Dog State / Karenna Maraj

Frankenring and Scary Clown wish you a Happy Hallowe'en Eve. Rings by London's Dog State and available at Goodhood.

Bonus link: for a headless way to get into the Hallowe'en spirit, try this giant spiderweb ring. Hand-pierced out of two sheets of silver by Karenna Maraj of Massachusetts.

Even more jewellery:

• Softprong (Spain) - Jason masks


• Julia Lowther (Seattle) - bats & chains


• Anne-Marie Herckes (Luxembourg) - leather charms


• Barbara Tipple (UK) - metal & gems


• Erin Austin (California) - modern silver

Rita Ruivo / Jen Abrams

Velvet: it's not just for Elvis paintings. While there's a good variety of textile jewellery out there, velvet seems to be under-represented. Portugal's Rita Ruivo remedies that situation with her rings incorporating the lush fabric.

Above, a ring from her MNAA collection, in which copies of antique jewellery from Lisbon's National Museum of Ancient Art were printed onto fabric.

Bonus link: looking for a more casual fabric? New Jersey's Jen Abrams recycles both gold and vintage denim from the '60s, '70s and '80s to create her pieces. Jordache never looked so good.

Even more jewellery:

• Montse Rego (Spain) - tags & textiles


• Sid Vintage (California) - clustered chains


• Emma Glover (Victoria, BC) - contemporary silver


• Ellen Himic (New York) - architecturally-inspired


• Selma Stagg (UK) - glazed ceramic

Linda Schailon / Åsa Lockner

Inventor Joseph Friedman was awarded U.S. patent #2,094,268 in September 1937. The business was incorporated in April 1939. Then came the war, delaying the first sale (to a hospital) until 1947. It's been a long time coming but the bendy straw has finally met its full potential in these colourful, whimsical rings by Italy's Linda Schailon.

Bonus link:
Do you like the bendy? For more bent pieces, as well as a series of gorgeous art jewellery, see Swedish jeweller Åsa Lockner.

Even more jewellery:

• Saloukee (UK) - phenomenal paper


• Emedee (France) - silver straws


• Haji Couture (Chicago) - feather earrings


• Circo (Spain) - brass & beads


• Tavia Sanza (New York) - plastic flowers

Erin Colleen Williams / Daniel Proulx

Making science pretty: "Observation Ring" with magnifying glass.

Making science putrid: said ring with decorative petri dishes.

Check out Philadelphia's Erin Colleen Williams for interesting work in a style I like to think of as "turn-of-the-centry mad scientist." (Turn of the last century, that is — that expression got really confusing around the year 2001.)

Bonus link:
Of course, if "turn-of-the-centry mad scientist" is your thing, steampunk jewellery is where it's at. Robot ring by Montreal's Daniel Proulx.

Even more jewellery:

• Alejandra Koreck (Argentina) - silver & copper


• Albeit (Jenny Lu) (Los Angeles) - delicate typography


• Parts by Heather (Vancouver) - recycled vintage


• Corry Ernsting Suermann (Germany) - modern artifacts


• Lisa Murray (UK) - coils on bands

Lydia Courteille / Encore Jewellery

Jack-o-luxe.

A little Hallowe'en glam in black rhodium, gold and gems from Paris jeweller Lydia Courteille.

Bonus link:
If you like your skulls a little more colourful, Germany's Encore Jewellery has neon resin skulls for €119 a pop.

Even more jewellery:

• Pyrate Style (Germany) - pirate skulls


• Formik (Austria) - Darwin's bracelet


• Annette Dickow Munck (Denmark) - metal & porcelain


• Lauren Ramirez (San Francisco) - oxidized silver


• Genevieve Jones (New York) - safety pins

Magali Anidjar / Tura Sugden / Jurgen Lehl / Kebonikö / Jasmine Matus / Ruth Anthony

I came, I saw, I randomly plucked.

Time again for Random Pluckings from my Bookmarks!

"Loop" rings by Argentina's Magali Anidjar.

Art pieces by San Francisco's Tura Sugden.

Chunky silver from Japan's Jurgen Lehl.

Fun felted flowers from Spain's Kebonikö.

Silver and resin from Australia's Jasmine Matus.

Etched silver swivel rings by UK jeweller Ruth Anthony.

