Bernhard Muller / Becky Pierce / Ringsum

I must've been a piece of acrylic in a past life because I just can't get enough of the stuff! Above: rings from the "strat" collection by Switzerland's Bernhard Muller.

Below, acrylic neon rods from England's Becky Pierce:

And here's another Swiss designer: Christine Haussener of Ringsum, who offer stackable bands and other chunky goodies.

Bonus link: this hexagon ring by Germany's Julia Reymann may look like silver and acrylic but it's actually paper. She also does a lot of nice organic metalwork.

Even more jewellery:

• Vesper Jewelry (Seattle) - etched creatures


• Titlee (France) - colourful fabric


• this is emillie (Australia) - fabric necklaces


• Comfort Station (UK) - Victorian style


• Leetal Kalmanson (Israel) - bold & glam

Salima Thakker / Eiri

I like the perforated metal and droplet shapes of these "grid" rings from Belgian jeweller Salima Thakker. They're like tears from a bejeweled robot (which is the best kind of robot).

Bonus link: for more rings in that pointed dome shape, check out the handmade pieces from Japan's Eiri; this one is from the "mushroom" series (¥18,900).

Even more jewellery:

• Claire Pain (France) - diamonds & polar bears


• Anita Ko (Los Angeles) - pavé creatures


• Cat Preston (Australia) - orchids & toys


• Tracy Matthews (New York) - modern classics


• Claudia Jaffe (UK) - organic & textured

Ana Hagopian / Sally Lees

When I recycle paper, I end up with a pile of torn and crumpled sheets in a blue plastic bin. But when Barcelona's Ana Hagopian recycles paper, she gets these bright, pretty flowers. No fair.

Bonus link: UK jeweller Sally Lees also has bright flowers, only hers are dyed aluminum; this "waterlillies" ring is £95.

Even more jewellery:

• David & Martin (Sweden) - shiny & modern


• Julie Sion (France) - ribbons & colour


• Raul Frisneda (New York) - matte gold


• Jessica Hewitt (UK) - clean & modern


• Aki Oedl (Austria) - beads & cabs

Phil Carrizzi / Bark Avenue

I found this link in my notes annotated simply, "steak/vertebrae." I think I'll stick with that. Stainless steel and urethane "seque" ring by Grand Rapids, Michigan jewellery instructor Phil Carrizzi, whose work is vaguely anatomical and futuristic.

Bonus link: this looks more like a femur than a vertebra, but I'm no expert. Engravable bone ring, US$109, available at Pittsburgh-based Bark Avenue.

Even more jewellery:

• Angela O'Kelly (Ireland) - paper & felt


• Steve Keene (Brooklyn) - art & pendants


• Lolita Pop (Singapore) - brass necklaces

Chrysanthe Staikopoulou / Claudia Cherubini

What goes with a steel grater bracelet? Why, a nutmeg ring, of course. (I'm hoping it comes in parmesan, too.) Set by UK artist Chrysanthe Staikopoulou, a recent RCA metalsmithing grad who also has a background in architecture and who counts "the domestic environment" among her influences.

Bonus link: if you need to restock, Italian jeweller Claudia Cherubini also has nutmeg rings. And vanilla. And cinnamon. And... you get the picture.

Even more jewellery:

• Gisella Peacock (London) - metal sprouts


• Boutique 33 (Florida) - chains & crystal


• Amy Buettner (Portland, OR) - silver & jasper

Quoc Lieu / Amanda Keidan

Brooklyn designer Quoc Lieu calls this his "3D Diamonds" collection, though I like to think of them as diamond skeletons. The rings are US$210 for gold fill or US$170 for sterling silver and come with a sterling chain so you can wear them as pendants, too! What a great touch.

Bonus link: New York's Amanda Keidan has more diamond-shaped rings in gold and silver; prices range from US$90 to $425, with 30% of proceeds going to the International Medical Corps.

