Floyd / INV/ALT Design

Unlike past cup-handle rings that've appeared on this site, these cups are still fully intact — so the Swarovski-laden handle adorns your finger only as long as you're nursing a drink. They're temporary rings but permanent mugs. By Japan's Floyd, the "cup rings" are available at Style Store (in Japanese) for ¥3,675 (roughly US$30) each.

Below, also by Floyd, are some non-traditional diamond rings. How often do you see gem clusters where each stone has its own setting?

Bonus link: the handles on these "snap cups" aren't designed to be rings but, unlike Floyd's, they do come off — with a snap, natch. So which are more like real rings? By Denver's INV/ALT Design.

Even more jewellery:

• Jinks McGrath (UK) - gold & cabochons


• Jadis Cheng (Taiwan) - sleek & industrial


• Nola Bella (San Francisco) - stars & discs


• Ala Jaron (Chicago) - silver & pearls


• Melanie Lynn Macy (San Leandro, CA) - ornate & chunky

Vivienne Westwood / BeaYukMui

I rarely look at "designer" jewellery but here are two pieces from punk fashion queen Vivienne Westwood. Pictured are rings from her Hardcore jewellery line, created by Hellmuth of Germany. You can also get rings in her signature orb design at her UK site.

Bonus link: for a cozier mix of fashion and rings, check out the cashmere ring sweater by Italy's BeaYukMui (available at Welcome Hunters, US$355).

Even more jewellery:

• Izabel Camille (Denmark) - gold & onyx


• Lucid (New York) - charm necklaces


• Jan Suchodolski (Poland) - art jewellery


• Jes MaHarry (Santa Barbara, CA) - folksy engraving


• Ecstatic (Toronto) - beaded bracelets

Johanna Jansson / Design Glut

I'm not a big fan of perfume (especially when trapped in an elevator with someone who is) but I do love perfume bottles — and these might be the best yet. These polished, cut glass perfume rings are the work of Johanna Jansson, a Swede who just finished studying at London's RCA.

Bonus link: and now for a much smellier fluid. This "crude oil" ring (US$75-295) is engraved with the date of production and the price of a barrel of oil on that date. By Brooklyn/LA's Design Glut.

Even more jewellery:

• Yen Jewellery (London) - silver clusters


• Jenifer Wall (UK) - metal rocks


• VLING (Canada) - recycled records


• Lina Falkesgaard (Denmark) - gold & pearls


• Debby Arem (Maryland) - circuit boards

ku. jewelry / Kathryn Riechert

"Left" and "right" hands are so yesterday. Wear one of these Tokyo- and Manhattan-shaped rings on each appendage and you'll be thinking of your body in terms of "east" and "west," like the global citizen you are. Find them at ku. jewelry, by New York-based Japanese designer Takahiro Kudo.

Bonus link: if you don't want "north" and "south" to feel left out, there's always the compass ring (US$36) by Savannah's Kathryn Riechert, one of the SCAD designers from my post last March.

Even more jewellery:

• Nervous System (California) - dendrites & radiolaria


• Beau & Bien (France) - wearable light


• Kristin Larje (Sweden) - modern silver


• Judith Brown (UK) - colourful wire


• Amery Carrière (Silverlake, CA) - Old World icons


• Joan Babcock (Santa Fe, NM) - beaded tapestries

Yvonne Kurz / PE/AH

As winter approaches, don't leave your jewellery out in the cold. German designer Yvonne Kurz thoughtfully dresses her gold and silver pieces in protective wool coats, exposing only their sparkling faces.

Bonus link: another German jeweller concerned with the seasons is PE/AH (as in the seasons Printemps- Été/Automne-Hiver); pictured is their snowflake ring.

Even more jewellery:

• Karen Morrison (London) - beads & charms


• Lindsay Colbus (New York) - chunky links


• Eva Gozlan (Paris) - bronze charms


• Orlowski (Poland) - silver & amber


• Monili Silver (UK) - hearts & flowers

LR Jewellery Design / Limit Design

There's no colour like no colour. If you know what I mean. New Zealand's Laura Richards, aka LR Jewellery Design, specializes in bold, clear acrylic designs with resin accents.

Bonus link: of course, acrylic looks great in all sorts of hues, including bright red. This flower ring is available at Denmark's Limit Design for 1,200 DKK (~US$240).

Even more jewellery:

• Miki Tanaka (Japan) - silver beetles


• Leteau Designs (Philadelphia) - wirewrapped rocks


• Hotmetal (UK) - anodized aluminum


• Draugsvold (New York) - brass & crystal


• Pennyroyal (California) - silver pendants

Sandra Bautista / Ambre France

Spanish conceptual artist Sandra Bautista imagines every day life... dipped in chocolate. We have so much in common — my every day life includes rings and thumbs, too! (Also check out her pretty "bracelaces.")

Bonus link: UK artist Ambre France makes Braille rings, jubilee clip rings and rings of chocolate like the one pictured here.