Even more jewellery:

• Jennifer Moss (Michigan) - felt & styrofoam


• Birgit Kupke-Peyla (California) - black & gold


• Maiko Takeda (UK) - shadows & light


• Theresa Burger (South Africa) - silver & stone


• Apodaca Jewelry (Oregon) - metal & gems

Erin Cornell / Tony Creed

The maze symbolizes ability — the compass, purpose. To learn what the others symbolize, and for the full story behind these rings, see the thesis page of Michigan artist Erin Cornell.

Bonus link:
Here's another take on the compass ring. Heavy silver piece by Los Angeles skull-ring specialist Tony Creed.

Even more jewellery:

• Tobias Alm (Sweden) - art jewellery


• Leslie Matthews (Australia) - organic silver


• AK Vintage (Portland, OR) - remade vintage


• Diana Kim England (Massachusetts) - gold & gems


• Buccellati (Italy) - fine & luxe

Galibardy / Shona Macsween

I'm hungry for hippos. Pink enamel hippos.

But I'd settle for coffee and cake.

For a smorgasbord of fun pieces (how cute is that alarm clock ring?), check out the UK's Galibardy.

Bonus link: if hippos are too much for you, how about an elephant? How about just part of an elephant? Trunk ring in silver and modelling clay by the UK's Shona Macsween.

Even more jewellery:

• Stenzhorn (Germany) - pavé animals


• Jewelry Alchemy (Los Angeles) - twigs & chains


• Zo-Landing (France) - crocodile skin


• Mary Odorcic (Australia) - silver circles


• Tito Pedrini (New York) - gold & gems

Frida Sjögren / Shanti Boutique

What's peaceful yet twisted? The yoga ring by Swedish born, Cape Town-based jeweller Frida Sjögren.

Above, more of her gorgeous work in silver and teak.

Bonus link:
Fair trade jewellery shop Shanti Boutique has lots more yoga-themed jewellery, like this ring etched with flowing yoga poses.

Even more jewellery:

• Om Jewels (Toronto) - yoga pendants


• Laura Christie (Scotland) - metal on wood


• Hanna Liljenberg (Sweden) - organic & modern


• Barbara Pliskin (Maryland) - reticulated silver


• Chieko Akagi (New York) - gold spirals

Dina González Mascaró / Lisa Malmgren Åberg / Janamade

"Scrap heaps from a torn-down building" might not seem like an appealing description but it's a look that works in these artfully chaotic rings by Dina González Mascaró. Check out the Vancouver-based Argentinian jeweller on her freshly-launched website! (And if you're in Vancouver, visit her JewellerBau gallery at 2408 Main, right by where Aurora Bistro used to be.)

If it's chaos in colour you want — or maybe some sleek knobs of glass — check out Sweden's Lisa Malmgren Åberg.

By the way: I haven't posted on the weekend in a while but I did on Saturday — scroll down if you missed it.

Bonus link:
This delicate open circle ring is by another Vancouver jeweller (and illustrator), Jana May of Janamade.

Even more jewellery:

• Jessie Turner (Vancouver) - simple & modern


• Primadina (California) - druzy quartz


• Lisa Björke (Sweden) - organic & colourful


• Christopher Trollen (Pennsylvania) - metal & gems


• Kristin Wiepert (New York) - chunky silver

Weekend Quickie: Raïssa Bump

Weekend quickie: yay! An artist I've long admired, San Francisco's Raïssa Bump, finally has her site up and running. Alas, I think these are the only rings, but the rest of her work is well worth a visit [spoiler warning] especially if you like colourful silk thread.

Alice R. Scott / Barbara Stutman / Laura Simeoni

You know you're a metalsmith when silver runs in your veins. This amazing piece by Virginia's Alice R. Scott, bejeweled with a single tooth, is like an external vascular system for your hand.

Speaking of hands, here's another in crocheted silver from Montreal's Barbara Stutman (I've also thrown in some legs for good measure; the ones on the left are a ring and brooch sculpture).

Bonus link:
A couple more hand rings in silver and white Delrin plastic by Australian jeweller Laura Simeoni.

