Elizabeth Showers

I wouldn't call it a trend but, lately, I've been noticing more rings like the one pictured here: simple bands with a repeating bumpy pattern. This silver teardrop piece is by Dallas jeweller Elizabeth Showers (on sale, US$19). I was too lazy decided to save my other examples for next month — which is Monday, so see you then!

House of Done - Zabo Chabiland

Check out the pattern on these rings. Look familiar? If I said "styrofoam cups," would it jog your memory? French artist Zabo Chabiland has a gallery of experimental jewellery on display at House of Done, including these two from her "bite" series. Yep, they're teeth marks! Follow the "opéra promo" link to view more rings.

Ulrike Grigorieff

Causation, correlation or coincidence, I don't know, but jewellers who work with enamel tend to create pieces with a mod, pop art sensibility. This bright blue ring by Ulrike Grigorieff is no exception. But the German designer also has a line of rings that incorporate pearls and semi-precious stones, proving she can do "sophisticated" just as well as "cute" (not that one's better than the other, of course!).

Amanda Coleman

In the world of jewellery, almost all leaves are, you know, leaf-shaped. That is to say, smooth, symmetrical and curved on both sides. I'm sure science has a word for this ("elliptical"? — my dad is a botanist but I can't even play one on TV). That's why the lobed oak leaves on this ring are such a refreshing change. And then there's that adorable squirrel, everybody's favourite rodent! And the ring itself is made from a real twig, cast into solid silver! And didja see the acorns? It's the ideal fall ring, from Amanda Coleman's Scandinavian woodland collection ( £45.00). This RCA grad has tons of fun pieces on her site, so go forth and explore.

Andrea Eserin

Here's another ring that takes the "silver and gemstone" concept but completely modernizes it while staying simple and wearable. Brighton artist Andrea Eserin specializes in fun but minimalist pieces, adding shots of colour (either with resin or gemstones) to sterling silver. Pictured here is her "Twist" ring with bullet peridot.

Mudan Jewellery

Butterflies creep me out. I know that's akin to hating puppies and rainbows, but... they're bugs! Big bugs. And their fancy wings just make it worse. It's like, would a cockroach wearing lipstick be pretty? Didn't think so. Of course, carve one out of black jade and make a ring, and I'm all over it. This piece is by Mudan Jewellery (~$106); prices are initially in Singapore dollars but you can switch to USD.

Susanne Klemm

What a difference colour can make. This could be a simple silver and lacquer ring, but the dripping crimson takes it from understated to definite statement. It's part of Swiss artist Susanne Klemm's "tango" series, a collection of vaguely threatening red and silver rings. In stark contrast is her nature-inspired "seasons" collection, which is all snowflakes and orchids and... well, topless men (that's nature, right?), but you'll have to see that for yourselves.

Daniel Chiquet

I absolutely hate to stereotype, but one look at these rings and I knew the designer had to be a man. Swiss jeweller Daniel Chiquet uses the principles of tectonics, tension and tasselation to design pieces you can take apart and reconstruct. But it's not the mechanical nature of these rings that gave him away; beyond that, there's just something so masculine about the designs, even though I've seen plenty of women create sharp, angular, geometric rings. It must be the jewellery equivalent of the Axe effect, minus the nausea.

Jennifer Flume

I have an enormous trove of links saved up but when I saw this ring, I knew it couldn't stand in line politely, waiting for its turn. It had to jump the queue and be posted. Immediately. Jennifer Flume, a Berliner who studied at the genius factory otherwise known as RISD, brings us these brilliant stacking photo rings. The concept, she explains, is "the idea of wearing our memories on our body. We all cherish memories and we often record our memories in photographs. Photographs of people, animals, places or objects. Burial ring is a series of picture rings in various shapes.... It can be worn spread displaying the pictures, or closed keeping them private." Visit her site to see her ring of family photographs; the souvenir city rings pictured here — featuring shots of NYC, London, Paris and Berlin — are available at Schenkshop for €9,50 each.

Melissa Borrell

Like her jewellery, Melissa Borrell moves around a lot. Having perfected her craft while moving from Houston to Boston to Paris to San Francisco to Rhode Island to New York, the designer is now known for pieces that incorporate motion and transformation. The abacus ring (pictured here), part of the "Is it a Ring?" series, has movable rungs which can be shifted depending on where you want to put your finger. For the best example of her fascination with pieces that change upon being handled, check out the mountain earrings in her "lines" collection.

Yael Sonia

It's all fine and dandy to take a weird object, stick a shank on it and call it a ring, but I'm often most impressed by those that manage a fresh spin on a classic idea — especially without sacrificing simplicity. These rings from Brazilian Yael Sonia do just that. I love how the open band creates a setting for the large, irregularly-faceted gemstone!

