Blog > July 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Metal Emily. Metalemily. Metalemilymetalemilymetalemily. Almost as fun to say as LMNOP. Metalemilellemenopee! (I'm sorry, I think it's the heat stroke talking.) These delightful wooden "single sip" rings are by metalemily.com's Emily Watson, a jeweller based in Honeoye Falls, New York. Below, more rings in wood and faux bone from her "singularities" collection:
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Even more jewellery:
- Lazerian (UK) - striking bangles
- Makkin Atelier (Maki Okamoto) (Japan) - wood & brass
- The Jewelry Story (Netherlands) - modern metal
- Cassia Appel (San Francisco) - silver & stones
- Rina R. Sterling (Nevada) - semiprecious beads
Thursday, July 30, 2009
I have no idea what sound a llama makes but I'll tell you what sound I made when I saw the work of Argentina's Juan Vellavsky: eeeeeeeeee!! (Note: if the colours look odd on his site and you're using Firefox, try loading it in IE it seemed to work better for me.)
Lots more on his site, including Miró-like work in silver and resin!
![]() Can't get enough of those mountain-dwelling beasts? Here's a mountain goat ring by Spain's Roux Bijoux (Rosa Martinez Arcos). |
Even more jewellery:
- Haberdash House (UK) - circus animals
- Camilla Luihn (Norway) - modern & playful
- Charla Wertz Benner (Woodside, CA) - equestrian gold
- Tanja Roolfs (Germany) - silver crochet
- Niamh Utsch (Ireland) - metal & gems
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Can you guess what these flowers are made of?
What has both a metallic glint and a flexible quality?
It's my new favourite thing in the world: gilded plastic! As plastic is created from precious oil, Norway's Fie von Krogh wonders if "perhaps we should regard plastic as one of the most precious materials that we have." Expanding on this idea, she covers plastic in gold- and silver-leaf to create "a synergy of gilded plastic" (a reversal of her early jewellery, which featured laminated metal). Visit her site for more gorgeously pleated work!
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Even more jewellery:
- Dana Noble (Iowa) - botanical metal
- Maria Apostolou (Greece) - modern silver
- Christy Feaver (Whistler, BC) - clustered circles
- Cement (Toronto) - charm necklaces
- Octopus Parlour (New Mexico) - plastic & pin cushions
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
It's Technicolour Tuesday! The sun's been turned up so high around here lately, everything looks extra cheery and colourful including these brightly-hued rings by Germany's Trommelwirbel (Alin Boyaciyan). Pictured are rubber band rings with glass squares (top) and silver rings with nylon filament.
![]() For more colourful rubber rings, check out these "transit rings" by jeweller Karina Noyons of Denmark. |
Even more jewellery:
- Ute Dippel (Germany) - bright enamel
- Knitknitknits (Brooklyn) - playful colour
- HoLe by Mamiko Togami (Japan) - fabric frills
- Petri Ruusunen (Finland) - shiny silver
- Maura Nicholson (UK) - metal clusters
Monday, July 27, 2009
We've all seen keyboard rings before but here's one that recognizes the most indispensable keys of all: Ctrl+Z. Chilean designer Rodrigo Alonso comes to the rescue of anyone who's ever wished s/he could "undo."
Visit his site for more modern jewellery and product design, such as this fun wind-up "toy" ring.
![]() Harking back to a time when keyboards didn't have a "ctrl" key at all is this ring with vintage typewriter hammers by Germany's Susanne Weigand. |
Even more jewellery:
- K-boards (Italy) - vintage keyboards
- Luminic Design (Argentina) - computer parts
- Adriana McNeely (Toronto) - silver & cork
- Asa Elmstam (Sweden) - metal lace
- Fuga (Japan) - gold & briolettes
Friday, July 24, 2009
You've probably heard about the world's bees mysteriously disappearing. This is a very serious problem because without bees, there's no beeswax, and without beeswax, there's none of this gorgeous work by Carrie Garrott. The Texas jeweller takes real flower petals (from roses to hydrangeas), coats them with beeswax and combines them with silver to create stunning organic pieces. My eyes, they are a-buzzing.
