The Carrotbox

The Carrotbox is obsessed with rings. Please enjoy your stay.

Alice Matsumoto · Vancouver, BC

While the shop is metal-free, the blog is not! Links are never repeated so there's always something new.

I post only what interests me. No ads, no paid promos.

AD-FREE SINCE 2003

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Please pardon any formatting issues in the archives (caused by changes to the template over the years).

Blog > April 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008    
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This ring by any other name would not be as sweet: silicone "Blop" ring by Germany's Alessandra Pizzini.


Bonus link: for more splattered rings, see New Jersey jeweller Alan Goldin's pieces in cast gold and silver (US$150-300).

Even more jewellery:

Tuesday, April 29, 2008    
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In honour of the one-week anniversary of Earth Day 2008, here's the heart-warming story of how a grass ring is made when it's made by La Bague Gazon of France. This particular model, in porcelain with platinated rim, is €100.


Bonus link: blue plus yellow equals green. These colourful rings by Amsterdam's HUH are made from recycled tin packaging.

Even more jewellery:

Monday, April 28, 2008    
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In case you're wondering, no, I'm not above making a lame "three-ring circus" joke. Yuk yuk. (Nevermind that it's technically four rings...) Lions, elephants and flaming hoops by Japan's e.m. — you'll find this collection in drawer #13.

Below, clear acrylic rings with embedded objects from their newest collection and black & white plastic cameos from their "tiptoe" line:


Bonus link: for similar cameo rings but in metal rather than plastic, see Pink Pomp by Düsseldorf's Jenna Brommer.

Even more jewellery:

Friday, April 25, 2008    
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This is great. I need more rings that remind me to do those things I'm supposed to do but always put off, like check the air in my tires (watch out for those nails!). Maybe, if I ask nicely, Germany's Berit Rother will do a "flip the mattress" piece for me, too. Check out her site for lots of other styles, like these gnarled branches:


Bonus link: for non-gnarled branches of bamboo, visit Miami's Natasha Kahn (no, not the Natasha Kahn of Bat for Lashes). US$80 for silver or $415 for gold.

Even more jewellery:

Thursday, April 24, 2008    
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Changing gears from yesterday, let's revel in some minimalism. German minimalism, to be precise. Pictured above: U-rings by Daniela Schwaag of Idar-Oberstein (Germany's gemstone capital) and pearl rings by Munich's Isabella Hund.

France just called me, feeling left out, so here's a "constellation" ring by Mathilde Seguin of Paris:

Now Portugal's emailing me with pouty emoticons. Ok, Portugal, here's some minimalist work by your Ana Albuquerque of Meet Jewelry:

All right, that's it. Rest of western Europe, I'll have to get to you some other day.


Bonus link: not all German jewellers are about minimalism, of course. Some are about jasper and white gold ape mermaids, like Otto Jakob.

By the way, if you're interested in indie crafts, check out Indiefixx! Jen Wallace of Wilmington, NC runs a great, informative blog with weekly features such as an interview series. Thanks to Jen for inviting me to be this week's subject! (If you read the interview: for the record, I know someone who claims that egg thing DID happen to her, and with a free range egg, which is what I buy. Eep.)

Even more jewellery:

Wednesday, April 23, 2008    
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Who knew nylon could be so... natural? Inspired by nature and botanical structures, England's Nora Fok creates incredible pieces of jewellery out of nylon filaments, using only her hands and basic tools. Unsurprisingly, her complicated pieces often take weeks to bloom — just like nature. More below:


Bonus link: for an entirely different take on flowers, see these tulip-petal rings from Düsseldorf-based Belgian jeweller Dominique Labordery.

Even more jewellery:

Tuesday, April 22, 2008    
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So, basically, Germany's Nils Schmalenbach etches photos onto metal and then attaches them to these foldy, pentagony sheets. The resulting rings are much more elegant than the preceding sentence.

Below, for some reason, a glimpse at what life would be like without Nils Schmalenbach (from his album):


Bonus link: in Swiss jeweller Simone Gugger's "devotional" rings, the photos are hidden inside, not boldly on display.

Even more jewellery:

Monday, April 21, 2008    
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Shannon Kennedy and Juan Bohorquez of Kitchener, Ontario's Cynosure Jewelry "strive to expand the realm of what is normally considered jewellery." This case of rings is a case in point: in "City Scape," the jewellery becomes inseparable from its display as the collection as a whole is labelled a "wall installation."


Bonus link: for more wearable combinations of wood and silver, see Barcelona-based Japanese jeweller Hiroko Miyamoto.

Even more jewellery:

Friday, April 18, 2008    
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How many rings can fit in a flat clamshell box?




Six and counting. The black rubber "practical ring set" — which comes with assembly instructions and is also available in white silicone — is just one of many designs from Germany's UBO (by Ursula Bonderer).


Bonus link: for more black rings and other jewellery, see the oxidized sterling pieces of Austin's Christy Klug; this ring is US$220.

Even more jewellery:

Thursday, April 17, 2008    
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Some more insect-inspired rings, this time from Portland, Oregon's Catherine Chandler. Her "wing," "antennae" and "larvae" rings are based on the Bathurst Copper butterfly, an endangered species native to a small area in New South Wales, Australia (where she studied for four years).


Bonus link: if you're searching for a whole butterfly ring, see this forged silver piece from UK jeweller Harriet Potts (£50).