Skulls!

I've written about skull rings before. If I wanted to, I could link to one daily and never run out — they're everywhere! I generally try to avoid repeating myself (said the girl who posts about rings every day), but let me just mention a few more interesting head bones. Pictured here is a creative variation: a skull outline in profile (did you notice at first glance?) by Adam Foster.

Also:

• Exhibitionist's stacking skull rings, something you don't see often (he's also got tons of other skull styles at his site, which I also mentioned last October)


• Stephen Webster's double-headed ring with black sapphire pavé and ruby eyes (see also his skull intaglio pieces)


• Grinning skull ring at Pilgrim


• Tiny, delicate piece by the duo famous for their Tibetan-influenced jewellery, Me & Ro (go to page 3)


• Mexican "Day of the Dead"-style silver skull at Gringas & Co. (scroll down a bit) — I love this one


• Blue-eyed skull at Zarigani Works

Hubert Bliard

Belgian goldsmith Hubert Bliard's got a dazzling online gallery — and I'm just talking about the photography. It just so happens that his rings are pretty fantastic as well (refer to photographic evidence at left) but, with those skills and that DoF, he could post a gallery of discarded paper towels and I'd be just as wowed. Lucky for us, he's got his camera trained instead on his sanded, hammered and polished works of gold.

Lindsey Mann

If you're looking to escape a jewellery rut, I prescribe Lindsey Mann. She's like a squirt of lime in your coke, taking what you already love and adding just the right zing of unfamiliarity. Tired of stripes and polka dots? Her pieces come in gingham! Had enough of birds and wings? She's got propellors! Done with the cameo and silhouette trend? Then check out her brooches made from sewing pattern ladies! Her gallery of printed aluminium, plastic and silver jewellery is a must-see. So go see it.

Barking Irons

Would you buy a spoon that's all bent out of shape? You might if it were re-bent into an even better shape — like, say, a circle that fits neatly around your finger. Barking Irons, though known more for their fabulous vintage t-shirt designs, also forges rings and pendants from antique spoons emblazoned with images of turn-of-the-century New York (their present-day hometown). Pictured here is the "North River" ring, US$295.

Harvest

That grey emblem isn't an instructional diagram — it's the logo for Japan's Harvest, designers, creators and purveyors of colourful wooden rings made from recycled skateboards! Available in six styles and many colours, they retail for ¥7,000 (about US$60) each. Personally, I'm eyeing the skull brooches. And I think they're eyeing me back.

Bonus link pet peeve: the thrill of finding the coolest ring ever — only to be followed by the disappointment of realizing I'd need fingers as fat as rolled-up napkins to wear it.

Donna Veverka

So you've got on your dagger earrings (US$110) and your large blade necklace (US$130) — would this Colosseum ring be too matchy? The silver and gold one-of-a-kind piece by MassArt instructor Donna Veverka is just one in a series inspired by classical, gothic and Renaissance architecture (her amphitheater is my favourite). The majority of her regular collection, however, revolves around ancient weapons, like the aforementioned daggers and blades. Who knew sharp and pointy could be so wearable?

Richard Walraven

These shapely silver rings are the creation of seasoned Dutch jeweller Richard Walraven. They remind me of Playdough pasta makers or, more deliciously, cookie cutters. The only thing is, it isn't quite clear to me just where the finger is supposed to go. "Vingertopringen" seems to suggest they're to be worn on your fingertips, which weirds me out a bit, but then I just think a bit more about cookies and it's all good.

Drink Me, Alice

When you're named Alice, as I happen to be, you endure a lifetime of people declaring, "Like Alice in Wonderland!" upon being introduced. It is never Alice B. Toklas, Alice in Chains or even Alice from Dilbert, always just that adventurous, blue-dressed blonde. This can lead to an involuntary twitching in response to anything Wonderland-related, so it was not without trepidation that I visited Drink Me, Alice. Luckily, the Australian jewellery site was stocked with cute pieces featuring vintage drawings encased in resin — like the adjustable owl ring pictured here, $31.00 AUD. Flowers, deer and skulls also available, but not a white rabbit in sight (phew).

Beate Weiss / Svenja John

Beate Weiss is another artist I mentioned previously, in passing, without linking to the artist's site directly. (Note to self: stop doing that, will ya?) Her portfolio is like an illustrated field guide to the fulgent flora of fairy la-la land. I luuuurve it.


Bonus links (plural!) for the weekend: (1) Svenja John, who, of all the jewellers out there currently not making rings, is the one I most wish would make rings, and (2) the silliest
US$4,250 you could ever spend.