Even more jewellery:

• Cecilia Stamp (UK) - resin & silver


• Amanda Sterett (Dallas) - vintage inspired


• Carrie Elspeth (Wales) - simple beads


• Agapantha (Brooklyn) - bright briolettes


• Susan Remnant (Vancouver) - brooches & objects

Axylo / Léo Dubedout

Geneva's Axylo puts a modern spin on monogramming. Their stainless steel rings are alphabet-shaped, but not in a screamingly obvious way; they're chunky rings first, glyphs second. 160 Swiss Francs (~US$140) for silver-coloured steel or 175 CHF (~US$160) for black. Also available encrusted with precious gemstones.

Bonus link: French sculptor and jeweller Léo Dubedout of Crealeo also works lettering into his rings — only his are graffiti-style.

Even more jewellery:

• Rebecca Keast (UK) - base metals


• Anna Rikkinen (Finland) - decorative blindfolds


• Emma Villederouin (Washington, DC) - fine gold


• Simon Alcantara (New York) - quartz & ebony


• Bruce Magnotti (Seattle) - cocktail rings

Nane Adam / Apostolos Porsanidis

Brilliant! And patented! These "flexible" rings by German designer Nane Adam feature a stretchy nylon interior that is not only visually striking but also allows for variable sizing. The nylon webbing was inspired by the bridges of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Pictured below is a ring from her "money" collection.

Bonus link: here's another "money" ring, this time by Greek-born, Paris-residing product designer Apostolos Porsanidis.

Even more jewellery:

• Vice & Vanity (Singapore) - cool cutouts


• Yuri Kawanabe (Australia) - folded art


• Kato's Charm (Emeryville, CA) - etched pendants


• Emma Sedman (UK) - silver & enamel


• Danielle Stevens (New York) - charms & beads

Hilde de Decker / Aoi's Art

It's like a dream come true: jewellery growing on trees! Belgian artist Hilde de Decker brings us this tomato ring and other vegewellery (my awful word, don't blame her!). I'm not sure what that man is frowning about — maybe he wanted carats instead. (I'll stop now.)

Bonus link: unlike the tomato ring, nothing by California's Aoi's Art is edible — but you'll certainly wish it were!

Even more jewellery:

• OZ Jewel (Finland) - clean & matte


• Toby Pomeroy (Oregon) - hammered metals


• Rebecca & Penelope (UK) - pearls & leather


• Rachel Hearne (UK) - simple silver


• Alison J Designs (New York) - antiqued necklaces

Yuki Kamiya / Eel Jewelry

Japanese jeweller Yuki Kamiya creates maximum impact with her minimal jewellery, like these fluid double-finger rings.

Bonus link: Eel Jewelry, who recently redesigned their website, is another repository of minimalist jewellery from Japan.

Even more jewellery:

• Morell & Tudse (Denmark) - quartz & petals


• Clare Coles (UK) - leather & wallpaper


• Táneke (Spain) - felt & fabric


• Cristina Taranu (Brooklyn) - skulls & seahorses


• Mariel Pagliai (Montreal) - chunky & graphic

Regina Gräber / Agnieszka Cook

Remember yesterday's bottle-top rings? Taking that idea down a notch — literally — is Regina Gräber, also of Germany, with her bottle-neck rings.

Bonus link: speaking of notches, there are plenty decorating this silver ring from the "Carved" collection by London-based Polish designer Agnieszka Cook (£60).

Even more jewellery:

• Kathleen Elliot (Santa Monica, CA) - glass beads


• Suspended Kinetics (UK) - wearable sculpture


• Frances Smersh (Seattle) - cork & cement


• Okt-Ober Dee (Australia) - medals & chiyogami


• Theo Fennell (London) - cocktail rings

Sabine Lang / Leonardo

German artist Sabine Lang has a wide variety of pieces that are better looked at than described here in words, so click forth and look! Above: functional "finger bag" rings (the handles go around your finger — obviously, but for some reason I'm compelled to explain that); she says they're "ideal for a night out to keep some money and your key."

Below: her glass bottle-top rings. (Gee, Germans must really like their bottle-tops.)

Bonus link: for more gorgeous German glass rings (but not made from bottles), visit Leonardo. I covet this "Rich" ring, €79.95. Comes in assorted colours.

Even more jewellery:

• Molly M Designs (San Francisco) - lasercut bubbles


• Didi Suydam (Newport, RI) - matte metal


• Otrera (New York) - feminine gold


• Antoinette (UK) - acrylic cutouts


• Jane Macintosh (London) - two-tone metals

The Devil's Workshop (Sarah Wan et al) / Mary Profitt

These heavenly rings come from The Devil's Workshop, an artists' and students' studio in Toronto. Clockwise from top left are a silver and real birch bark ring by workshop founder Sarah Wan, Dana Munro's "bomber cat" ring, two small examples of student work, bird rings also by Sarah Wan, a flower ring by Mary Frances Jung (of MFJ Design, mentioned here in September), and three glass rings by Tanya Lyons (whose incredible non-jewellery glass art you can view on her site).