Even more jewellery:

• Black Jewls (Australia) - anatomical pendants


• Handle & Spout (New York) - metallic leather


• Garnett Jewelry (Virginia) - pocketknife necklaces


• Tellurus (Singapore) - pearls & briolettes


• Shelley Strong (Ontario) - textured silver

Märta Mattsson / Jade Moran

Maybe I'm being Jedi mind-tricked but the more I stare, the more a white Darth Vader in the cockpit of a pink TIE fighter makes sense. I mean, of course.

Pink Vader, golden slug and things that look like sour soothers with all the sugar sucked off, all resin, by Swedish jeweller Märta Mattsson.

Bonus link:
Ok, time for a little more Stars and a little less Wars. These cute, silver star bands are by Massachusetts jeweller Jade Moran.

Even more jewellery:

• Patina Studio (Rhode Island) - silver & resin


• Sally Pattrick (UK) - magnifying lenses


• Danielle Gori-Montanelli (Connecticut) - playful felt


• Thomasin Durgin (Tennessee) - mixed metals


• Camilla Gough (Australia) - twotone bands

Amy Johnston / Vernissage

Is the whole more than the sum of its parts? What if its parts are pretty awesome on their own and what makes the whole awesome is that it can be broken down into three awesome parts and that the actual summation itself is a whole other kind of awesome that almost supersedes the resulting sum, which is still, if you will recall, awesome? To summarize: this is awesome.

And so is this. (You wear it with the crescent moon resting on your pinky!) All work above by Oregon's Amy Johnston.

Bonus link:
If you prefer your birds in a more natural habitat, check out this bird nest ring by Italian jeweller Vernissage.

Even more jewellery:

• Sarah Hearey (New York) - feathered birds


• Bridget Catchpole (Vancouver) - recycled packaging


• Katharine Redford (Wisconsin) - silver & glitter


• Anita Quansah (UK) - textile necklaces


• Gisela Seibert-Philippen (Germany) - mixed metals

Kent Perdue / Reclaimed Relics

I think my blog wants to be an IKEA catalogue for Hallowe'en, because we've got more furniture today! These adorable chair rings were created by Tennessee woodworker Kent Perdue.

Above, a piece more befitting a hangar than a living room, from the artist's "wing ring" series.

Bonus link: here's a set of wings from a much smaller entity. Beetle ring from California's Reclaimed Relics, where you'll find lots of great nautically-themed pieces.

Even more jewellery:

• Woven Flesh (Denmark) - cute wood


• Lola & Bailey (Australia) - shadow puppets


• Jill Graham (UK) - modern silver


• Enso Jewelry (Minnesota) - beads & washi


• Giselle Minoli (New York) - botanical metal

Shlomit Ofir / Ruby Diego

Neatniks, take note. In her "Furniture to Jewelry" project, Israel's Shlomit Ofir has created a "storage" line of jewellery consisting of pieces that can store themselves.

Above, another ring from the series. The concept is particularly effective when it comes to the brooches and necklaces with dripping chains, so go check them out now!

Bonus link:
For more furniture jewellery, check out the chair rings and sculptures by Toronto's Ruby Diego; this tall piece is a ladder-back chair.

Even more jewellery:

• Pilar Marsà (Spain) - minimalist ebony


• Ilka Bruse (Germany) - happy flowers


• Cruz (Richard Campiglio) (New Mexico) - silver & gems


• Ghita Kolker (Netherlands) - contemporary metal


• Em's Studio (San Francisco) - beads on hoops

Noir Jewelry / Anjuna Bijoux / Ken & Dana Design

Let's span an even larger distance than yesterday with this two-finger suspension bridge ring — the Brooklyn Bridge, to be exact.

Above, more from New York's Leeora Catalan, who showcases her glam-punk aesthetic with Noir Jewelry.

For more urban jewellery, but tending more hip-hop than punk, check out Anjuna Bijoux of Paris. In addition to a bevy of graffiti rings, they have this four-finger village ring that spells "Anjuna" when viewed from above.

Bonus link: another graffiti ring from the "b-side" line by Ken & Dana Design. I mentioned the NYC duo's "bylu" line in July '05 but they now have a different website.

Even more jewellery:

• Daisuke Sakaguchi (UK) - wearable graffiti


• Susanna Loew (Germany) - folded metal


• Sou Brette by Muqliza Imroni (Indonesia) - urban lucite


• Urban Concept (New York) - simple silver


• Rosalina Lydster (San Francisco) - ornate pavé