Even more jewellery:

• Anney Friday (Fullerton, CA) - mosaic necklaces


• KT Collection (New York) - modern metal


• LaMayka (Netherlands) - embellished bracelets

Lori Swartz / Pia Daa

Bold, organic silver creations from Santa Fe jeweller Lori Swartz. Most of the pieces pictured are from her "industrial flower" series.

Bonus link: for flowers that really are black and white, check out this porcelain ring from Denmark's Pia Daa (325 DKK or ~US$65).

Even more jewellery:

• Anna Kaminska-Oginska (Poland) - closet lockets


• Hayluv (Nevada) - long necklaces


• Peggy Cochran (Portland, OR) - contemporary metal

Kerstin Henke / Heike Wanner

This is probably the only case in which I'd advise attacking your jewellery with sharp blades. The cut-out ring by German artist Kerstin Henke features layers of plastic on silver with a cubic zirconium accent.

And here are some more folded layers — silver and gold-plated silver "loop" rings by Austria's Heike Wanner:

Bonus link: you can put those scissors away — this hair doesn't want a trim. Human hair ring by Richmond, Virginia's Jessica Foster.

Even more jewellery:

• Inu Jewelry (New York) - organic silver


• Vincenzo Taormina (Philadelphia) - stainless steel


• Maneki Collection (Austin) - vintage charms

Mirca Maffi / Viviana Halpern

Awwwwww, yeah. I hope your eyes are hungry, because Switzerland's Mirca Maffi offers a feast of cool, geometric rings in wood and silver (be sure to devour the archives, too).

Bonus link: for more geometric rings but with shots of bright colour, check out Argentinian Viviana Halpern's framed bead rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Lia Vaz Saleiro (Germany) - matte silver


• Erica Weiner (New York) - brass charms


• Pet Hypothesis (California) - recycled billboards

22designstudio

Weekend quickie: another site update I'd been waiting on is 22designstudio, who make chunky concrete rings in interesting shapes. The designers hail from Taiwan (which is not, as certain people seem to think, where Thai food comes from).

Claudia Correa / William Prophet

Friday fancy from Chile's Claudia Correa. I especially love that blue ring, which looks like a plastic blade slicing through metal (instead of the other way around). Fun idea, but remind me not to engage her in a round of rock-paper-scissors. Lots more on her site, including these great-looking pieces:

Bonus link: get more acrylic and silver from UK jeweller William Prophet — no blades, but a large selection of spotted rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Rita Bey Yu Lin (Taiwan) - ribbons & thread


• Lucia Odescalchi (Italy) - metal & stones


• Pei-San (Austin) - pearls & quartz

Christel van der Laan / Abigail Percy

Dutch-born Australian resident Christel van der Laan creates art jewellery in red, gold and translucent white, a palette which shall henceforth be known as "VanderLaanian." In my mind, anyway.

Bonus link: Scotland's Abigail Percy, a personal favourite (those earrings!), works in a not-quite- VanderLaanian combination of gold and pearls.

Even more jewellery:

• Toril Bjorg (Norway) - woven silver


• Leviticus Jewelry (Spring, TX) - chains & charms


• Delight Design (Denmark) - quartz & topaz

Jana Brevick / dialog05 / Kiley Granberg

I know the idea is to share these rings with another person but I'd be tempted to wear one on each hand and obsessively click the parts together all day. Rings on purple background by Seattle's Jana Brevick; USB rings by German design collective dialog05.

Bonus link: Calgary's Kiley Granberg also has a set of "screwed" wedding rings; these ones are gold-plated brass.