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Even more jewellery:
- Bumblesea (Illinois) - organic pendants
- Natasha Salkey (UK) - bees & peas
- Eamon Ellery (Rhode Island) - metal & pearls
- Jeannette Switzer (New Zealand) - silver & enamel
- 4°C (Japan) - dainty & feminine
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ceci n'est pas un earring.
It's actually a double ring by Martin Margiela of Paris, whose current collection includes such other identity crises as an earring-shaped pendant and a ring-shaped cuff. (Note: you can find more jewellery in the accessories sections of their archives.)
Above, an even larger ball ring by Florida CAD artist Donna Mason Sweigart.
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Even more jewellery:
- Mucca (Colombia) - silver balls
- Liz Gallie (Australia) - rattan cane
- Nina Koutibashvili (UK) - ribbed coils
- Thierry Vendome (France) - bold & glam
- Armada Nueva (Italy) - fashion jewellery
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Did you know that the words "pretzel" and "bracelet" share similar etymologies? (Pretzels were meant to resemble crossed arms.) Here's where I would bring up the fabulous pretzel bracelet I found, only this is a site about rings so here are some fabulous pretzely rings, instead. With a chunkier, more sculptural take on knots compared to yesterday is Germany's Sonja Thiemann. Visit her site for a large collection of silver pieces, including these:
![]() For more sculptural chunks of silver, check out Spain's By Glaire (Glòria Consola). Also pictured is her ring with artificial turf. |
Even more jewellery:
- La Libertad (Colombia) - bold birds
- Smashing (Ohio) - enamel & glass
- Courtney Gray Arts (Texas) - sculptural silver
- Moritz Wenz (Germany) - chunky & masculine
- Phenomenon (Japan) - bowties and whistles
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Take the 19th century, fold it into the 21st century (being careful not to overmix the batter), and you get timeless classics like these elegant knot rings. They're by German-born Londoner Linda Hemmersbach, who puts a modern spin on Victorian mourning jewellery.
She's also responsible for these hooked locket rings which, if I am inferring correctly, you can unlatch to reveal a single pearl.
![]() Germany's Thomas Wiltmann also has locket rings, which he elaborately decorates with enamel and gems. |
Even more jewellery:
- Marquis & Camus (New York) - vintage style
- KirKosh (South Africa) - chunky lucite
- HJ Designs (Hazel Studstill) (Atlanta) - contemporary silver
- Amanda's Autopsies (UK) - taxidermied mice
- Ruth Finkelstein (Israel) - gold & gems
Monday, July 20, 2009
If you're always forgetting to turn the lights off before you leave the house, maybe the solution is to bring the switch with you. "Until the Daybreak" movable light switch ring by England's Jessica de Lotz, who was inspired by the contents of a purse she picked up at an antique market visit her site for the story.
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Even more jewellery:
- Lauren Kalman (Ohio) - conceptual art
- Frank and Easy (Japan) - antique style
- Pi Jewelry (New York) - spoon handles
- Ele Keats (Los Angeles) - dainty gold
- Anke Kanning (Germany) - metal & gems
Friday, July 17, 2009
Time again for Random Pluckings from My Bookmarks! Or "ranplucks" for short, because shortening things is awes.
First up: gorgeous transparency from Italy's Marzia Rossi.
Embroidered signets by Japan's Yukunia (Yukako Kawanami).
Vicodin ring (and necklace) by Arizona's Sternlab (Becky Stern).
New Zealand's Ailish Roughan has lots of pierced wrap rings.
"Whisk ring" by Dutch CAD-master Jan Pycke.
Finally, two favourite designers whom I've posted before but who now have new sites:
Scotland's David Goodwin...
... and Japan's Akiko Kurihara.
Have a safe weekend.
Even more jewellery:
- Katie Diamond (New York) - Moroccan style
- Emma Bulpit (New Zealand) - wood & metal
- Quench Metalworks (Maine) - oxidized silver
- Benedikt Spölgen (Germany) - contemporary gold
- Gasoline Glamour (Los Angeles) - Swarovski glitz
Thursday, July 16, 2009
With her surname, it's only fitting that Ceren Keyman is a musician. Lucky for us, her artistic talents spill over into jewellery design, as well. Check out this Turkish designer for fun, graphic pieces in colourful acrylic.
