black may be the absence of light, but these rings still manage to shine. (How's that for corny?) Clockwise from top left: vintage button on hammered sterling, US$35, at Colorado's Gingeroot; "rosette" ring in oxidized silver with gold rivets by Scotland's Marianne Anderson; nylon and antique button ring by France's Anomalies (at Japanese webshop Petite Paris), ¥4,480; rubber and gemstone "planet" rings by Germany's Stefanie Dingel, €70 or €50 without gemstone; ring in blackened steel and 14k gold, US$2,500, by New York's Philip Crangi (a personal favourite); and octagon cross ring by California's Elyse Jacocb.
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Even more jewellery:
- Janice Derrick (UK) - modern silver
- Alanna Bess (New York) - links & stones
- Aden Angier (Singapore) - beaded geodes
- Belle Brooke (Los Angeles) - circle clusters
- Coquito Designs (Yonkers, NY) - beads & charms
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
A ring this fabulous is bound to be stared at. Just be prepared to be stared at back. Kaleidoscopic eyeball ring by Dutch artist Anneke Jakobs.
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Even more jewellery:
- Blanka Sperkova (Czech Republic) - mesh art
- Cathrine Bysheim (UK) - organic silver
- Birdland Creations (Glen Ellen, CA) - birds & architecture
- Lisa West (New Zealand) - silver & stone
- I Love Blocks (Los Gatos, CA) - shrinkydink squares
Monday, December 3, 2007
December's here! Ditch the crazy Christmas sweater you know a crazy Christmas tree-like ring is the way to go. The one on the right even looks half tree, half menorah. How diplomatic. Or sacrilegious. I can't decide. Both rings by Sweden's Maria Börjesson.
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Even more jewellery:
- Vancox (Brazil) - glitz & gold
- Kathryn Dieroff (Toronto) - soldiers & flowers
- Beth Legg (Scotland) - modern metalsmithing
- Peter Reeves (UK) - contemporary metal
- Gedan (Poland) - amber