Ruth Ross / Twirl Studio

I love spinning tops — especially the vintage metal kind with the handle you can pump up and down to make the tin body whir and spin. If you don't know what I'm talking about, they look a lot like these shiny, stacked button "knob" rings by Portland, Oregon's Ruth Ross. Though they look quite serious here, posed stately against a dark background, her site is fun and full of playful pieces worth checking out!

Another Portland artist working with buttons is Tay MacIntyre of Twirl Studio. I love this vintage glass piece (left, US$230); the bowl rings, like this stacked one (right, US$110) are also fun.

Bonus link: this fresh ring combines amethyst and white onyx. €55-€165 at New One, a new line from Austria's Schullin.

Even more jewellery:

• Lotte Kohl Lauritzen (Denmark) - ceramic


• Maslodesign (Charleston, SC) - vintage-like pretties


• Lynne Murray (Scotland) - weird & colourful

ByUs / bi:drio

ByUs is a collective of eight Danish jewellers with modern, experimental sensibilities. I've posted some of them here before but there's plenty of new stuff to see! Pictured above, clockwise from top: work by Karin Pinnerup (glass), Hanan Emquies (rubber) and Mikala Mortensen (silver); the rest of the octet are Kirsten Ellemose, Ditte Marie Jakobsen (don't miss her inside-the-shirt brooches), Annette Dam, Lene Hald and Marie-Louise Kristensen.

Bonus link: Argentina's bi:drio has several collections of glass rings on silver shanks, just bursting with bright, cheerful colours.

Even more jewellery:

• Micki Whelan (Warwick, RI) - clean & modern


• Amy Chan (UK) - colour pods


• Arianne Jeannot (San Francisco) - modern charms

Ursula Guttmann / Philip Sajet

Proudly displaying her flabby skin is Austria's Ursula Guttmann. So refreshing, in this age of diamond solitaires that you just know have had tons of work done. This latex and Swarovski schwabbelhaut ("flabby skin") ring is one of a series of body-conscious pieces by this artist. Also notable are her acrylic rings meant to encase a head-to-toe photo of one's partner.

Bonus link: there's no way this isn't a radioactive ring that infuses people with superpowers. Just ask Dutch jeweller Philip Sajet.

Even more jewellery:

• Cursive Design (Chicago) - lace & hardware


• Arena CPH (Denmark) - classic but fun


• LA Chana Charms (Hollywood) - crocfish & bunnybirds

Mary and Lou Ann / Halligan Norris

These rings look like they jumped right out of classic 1950s educational film A is for Atom. If you squint, the one in the upper right even looks a bit like a nuclear reactor... no? (May I suggest you squint harder?) These polymer inlay rings by North Carolina's Mary Filapek and Lou Ann Townsend (or, simply, Mary and Lou Ann) were inspired by their interest in chemistry, physics, outer space and other such realms.

Bonus link: "frilly elephant" ring in silver and 14k gold, US$275, by Georgia's Halligan Norris. Her jewellery is too sweet and adorable for words.

Even more jewellery:

• Kitty Fisher (Australia) - colourful acrylic


• Kirsten Sander (UK) - men's and women's steel


• Dish Designs (New York) - semiprecious clusters

Joe Wood / Kokkino

It's like a family of rings decided to dress up as chess pieces for Hallowe'en! How charming. (I think the one on the far right has to be the knight, unless the one on the left's riding a five-legged horse.) These gold-lined, sterling silver ball rings are the work of Cambridge, Massachusetts' Joe Wood. These days, the MassArt metals professor does much of his design work using modelling software; check his site for those pieces as well as striking work in enamelled copper from earlier years.

Bonus link: another jeweller working varations on a theme is the UK's Kokkino with their series of disc rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Edith Schneider (Palo Alto, CA) - wire & metalwork


• Emma Gale (UK) - modern & ethereal


• Rebecca Ward (Australia) - seaglass & pencils

Lindsay Huff / Gothsaga

On a recent flight, I watched one of those "How Things Are Made" videos. The topic? Toothpicks. It's actually a tad more involved than you'd think — just not in any way that could possibly be construed as interesting. If only they'd focussed on fancy plastic ones like those pictured above; at least the video would've had some colour in its cheeks. Resin and copper rings from the "Bows and Arrows" series by Pittsburgh artist Lindsay Huff.

Bonus link: "womb" ring by Susan Kuslansky of Gothsaga, where you'll find numerous collections of clean and modern pieces.

Even more jewellery:

• Tilly Bloom (Scotland) - shrinkydink illustrations


• Emiko Oye (San Francisco) - colourful lego combos


• Caerau Metals (Wales) - modern metalsmiths

Brune & Wöhlke / Dina Varano

Sometimes, I just need to shut up and let Germany's Brune & Wöhlke do the talking.

Bonus link: cage rings in oxidized silver and 14k gold from the "spine" collection by talented Connecticut metalsmith Dina Varano.

Even more jewellery:

• Tanvi Kant (UK) - fabric & porcelain


• Holly Yashi (Arcata, CA) - colourful niobium


• Wendy Hacker (Santa Monica, CA) - metal mesh flowers

Ralph Bakker / Stephen Galloway-Whitehead

You know that old joke about Basketweaving 101? Turns out, maybe that class wouldn't have been such a bad career move. Ralph Bakker, who says he can be "fascinated by a plain linkchain," fascinates me with his display of woven circle jewellery. The Dutch goldsmith uses traditional weaving techniques to create these interlocking beauties.