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Even more jewellery:
- Vibe Harsløf (Denmark) - fingers & feathers
- Bettina Terepins (Brazil) - bold & chunky
- Likya by Erhan Gursen (Turkey) - rich gold
- Heather O'Connor (UK) - simple silver
- Opalescence (Calgary) - dichroic glass
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Mixing gold and silver can sometimes lead to, well, mixed results (to my eye, at least). These pieces, however, blend the two metals elegantly and organically. Rings above by Scotland's Krystyna Nowicka. (I've been keeping an eye on her site for over two years and it seems to have some database issues that aren't going away, so please note that you might not be able to view much of the collection online.)
![]() Here's a clean, minimal take on a two-tone ring from the Netherlands' Martien Verheyden, aka M10 Jewelry & Design ("10" being "tien" in Dutch). |
Even more jewellery:
- Louise Parry (UK) - contemporary twotone
- Thinknow (Seattle) - geometric wood
- Camila Sarpi (Brazil) - metal & gems
- Micha Yehieli (Israel) - matte gold
- Jennifer Zeuner (New Jersey) - beads & charms
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Welcome to day two of "Japanese Jewellers Who Love Pirates." Today, we have Ryo Katori of Tokyo's Rusty Thought, who uses techniques such as "shippo-yaki" (cloisonné enamel) and "ohaguro" burning (which creates a black rust effect on iron) to create eye-catching jewellery meant to improve with time.
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Even more jewellery:
- Jamie's Pirate Jewelry (Massachusetts) - skulls & crosses
- Katrin Spranger (Germany) - organic & sculptural
- Ingrid Trilk (Sweden) - contemporary metal
- Stuart Moore (New York) - diamond rings
- Ute Sanne (UK) - gold & gems
Monday, July 13, 2009
I really dig the piratey yet dainty aesthetic of these rings from Japanese jeweller Haruka Asano, aka Arca.
Did I mention she lives and works in Mexico? Above, "Milagro" rings from her online shop Panchita, which she shares with a few other Mexican artists. Lucha libre masks also available!
![]() For more pieces inspired by Mexico, see San Diego's Lacey Waddell; pictured is a skull ring from her "Dia de los Muertos" collection. |
Even more jewellery:
- DFC (Mexico) - babies & pills
- Katherine Sturgis (New York) - chains & silk
- Sploosh by Syo Nakabayashi (Japan) - gothic silver
- Mawi (UK) - bold & glitzy
- Nectar by Rachel Vanatta (Florida) - metal & stones
Friday, July 10, 2009
I wonder if The Bangles ever considered calling themselves "The Rings." (Six of one vaguely onomatopoeic circular jewellery item, half-dozen of the other?) If they had, Japan's MIRROR would've been morally obligated to name this ring "Walk Like an Egyptian." As it stands, it's the "Eye Am Not Alone" between-fingers double pyramid ring. AND IT'S WATCHING YOU.
Above, a more subtle take on the pyramid, also by all-caps aficionados MIRROR.
Not to be outdone in the field of Egyptian-themed double rings is New York's Je M'aime, with this spectacular "Sphinxxx" in 24k gold vermeil.
![]() For all sorts of sculptural rings, from cute dogs to T-rex skulls to King Tut (pictured here), check out California's David Rasnick. |
Even more jewellery:
- Bark Jewels by Miwako Yoshioka (UK) - nostalgic gold
- Hila Welner (Israel) - ornate enamel
- Tomoko Tokuda (Italy) - clock parts
- Jay Nielsen (Minnesota) - metal & gems
- Daniel & Viera Brunovsky (Slovakia) - sculptural silver
Thursday, July 9, 2009
London's Tara Holmes creates jewellery collages, sourcing found objects from junk shops and antique markets (and pubs, if her beer coaster clusters are any indication). Pictured are rings from her "Token" collection.
Above, some more found cluster rings, this time with buttons. Rings by Studio MHL (Dutch jeweller Monique van Bruggen), whose delightful botanical brooches are... delightful.
