Faruk Akin / Abby Filer

Faruk Akin is a designer. In between designing catalogues, logos, furniture, glass vessels, housewares, cookware and clothing, he's come up with over eighty (eight-zero!) collections of silver and gold jewellery, all in a style befitting someone whose background is more in graphic design than jewellery design. Featured here is but a small sampling — don't miss the rest of this Turkish creator's portfolio! (I think the gold pieces are especially good.)

Bonus link: UK jeweller Abby Filer also has a graphic style, though more mod and colourful; I especially love her new rainbow tubes. These "ring pulls" are £70.

Even more jewellery:

• Silvina Romero (Spain) - colourful textiles


• Karen Welsh (UK) - silkscreened porcelain


• Sonority (Japan) - pretty pendants


• Scarlet Jewellery (London) - modern classics


• Karey Kyle (New York) - chains & briolettes

Sarah Stanton Designs / Maria Morris

Ooh, I love a good, graphic punch in the eye, and this ring delivers! It's great to see familiar ideas refreshed; I've seen wood & silver rings, I've seen ruler rings and I've seen rings inlaid with vintage materials — but not all at once like this. By Sarah Stanton and Jay Kukor of Michigan's Sarah Stanton Designs.

Bonus link: Briton Maria Morris makes colourful jewellery from recycled printed-steel packaging; the piece pictured here is £53.

Even more jewellery:

• Chip Chop (Australia) - scrabble pendants


• Hiila (Japan) - leather & pearls


• Frk. Hvid (Denmark) - sweet & simple


• Jo Pond (UK) - cocoons & buttons


• Lizzie Scheck (Los Angeles) - pavé charms

Solid Jewellery Design / Even Design

As someone who cannot stand drinking water that's less than halfway crystalizing into ice, I have a great appreciation for these pieces by Vera Horsman of Vancouver's Solid Jewellery Design. Although, if they're not freezing to the touch, I'll be very disappointed.

Bonus link: this folding ruler ring (sterling silver, CAD$195) is by Judi Patson of Even Design, another Vancouver jeweller.

Even more jewellery:

• Melissa Cameron (Australia) - mini people


• Lauren Schlossberg (Baltimore) - modern beadwork


• InBloom (Frederick, MD) - botanical metals


• Julia Groos (Boston) - silver & colour


• Anna Sofia Designs (Massachusetts) - glazed paper

Daniela Dobesova / Sylvia Goldberger

Do you have a secret Slinky stash? Is Coil your favourite band? Do you wish all staircases were spiral? Then I may have found your kindred spirit in Prague native Daniela Dobesova.

Bonus link: Austria's Sylvia Goldberger also makes spiral rings, though her rearrangeable "mobile" rings are the highlight of her collection.

Even more jewellery:

• Maren and Ruby (Hollywood) - wood & chains


• Karen Michaud (New Zealand) - silver & fabric


• William Cheshire (UK) - urban men's


• Les Deux (Belgium) - black & white


• Latham & Neve (UK) - contemporary silver

Peter Chang / Camille Hempel

The plastic art of Peter Chang: they say seeing is believing but I've been looking at these rings for days and I still don't believe it. The amazing works of this UK artist are currently on display at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. Go see it (and believe) if you can!

Bonus link: on the other end of the "realism" spectrum is this ring by Brooklyn's Camille Hempel, cast to look like a real finger (US$110). I also love her pillow rings!

Even more jewellery:

• Lua Chea (Argentina) - colourful necklaces


• Bad Shannon (Brooklyn) - wings & steak


• Donna D'Aquino (Mt. Rainier, MD) - lots of lines


• Wired and Wonderful (Toronto) - wirework


• Dallas Pridgen (Chapel Hill, NC) - cutesy silver

Pluckings

Either I need a faster way to get through my queue of rings or people need to quit being so creative! Hmm. Let's go with the former. Here are some random pluckings from my bookmarks:

B. Stimpfl-Abele (Austria)

Sim Luttin (Australia)

Lisa Ordina (Exton, PA)

Marie-Lise Gasser (Switzerland)

Judith Hoefel (Germany)

Susan May (UK)

Patricia von Musulin (New York)

Kaja Gjedebo (Norway)

Mimi So (New York)

Hablando en Plata (Mexico)

Even more jewellery:

• Claudia Stebler (Germany) - arty & industrial


• Mediums to Masses (Oakland, CA) - patterned glass


• Chic People (Raleigh, NC) - brightly beaded


• Knot Studio (Brooklyn) - knit silver


• Raquel Moreno (Spain) - gorgeous gold

Babette von Dohnanyi / 309 Designs

Oh, hey! Remember pentagons? Germany's Babette von Dohnanyi does! With all those circles and squares and cubes and tubes out there, these five-sided rings are surprisingly novel.

Bonus link: so you still want circles? Fine. You'll find oodles at New Jersey's 309 Designs; this multi-spot ring is just one of many styles.