Even more jewellery:

Wednesday, April 16, 2008    
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We go from frogs to frog food — insects, that is. The drama in these pieces is no accident: London-based, Irish-born Jonathan William Anderson studied at the Actor's Studio (where he discovered a love for stage costumes), is influenced by the "sinister" in literature and has a lifelong fascination with Elizabeth I. In these striking rings, "a normally eerie insect is embalmed and becomes a natural jewel," resulting in jewellery filled with "grandeur and heaviness."


Bonus link: another ring featuring a "natural jewel" from the insect world is this wasp's nest ring by Finland's Janna Syvänoja.

Even more jewellery:

Tuesday, April 15, 2008    
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If you think these frogs are interesting, wait 'til you see the pigs! Visit the wonderful glass menagerie of Sweden's Moa Andersson.


Bonus link: if you prefer your frogs crowned rather than winged, Germany's Feenschmuck is your mother lode. See more at Feenring.

Even more jewellery:

Monday, April 14, 2008    
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As promised on Friday, here's another Czech jeweller who tingles my synapses. Above and below, rings from Prague's Anna Steinerová.


Bonus link: if you like the gummibear ring above but want something more discreet, check out this bear- flanked diamond ring from Spain's Tous (US$1,254).

Even more jewellery:

Friday, April 11, 2008    
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I like to pace myself when it comes to posting my favourite jewellers but, sometimes, I can't stop myself from sneaking in an extra one or two — especially when they can be linked in some way, such as the two designers I have in mind now, who are both from the Czech Republic. Today, though, let's go one at a time. First off is Markéta Richterová, who creates bold pieces in carbon, acrylic, crystal and silver (and even ice). Pictured up top is a ring from her "organic" collection (below it, because I couldn't resist, is a pair of earrings). Tune in next week for designer number two!


Bonus link: throw "one at a time" out the window when it comes to California's Dawes Design, who specializes in rings worn stacked, in multiples.

Even more jewellery:

Thursday, April 10, 2008    
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Hardware, made pretty, by Japan's Chave.

Below, more chain rings: silver handcuffs by Dinh Van of France and gold chains by Iwona Ludyga of New York.


Bonus link: chained double bow ring by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, purveyors of Japanese dress-up clothes and accessories.

Even more jewellery:

Wednesday, April 9, 2008    
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I'm guessing Mirla Fernandes never coloured within the lines as a kid. This ring — all two to three feet of it — is from the Brazilian artist's "Longing for the Body" series, a collection of latex pieces meant to be "completed by the user."


Bonus link: also from Brazil is Cristina Aabdo, whose pretty rings are made from more conventional materials like gold and quartz.

Even more jewellery:

Tuesday, April 8, 2008    
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As much as I'm still drooling over yesterday's colours, white isn't so bad, itself. Top: dental plaster rings by Finland's Mia Maljojoki; bottom: carved alabaster by Mexican jeweller Graciela Fuentes of Tirana (based in New York).


Bonus link: white cloud ring of Druzy crystal quartz on gold frame, US$590, by Northeast Harbor, Maine's Sam Shaw.

Even more jewellery:

Monday, April 7, 2008    
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I love these faceted chunks of bright resin so much, I just don't have the words. I may have to resort to interpretive dance. These latest faves of mine are by Vibe Harsløf, the Danish designer behind Fafafa.


Bonus link: perhaps California musician Ellen Burr can accompany me on stage — with her jewellery made from flute parts! This "offset" ring is US$185.

Even more jewellery:

Friday, April 4, 2008    
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Artfully unpolished arrangements of green grass, red thread and silver — simply pleasing work brought to you by Germany's Claudia Rinneberg.


Bonus link: this grass ring "makes you the owner of your own piece of land." By Vancouver real estate standards, you'd need a mortgage just to wear it. By Piroska Szönye of Switzerland's swissEdition.

Even more jewellery:

Thursday, April 3, 2008    
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Ah, Spirograph. I always managed to ruin my designs with a single jerky pen stroke (those darn plastic cogs!) but I bet Teri Howes's drawings turned out perfectly every time. Now, the trained graphic artist translates those designs into fabulous silver jewellery, like this "spirograph" ring (above, right). Also pictured is a ring from her "urban jungle" line; be sure to view the rest of that range and her other collections, as well! If you're in London (like the artist), see them in person at the Tate Modern.


Bonus link: for a great trove of spirographic rings, check out California's Twisted Silver; pictured is their brass "vibe" ring, US$40.

Even more jewellery:

Wednesday, April 2, 2008    
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Getting married? In the next few minutes? If you don't have time for pesky details like getting your ring sized, French designer Benjamin Lignel has the perfect solution: instant wedding rings! Just open the pack, pull out a strip and twist the ring before you tie the knot. Like so:


Bonus link: here's something a bit more permanent. This band with "Until Death Do Us Part" in inverted letters comes with an ink pad so you can stamp the message where you like. By the UK's Ring Leader.

Even more jewellery:

Tuesday, April 1, 2008    
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Sculpting is just one of Caroline Bacher's artistic talents, and it's no surprise when you look at the Toronto artist's range of silver jewellery. My favourites are these vaguely vascular and rib-ular pieces above. (I know, I know, the word is "costal." But it should be "ribular." Don't fight it.)


Bonus link: this ocular ring by French designer Stéphanie Radenac features a closing eyelid, just like those creepy dolls have. Lots of cool stuff on her site.

Even more jewellery:

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