![]() For a lot more buttons, as well as other recycled materials, check out Italy's Franzisk (Francesca Buccheri). |
Even more jewellery:
- Kumvana Gomani (Sweden) - recycled plastic
- Lorraine Seibold (Vancouver) - silver & clay
- TheDrugstore (UK) - ear pills
- Anke Fischer (Germany) - clusters & pearls
- Golconda (New York) - pavé jewels
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
This isn't the first cactus ring I've posted here but the gorgeous mix of white wool, copper and plant definitely makes it the most ethereal. Don't miss out on Illinois artist Eun Yeong Jeong, creator of strange, otherworldly, exquisite objects.
![]() For something a little leafier, check out the plant engagement ring by UK jeweller Natasha Fraser (in her "portfolio" section). |
Even more jewellery:
- AKA Jewellery (Lithuania) - conceptual art
- Amy Kovach (Ontario) - bubbles & pods
- Alicia Mannix (Ireland) - botanical silver
- Olga Mihaylova (Pittsburgh) - seed beads
- Estelle Vernon (Maryland) - keum boo
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Is this what would happen if horses could afford Manolo Blahnik? No better day than 7/7 to showcase these sleek horseshoe rings from Paris jeweller Cécile Fricker. Above, the "Luckies" rings and below, the "Construct" rings, both from her "Pony" collection.
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Even more jewellery:
- Lucky mE. Jewelry (Richmond, VA) - gold & stones
- Michelle Pajak-Reynolds (Ohio) - organic textiles
- Malou Paul (Netherlands) - cable ties
- Rosie Weisencrantz (UK) - vintage parts
- Lucky 11 (California) - dice jewellery
Monday, July 6, 2009
Totally. Awesome.
For the illusion of moving your hand through a space portal, get yourself a "hologram" ring/hand-adornment in silver and acrylic by Belgian jeweller Marcus Marguillier (now based in Spain). A few additional samples below, but go visit his site for more!
![]() For more neon acrylic, like this lasercut Nintendo Gameboy ring, check out CBT's Closet (and partner site NB's Closet) of San Antonio, Texas. |
Even more jewellery:
- Kim Thomson (UK) - colourful plastic
- Punky Pinks (UK) - kitschy acrylic
- Nina Savill (Los Angeles) - modern metal
- The Green Fuse (Minnesota) - silver & stones
- Le Mie Follie (Italy) - playful charms
Friday, July 3, 2009
I thought I'd give you a head start on your weekend (your long weekend, if you're American). Resin ring with various stones by New Jersey's Stevie B. Jewelry.
Whether your weekend involves the above beverages and activities or not, I hope you have a good one! Puffed bottle cap rings by Israel's Yaov Kotik and playground and golf rings by Spain's Otro Mundo (Ana Garcia).
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Even more jewellery:
- Poupette (New York) - modern metal
- Whirling Girl (Seattle) - sport themes
- Eclosion (Japan) - carved roses
- Catherine Marche (UK) - silver & gems
- Kevin Heady (Austin, TX) - semiprecious beads
Thursday, July 2, 2009
In her "Jewels of the Urban Night" collection, London's Jessica McCormack draws inspiration from world cities be it the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye or (as pictured above) the New York City skyline. Visit her site to see more of her edgy yet classic diamond jewellery, like these "shape" rings, below:
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Even more jewellery:
- GetPersonalArt (Michigan) - skyline cuffs
- Karin Andréasson (UK) - girly gold
- Bogumił Bernard Bytomski (Poland) - modern metal
- Connie Verrusio (New York) - industrial copper
- Lumé (Germany) - white gold & diamonds
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
In honour of Canada Day, here's the "Same Same But Different" ring (named after a Thai expression) by Quebec jeweller Sonia Beauchesne.
"The piece draws its contextual and artistic inspiration from the political and geographic reality of Canada. The central element in the piece is a replica of Bedlam's cube, a puzzle game made up of thirteen distinct segments intended to refer to Canada's provinces and territories, as well as to the country's political and cultural diversity."
Visit her site for the full description. And happy Canada Day!
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Even more jewellery:
- Flight Path Designs (Vancouver) - leather pendants
- Megan Hazel (Regina) - contemporary metal
- Linda Penwarden (Toronto) - fine jewellery
- Camille Ouellette (Montreal) - perforations & pompoms
- CottonCandyCupcake (Halifax) - satin feathers