Even more jewellery:

• Sarah Packington (UK) - light acrylic


• Emma Caton (UK) - cast resin


• Federica Pallaver (Italy) - modern & boxy


• Lattis Design (Seattle) - contemporary metalwork


• Lacey Kalivoda (Baltimore, MD) - buttons & lace

Gitte Helle / Rosma Gutierrez

Denmark's Gitte Helle gives us a taste of what it would be like if IKEA were to sell jewellery. That taste, it turns out, is sweeter than a meatball covered in lingonberry jam. This cute, colourful piece was made from product parts purchased at that blue and yellow box of wonders.

Bonus link: IKEA may not be in the business yet but Brooklyn's Rosma Gutierrez is one furniture designer who does make rings — this one uses vinyl flooring.

Even more jewellery:

• Jené DeSpain (San Francisco) - birds & octagons


• Laila Aitken (UK) - playful acrylic


• Bonnie Basham (Los Angeles) - white & wood


• Soixante Neuf (New York) - vermeil & charms


• Agas & Tamar (Jersey City, NJ) - matte metal

Valentine DuBois / Tina Engell

These rings are absolutely perfect. I could stare at the balance and proportion all day long — especially the one on the bottom left, which I've come to know affectionately as "bottom leftie." Imagine them on a grand scale, like giant sculptures! As I said: perfect. This moment of zen brought to you by Swiss jeweller Valentine DuBois.

Bonus link: perhaps the opposite of those boxy rings is this "bobble ring" by England's Tina Engell. The balls move around on the chunky band!

Even more jewellery:

• Anne Morgan (UK) - silver & washi


• Michelle Merchant (Twinsburg, OH) - pyrex clusters


• Tom Binns (Venice, CA) - faux couture


• Dyanne Belle (New York) - hammered gold


• Lisa Crowder (Austin, TX) - disc layers

Robert Dodd / Dara Waxman

If you've ever taken a peek at my personal ring collection, you may have noticed a page dedicated to a gentleman by the name of Robert Dodd. He handcrafts rings out of antique celluloid and has been doing so for an incredible 70 years. Thanks to his sons Jerry and Pete for introducing me to their father's work! Several people have asked me where they can purchase his rings. Well, great news: I now have a few of Robert Dodd's pieces in my shop. It's a great gallery, even if you're just browsing, so check it out! (I took the photo above, so all those pieces are available.)

Bonus link: this repeating oval ring from Hollywood's Dara Waxman is simple but pleasing (sterling silver, US$125).

Even more jewellery:

• Fernworks (Seattle) - nature in resin


• Bethany Cocco (Brooklyn) - oxidized silver


• Peter Bauhuis (Munich) - metal art


• Tanya Igic (UK) - leather flowers


• Turq Jewelry (Atlanta) - colourful clusters

Rara Avis Nidus / Hilde Van Belleghem

Elena R. Gaspá and Elvirá H. Mateu owe me a massage. The Spanish duo produces so much amazing work that I spent a good portion of the evening stressing over which pieces to feature here. Good thing I limit myself to rings! Visit Rara Avis Nidus to feast on their bounty of organic metalwork.

Bonus link: Belgian Hilde Van Belleghem is such a minimalist that this "solitaire?" ring (punctuation makes all the difference) doesn't even have a stone.

Even more jewellery:

• Bijoux du Monde (New Westminster, BC) - insects & resin


• Kathleen Diresta (Sea Cliff, NY) - circles & squares


• Lotus Jewelry Studio (Baltimore) - silver & copper


• Surly-ramics (Hollywood) - ceramic pendants


• Ghost & Lola (Australia) - elaborate necklaces

Nerea Aixàs / solrojo

Pixelated perforations galore! Hogging the world's supply of corners — but for a good cause — is Barcelona's Nerea Aixàs. How obsessed is this sculptor/jeweller? She's even managed to put corners on her circles.

Bonus link: for a 180° from those stark, jagged metals, turn to the colourful, rounded resin pieces of Argentina's solrojo.

Even more jewellery:

• Anne Poon (San Francisco) - long chains


• Laura Stark (New York) - colour & gold


• Colobockle (Japan) - fabric collage


• MimiBe (Victoria, BC) - colourful enamel


• Clown Chic (Miami Beach) - chicken feet

Kleinod / Odette Alfaro

These fun, stackable "add up!" slices are brought to you by Germany's Kleinod (but raise your hand if you thought it was Brooklyn-based AlissiaMT). You can purchase rings individually for about €35-40 each or get three for €99.

Bonus link: a bubbly burst of lemon yellow from Chilean jeweller Odette Alfaro, who currently resides here in Vancouver.

Even more jewellery:

• Katherine Azarmi-Rose (Los Angeles) - snakes & stingrays


• Jeanette Lopez-Zepeda (Denmark) - red & blue


• Leah Alexandra (Vancouver) - feminine gold


• Melanie Tomlinson (UK) - bursting & blooming


• Jill O'Reilly (Lexington, MA) - shiny silver

Emma Franklin / Lazaro Diaz

Bears and bulls and people in over their heads? It's almost as though Emma Franklin were inspired by the stock market! (Yeah, probably not.) Visit her site to see more animal heads from this UK jeweller.