Bonus link: UK jeweller Stephen Galloway-Whitehead's organic rings look like creatures you might find in the sea; this serpentine piece is no exception.

Even more jewellery:

• Dani M (Australia) - playful felt & porcelain


• Leah Pauline (Philadelphia) - bold & asymmetrical


• The Branch (UK) - modern wood & silver

Chan Andreassend / Milou Peeters

"Could a ring be large enough to become a stage? From this notion, [we] set out to make the largest ring possible." So say New Zealand's Karen Chan and Ronald Andreassend of Chan Andreassend. The duo makes resin rings incorporating materials from "ancient cultures" (e.g. grass, feathers and bristles), then adds resin display stands for handy storage, turning the pieces into miniature sculptures.

Bonus link: the Netherlands' Milou Peeters makes rings from bits of modern culture, like this piece of Coca-Cola Light (aka Diet Coke) with lemon.

Even more jewellery:

• Sarah Lindsay (London) - bright & airy acrylic


• Skipping Lilies (Minneapolis) - pressed flowers


• At-Choo (Los Angeles) - engraved silver

Vivi Sun / Cristaluna

Bebe, Cece, Deedee, Fifi, Gigi, Kiki, Leelee, Mimi... why are all these two-letter names reserved for girls (or poodles), until you hit J.J., which sounds rather more masculine? Just another one of life's mindblowing mysteries, I suppose. Of course, I've got doubles on my mind thanks to New York jeweller Vivi Sun and her fabulous double rings made from silver and richly-hued resin. The speckles really make the rings!

Bonus link: if it's sparkles and not speckles you're after, check out these chunky, Italian-made lucite and crystal rings from Germany's Cristaluna.

Even more jewellery:

• Erika Peña (Fort Myers, FL) - flashy lucite


• Sydney Lynch (Lincoln, NE) - nice dots & lines


• Karen Adams (UK) - silver domes

Rebecca Bashara / Eden

Though I live in fear of those pointy-faced, dead-eyed, armless, soul-less creatures you like to call "birds," I remain powerless in the face of bird rings — even if that face is pointy and dead-eyed, and (as pictured here) turned away from the camera 75% of the time. These pieces, by Washington state's Rebecca Bashara, are notable not only for the sculptural quality of the birds but also the detailing in the bands.

Bonus link: birds of a feather may flock together but, on this site, birds and feathers flock together. Wrap-around feather ring by Japan's Eden.

Even more jewellery:

• Blue Wild Indigo (San Francisco) - clean, bright & modern


• Beppe Kessler (Netherlands) - organic art


• Andrea Montgomery (Houston, TX) - gold & briolettes

Suzanne Smith / Caroline Lindholm

How can something made of lace and wool look so darn tasty? (Save me if I ever get a hankering for cardboard.) While these bonbon-like rings couldn't look more Parisian if they were chewing on a fresh baguette, they are residents of the UK — specifically, the studio of artist Suzanne Smith.

Bonus link: speaking of Parisian... silver and 18k "Place des Vosges" ring by Stockholm metalsmith Caroline Lindholm.

Even more jewellery:

• Maximal Art (Aston, PA) - Parisian charms


• Bijoux Mouret (France) - enamel


• Anais Jewelry (Singapore) - gold & gemstones

Powerhaus

Just a quickie weekend post to celebrate the latest collection from Montreal duo Melissa Matos and Lenny Pier Ramos, aka Powerhaus. They now have rings! These draping chains have all the hallmark drama that makes them such a favourite of mine. CAD$120-$130, which, these days, is pretty much the same in USD.

C.linea / Alyson G.

With a single feather and a shard of shattered mirror, Cara Tilker can meet your accessorizing needs for both National Down Pillow Appreciation Day and Friday the 13th. Working in San Diego under the name C.linea, the artist encases objects in plastic and resin to transform "the mundane to the magical." Shanked with nickel guitar wire, these rings are US$34 each.

Bonus link: cool silver contrasts with bright, saturated stones in the work of Boston-based jeweller Alyson G.

Even more jewellery:

• Gemma Redux (New York) - dripping chains


• Vivienne Jones (Toronto) - contemporary metalwork


• Janine Barnsley (UK) - bold, hammered silver

Code Royal / Suzanne Wilson

Signet rings: usually a bit too "Jostens!" for my taste, but these lions and pirates and chairs? Oh my — we're not at a Kansas college homecoming anymore. Personalized rings by Germany's Code Royal, most ranging from €700 to €800.

Bonus link: Santa Monica's Suzanne Wilson offers signet rings in a more classic style, like this circular gold crest ring.

Even more jewellery:

• Angus & Celeste (Australia) - printed porcelain


• Ayesha Studio (New York) - matte gold


• Jeri Changar (St. Louis) - fused glass

Lisbeth Nordskov / Shirley Smith

While I wait for my head to fully return from Europe, please enjoy the work of Denmark's Lisbeth Nordskov. A talented metalsmith, she also dabbles in the smithing of other materials, such as rubber (pictured here) and computer wire.

Bonus link: UK jeweller Shirley Smith favours corrosion and erosion, as in this pair of square silver bands.

Even more jewellery:

• Rachel Gogerly (UK) - enamel


• Batucada (France) - lasercut rubber


• Tataborello (Italy) - pretty balls

If this page is missing posts from the first few days of this month, it's because I've reached my Blogger page limit! To read all posts, see the full monthly archives at TheCarrotbox.com