I'm on Vacation!

I'm going on vacation! I'm trekking off for a couple of weeks but, to make up for the days I'm away, here's a dozen jewellers to keep you company. See you back here on September 1st!

Felt for the fingers by Illinois artist Annie Pennington.

Fused plastic bag ring by Belfast's Junkfusion.

"One, Two, Three Pumps: It's You" by Wisconsin's Sarah Holden.

"The Engineer" ring/pendant by the Justified Sinner of Scotland (Dauvit Alexander).

Recursive ring by Germany's Florian Ladstaetter.

Minimalist shapes from Paris jeweller Sebastien Parfait.

From the "bamboo" series by Italy's Elisabetta Fontana.

Coloured concrete rings by Australia's Vikki Kassioras.

"Shadow" rings by California's Lisa Medlen.

Enamel double pods by Germany's Elgin Fischer.

Guggenheim-esque spiral by Puerto Rico's Denise Elizabeth.

Flowers, fowl and fish by New York's October Anniversary.

See you when I get back!

Martina Pontena / Gideon Weisz

Barcelona's Martina Pontena has a winning formula, and it goes something like this:

awesome = [(white fibres / clear glass) * oxidized silver]²

I especially love the pendants.

Bonus link: for rings rooted in some actual math and science, check out Boston-area sculptor Gideon Weisz for binary (pictured), mobius and amino acid rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Leslie Perrino (Wisconsin) - computer parts


• Zoe & Morgan (UK) - edgy classics


• Anne Sportun (Toronto) - metal & gems


• Agnès Moulinot (Paris) - modern silver


• Mykonos (Japan) - vintage style

Daniel Hiller / Morgan Fischer

A dog and his bone, a rabbit and his carrot, a gargantuan ape and his Ann Darrow... Consider it German jeweller Daniel Hiller's version of the deserted island question: if your head were put on a ring, what would it be paired with?

Bonus link: here's another rabbit-and- carrot ring from California's Morgan Fischer, who has a menagerie of cute animal jewellery.

Even more jewellery:

• Amala (Germany) - hearts & animals


• Karin Kortenhorst (Netherlands) - bold & sculptural


• Dee & Ricky (New York) - simple lego


• Michael David Sturlin (Arizona) - gold crochet


• Lynsey Walters (UK) - cute felt

Young Joo Yoo / Ilana Krepchin

"The Castle on the Cloud" — coming soon to a theatre near you. Ok, not really, but doesn't it sound just like something Nicholas Sparks would heave upon us? In this case, though, it's the name of this ring by Iowa's Young Joo Yoo, whose collection is filled with lovely architectural pieces (including a lot more castles) and other metalwork.

Bonus link:
Here's another castle ring in silver — fortified by a hematite cannon — by Boston-area jeweller Ilana Krepchin.

Even more jewellery:

• Kat Cole (North Carolina) - houses & clouds


• Danielle Miller (South Carolina) - geometric metal


• Erich Zimmermann (Germany) - bold gems


• Be.De.Lite (Portugal) - scribbles & sprouts


• Eve Shaw (UK) - simple silver

Jane Gowans / Ileava (Maya Nishimura)

Is a ring still a ring if it can only be worn around the wrist? I'll have to break out the ol' PHIL101 textbook and see what Kierkegaard had to say about that. In the meantime, enjoy sassy UK artist Jane Gowans and her interpretations of "slap," "hold," "hug" and other actions.

Bonus link:
Speaking of hugs, get a bear hug for your finger with California's Ileava Jewelry (Maya Nishimura). Also available in monkey and rabbit.

Even more jewellery:

• Hugu (Japan) - ants & animals


• Amy Weiks (Virginia) - art jewellery


• Adam Evans (California) - contemporary metal


• Anna Örnberg (Sweden) - cinnamon buns


• Frank Jewellery (Vancouver) - silver & brass

Tricia Harding / Sekond Skin

Satisfying our jewellery itch for today is Massachusetts' Tricia Harding and her scratched "abrasion" rings. Inspired by Victorian mourning jewellery and the process of tattooing (which she likens to the process of enamelling), her "Traces" collection studies the scratching, piercing and decorating of skin.

Bonus link:
For skin of the non-human sort, check out the UK's Sekond Skin and their pieces created by recycling the real shed skin of snakes and lizards.