Bonus link: Cuban-born Lazaro Diaz also does animal rings, like snake coils for women and this men's fox-head band.

Even more jewellery:

• Rae Vittorelli (Philadelphia) - porcelain awesomeness


• Cero Designs (Brooklyn) - wooden cuffs


• Jo Bagshaw (UK) - buttons & silver


• Katie Costello (Malibu, CA) - long necklaces


• Flora Book (Seattle) - textile metal

Barometer / Corey Ackelmire

I can't quite get a reading on Jenna Wainwright — somewhat ironic, as she designs for Barometer of New York. Her "jeux-elry" (as she brilliantly calls it) is splashes of '80s and contemporary, urban and folk, metal and, as you can see, plastic lettuce leaves. Pictured above: rabbit ring, silver and plastic toy, US$110.

Bonus link: plastic orange bubble rings by Ohio's Corey Ackelmire — but what you really want to see is her MFA thesis work on toothbrushes and razors.

Even more jewellery:

• Amarillo Joyas (Spain) - religion & light


• 101 Jewelry (Warren, RI) - colour dots


• Sakiru (Vermont) - pretty earrings


• Love by Geneine Honey (Australia) - mirrored acrylic


• Alison B Antelman (California) - silver & seaglass

Quisquilia & Pinzillacchera / Särform

I wish I could say these rings were made by a professional bounty hunter who crafts Icelandic wool in his spare time. But no, they were made by Quisquilia & Pinzillacchera, a pair of doll- and puppet-makers from Florence, Italy. See? Sometimes, the world does make sense.

Bonus link: more rings made from cup handles! These melanine pieces are from Denmark, by Karen Fly of Särform.

Even more jewellery:

• Hayley Mei (Australia) - lasercut acrylic


• B Jewelry (New York) - clean & simple


• Vanessa Yanow (Montreal) - zippers & pyrex


• Pashupatina (Van Nuys, CA) - quirky necklaces


• Sandra McEwen (Apex, NC) - cloisonné

Ashley Maury / NUTS

When I look at Ashley Maury's silver "cocktail rings," I imagine an artist working in Oregon's thriving art scene, creating rings reminiscent of constellations in a dark Alaskan night sky, shaping metal into forms as fluid as the ribbon of a rhythmic gymnast. By complete coincidence, Ashley lives in Portland, has a gallery in Alaska and enjoys competitive gymnastics.

Bonus link: the shop is Japanese but the colourful felt pyramid rings are by NUTS of Germany (¥1,600 or ~US$13 each).

Even more jewellery:

• ClevinJensen (Denmark) - lips


• Oath (New York) - bobby pin pendants


• Hannah Martin (London) - gold & pearls


• Anastasia Azure (Smithville, TN) - woven wonders


• Dandi Maestre (Toronto) - natural chunks

Sabine Müller / Anne Schilk / Smug Designs

I see a lot of jewellers combine silver and enamel in organic shapes but Germany's Sabine Müller is different — because these juicy colours are acrylic, not enamel! The combination of acrylic and metal so often results in jewellery that's sleek and geometric that these botanical creations are, to me, truly fresh.

Bonus link: more in keeping with the usual "acrylic + metal" look (never a bad thing) are these rings from British designer Anne Schilk, £120 each.

And here's one more from the sleek stylings of Australia's Smug Designs, AUD$155.

Even more jewellery:

• Hazel Atkinson (UK) - anodized aluminum


• ToyMe (Italy) - playful silver


• Craft (New Jersey) - buttons & yarn


• Bonnie Allen (Boston) - chunky stones


• Signe Njust (Denmark) - modern gold

Masumi Kataoka / Simone Walsh

Her other set of rings are topped with glossy black ponytails so, yes, she has heard of leave-in conditioner. Above: strangely appealing tangled tresses by Texas-based Masumi Kataoka.

Another member of the International Society for Dangling Bundles of Hair in the Palm is Australia's Simone Walsh.

Bonus link: this paper heart ring is one of many orgiami works by Yuri and Katrin Shumakov, the married Canadian psychology Ph.D.s behind Oriland.

Even more jewellery:

• Moe Moe (Australia) - patterns on metal


• Palèn (Champaign, IL) - chains & briolettes


• Meddle (Moscow) - crochet


• Ted Rossi (Brooklyn) - snakeskin


• Aran Galligan (North Carolina) - organic enamel pendants


• Stéphane Landureau (France) - brushed silver

Kelvin J. Birk / Porcelinge

So this is what a religious experience feels like. Are they all so pretty and snow-coney? London's Kelvin J. Birk drapes his gorgeous rings with decadent clusters of crushed gemstones. Just smashing!

Bonus link: Denmark's Porcelinge specializes in, as you might've guessed, porcelain. Their adorable cup & saucer rings are 260 DKK (~US$45).

Even more jewellery:

• Günter Krauss (Germany) - fashion statements


• Paper Snake (Toronto) - scissors & animals


• Piicph (Denmark) - cute gold & silver

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