Bonus link: I love the shape of this bold yet simple sterling ring by another Canadian jeweller, Mary Profitt of North Bay, Ontario.

Even more jewellery:

• Annie Aalto (Nevada) - swirly gold


• Karola Torkos (London) - metal & polypropylene


• Susan Freda (Riverside, RI) - art & wire


• Shao-Pin Chu (Toronto) - jewellery & furniture


• Naomi James (UK) - leaf imprints

Dorothea Dähnick / Marjorie Shachnow

Dutch artist Dorothea Dähnick's Grünzeugschmuck ("Evergreen") series pairs pearls with plants, a gorgeous combination that somehow looks utterly natural. (The necklaces are my favourite.)

Bonus link: there's no greenery in this combination of pearls and plants (in this case, oxidized sterling branches) by California's Marjorie Shachnow.

Even more jewellery:

• Jamie Cassavoy (Atlanta) - flowers & leaves


• Yayoi Forest (New York) - lacey metal


• Husam El Odeh (London) - metal & pearls


• Laura Mayling (UK) - semiprecious clusters


• Madame Plastique (Scotland) - poker chips

Carol Meng-Yi Yeh / Cristina Dias

I feel more ladylike just looking at these lovely rings by London's Carol Meng-Yi Yeh. I'm afraid a skirt might spontaneously burst from my hips were I to actually try one on. Pictured, clockwise from top, are her "lotus," "blossom" and "water lily" rings (all silver with pearls).

Bonus link: more florid and feminine flower rings, this time by Boston-based Brazilian metalsmith Cristina Dias.

Even more jewellery:

• Edith Bellod (Berlin) - organic textiles


• Vale Jewelry (New York) - gold & quartz


• Wally Gilbert (UK) - dramatic metal


• Jerzy Cielecki (Poland) - modern pearls


• Olivia Schlevogt (London) - twotone circles

Lola Brooks / Evanueva

I think I've seen enough cluster rings to dedicate a whole year to them. That's not a slight; if anything, it's precisely because so many rings can fit the definition yet still vary widely from one another that rings are so fascinating! Take the "Plunder" series by New York's Lola Brooks. The seemingly-simple act of adding facets to each ball and bubble renews the idea — and looks great, to boot.

Bonus link: facets also look fab on this chunky wood and gemstone ring by Evanueva, based in Colorado (but run by Italians Luigia and Paolo Iacobelli).

Even more jewellery:

• Alice Eden (UK) - delicate chains


• Cody Bush (Lafayette, LA) - art jewellery


• Vinca (Austin) - cute leather


• Hazel Passmore (Scotland) - contemporary metal


• Mauboussin (Paris) - flashy gemstones

Christine Bossler / Rebecca Berry

The last (and, it turns out, only) time I featured a ring from Detroit, it was made of Fordite — a product of Detroit almost by definition. So, I was happy to come across a more experimental artist from the city: Christine Bossler. Her "candy rings" (that's real sugar in there) look like museum displays. They're not alarmed, though, so you can safely break plexiglas in case of snack emergency.

Bonus link: candy-like but not made of sugar are these deco-inspired candy scarab rings by Rebecca Berry of Plano, Texas (US$28).

Even more jewellery:

• Charlotte Wooning (Netherlands) - balls & chains


• Jo Pudelko (UK) - silver & colour


• Maria Oiticica (Brazil) - natural & environmental


• Hannah Clark (New York) - crossed fingers


• Lucklaw Silver (Scotland) - contemporary silver

Jessica Bojczuk / Pierre Lang

Let's close out the week with some modern silver from Australia's Jessica Bojczuk. This kind of work, with its clean lines and balanced shapes, often has a meditative effect on me. I hope that puts it in the "art" "category" because, you know, it makes me sound a lot less crazy to say I'm meditating on art than on costume jewellery.

Bonus link: speaking of clean and modern, I like the clean, modern take on paisley in this chunky ring from UK jeweller Pierre Lang (£65).

Even more jewellery:

• Supermandolini (Greece) - fun & flashy


• Nico Taeymans (Belgium) - modern metal


• Ginette NY (New York) - gold necklaces


• Carrie Ann Black (UK) - circles on circles


• Rose Flash (Montreal) - ribbons & beads

Genevieve Packer / Staxx

These stackable "Utopia" and knuckle duster "Dystopia" rings are from Genevieve Packer's
"the grass was greener" collection. The range "explores the increasing distance between the customary summer coastal holiday and the average New Zealander." I love the idea of stacking different rings to create different scenery; I'm reminded of those city rings by Jennifer Flume (whose website, by the way, has some new pieces worth checking out).

Bonus link: stacking is the entire concept at Dallas company Staxx, where you can customize your ring by piling interchangeable pieces.

Even more jewellery:

• Ben Woodcock (UK) - clean silver


• Heinz Brummel (Minneapolis) - playful colours


• Katharine Sise (New York) - chains & charms


• Malcolm Morris (London) - apple blossoms


• Nest (McKinney, TX) - bold quartz