Even more jewellery:

• Joseph Lamsin (UK) - cast cuttlefish


• Laura T. Lombardi (Chicago) - brass chains


• Stamatia Jewelry (Tennessee) - silver & stone


• Michelle Pressler (Philadelphia) - feminine necklaces


• Herbert Beck (Germany) - metal & opal

Karmasmith (Ji Eun Lee) / Ai Jewelry (Aileen Lampman)

Let me send you off into the weekend with some good karma: rings from Karmasmith, aka metalsmith, papersmith and othersmith Ji Eun Lee (a recent SCAD grad).

Bonus link: you'll find lots of lotus flowers — a symbol for karma — by checking out Pittsburgh's Ai Jewelry (Aileen Lampman). Pictured is her open lotus ring in silver.

Even more jewellery:

• Kaya Sattva (California) - modern metal


• Sonja Picard (Ladner, BC) - yoga-inspired


• Inner Voice Designs (Tennessee) - spiritual silver


• Amanda Cox (UK) - lilies & branches


• Art'emi (Artémi Vasilakis) (Belgium) - gems & charms

Cora Sheibani / Hanan Emquies

The Gugelhopf or Bundt cake may be ring-shaped, but that's not why it's here.

This is why.

In a mind-blowing stroke of genius, London's Cora Sheibani combines two of the very bestest things in the world — jewellery and baking — in one magnificent book, complete with recipes. Preset mouth to drool.

Bonus link: if that's not enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out the wrapper-inspired "Chocolate" collection from Denmark's Hanan Emquies (who works with Diana Holstein).

Even more jewellery:

• Kvast (Germany) - veggies & animals


• Wendy McAllister (Washington, DC) - enamel flowers


• Torico (Japan) - simple metal


• Lisa Hall (Maine) - gems & sea glass


• Dianne King (UK) - contemporary silver

Loring Taoka / Valerian Gagnaire

I've featured cut-out coin rings before but cut-out bills? That's inflation for you.

Check out Texas metalsmith Loring Taoka for objects and jewellery like this season-appropriate "Grills Gone Wild" ring, above.

Bonus link: where there's a grill, a burger is never too far behind. This stacked ring, from the archives of Swiss design school ECAL, is by Valerian Gagnaire.

Even more jewellery:

• Danielle Embry (Arizona) - organic enamel


• Frozen Peas (Portland, OR) - silkscreened wood


• Fay Page (UK) - silver shells


• Michael Persson Carling (Sweden) - shiny metal


• PJ Crow Designs (Nova Scotia) - beads & mesh

Brandon Holschuh / Mattana Design

After a little Kate Moss yesterday, here's a bryophyte moss ring — with watering can, no less — by Ohio metalsmith Brandon Holschuh. The word "metalsmith," by the way, seems to be incorrectly wired in my brain; whenever I try to type it, I inevitably hit M, E, A, T, backspace, backspace. Surely, this ring isn't helping matters:

Visit his site for this "roast" ring and more!

Bonus link:
Now that we have plants and protein covered, on to the carbs! Farfalle pasta ring by Mattana Design of Italy (where else?).

Even more jewellery:

• Dana Hakim (Sweden) - egg-cartons and bandages


• Elena Estaun Sanchez (New York) - teeth & hardware


• Core (Japan) - cut-out silver


• Jessica Beels (Washington, DC) - seed beads


• Kira Seiden (France/Italy) - bold necklaces

Karen Mabon / Saskia Bostelmann

I never imagined Pete Doherty would make an appearance on this blog but... here we are. Exploring "the meaning of reality in an age of media saturation," UK artist Karen Mabon presents a wry collection featuring pieces constructed from screenprinted plywood. Pictured above are the build-your-own celebrity rings with sundry persons of notoriety.

Bonus link:
If you'd rather wear anonymous figures, check out the work of Mexican jeweller Saskia Bostelmann, who's now based in Spain.

Even more jewellery:

• L. Sue Szabo (Ohio) - lacey enamel


• Urban Projekt (Slovakia) - acrylic & magnolias


• Tiny Tail (Japan) - little animals


• Beverly Tadeu (Maryland) - caged branches


• Seren Silver (UK) - silver fingerprints