Even more jewellery:

• Gabriel Urist (New York) - athletic & urban


• Kathy Bransfield (Santa Monica, CA) - inscribed pendants


• Marcin Zaremski (Poland) - raw amber

Monique Péan / Kristin Mitsu Shiga

I've been eagerly anticipating the launch of Monique Péan's new site, and it was definitely worth the wait! The New Yorker (by way of Washington, DC) is committed to environmental issues and her "Bering" collection is a foray into the relatively tiny realm of sustainable fine jewellery. Inspired by Alaskan culture, she collaborated with Native Alaskans to create pieces entirely from eco-friendly materials, including walrus and woolly mammoth ivory, 100% recycled gold and conflict-free diamonds. Pictured here are the Mayac stackable ivory rings (US$1,000) and the Holgate 4-carat rutile ring (US$2,500) — but my favourite might be the Mirage Olanna ivory bracelet (US$14,000). She donates 10% of the profits to the Alaska Native Arts Foundation. Be sure to visit her site and view the entire collection, which is truly stunning!

Bonus link: more ivory — this time, recycled piano keys from Portland, Oregon's Kristin Mitsu Shiga. Lots of interesting work in her portfolio!

Even more jewellery:

• Spell Designs (Australia) - brass & charms


• Shona Fidgett (Scotland) - simple twotone


• Pretti Vacant (California) - acrylic shapes

Alina Tyro-Niezgoda / Sylwia Całus (Antidotum)

Antidotum is where Polish jeweller Alina Tyro-Niezgoda showcases her large and varied body of work. I had to go with her happy Lego rings (sorry about the watermarks) but there's tons more to see on her site!

Antidotum also hosts some other artists, like Sylwia Całus, whose acrylic rings are below:

Bonus link: just like the Lego rings, Laura Beamer's bottle cap rings (US$56) bring me back to my childhood. The Oregon designer also works with vinyl records.

Even more jewellery:

• Birgit Laken (Netherlands) - scalloped brooches


• Vinnie Day (London) - metal & charms


• Arielle de Pinto (Montreal) - crochet chains

Immerdein / Hyun Jee Suh

Saskia Noël and Sogol Shirazi of Germany's Immerdein create sweet little pieces in silver, enamel and coral. I'm hoping these bright blooms will magically chase away the grey, rainy weekend that's in store here.

Bonus link: realistically, the next few days will look more like this "water drop" ring by Korean metalsmith Hyun Jee Suh, an instructor at Arizona's Mesa Arts Center.

Even more jewellery:

• Penny Gray (UK) - recycled glitz


• Winifred Grace (Chicago) - oxidized chains


• Barbara Heinrich (Pittsford, NY) - classic gold

Hilde Foks / Susanne Sous

Do you see the baseball influence? Before her career in jewellery, Amsterdam's Hilde Foks was a pitcher on the Dutch national baseball team. Now, inspired by the corkscrew movement of her pitches, she weaves steel, nylon and wool into pliable, springy, spiral-themed pieces. How playful.

Bonus link: no baseball (or regular) diamonds here, but Germany's Susanne Sous does pay tribute to tennis and soccer with these rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Olivia Lowe (UK) - metal & flowers


• Adha Zelma (Brooklyn) - long earrings


• Oculus Jewelry (Portmouth, NH) - wooden cuffs

Maud Traon / Mari Isopahkala

Chaos? Meet structure. Maud Traon, a French RCA grad now based in London, raises the organized mess to an art form. Her rings are sculptural piles of copper, silver, fimo clay, wax, beads, synthetic stones, plastic toys, varnish and found objects. (Sorry, I checked, but your keys weren't in there.)

Also, just because yesterday's fur ring looks a little lonely, here are some more — this time, from Finnish designer Mari Isopahkala, using reindeer fur. I guess Donner and Blitzen finally had some time for a haircut.

Bonus link: if this were the comics, this ring would be Maud Traon's kryptonite. UK jeweller Sarah Jordan's "Karma" ring couldn't be cleaner.

Even more jewellery:

• Min-Ji Cho (London) - rubber gloves


• Hisano Takei (Gardena, CA) - wool neckpieces


• Amy Reeves (Washington State) - enamel & copper

Dalia Gefen / Emily Dempsey

I love the understated originality, if that makes sense, of these rings by Israel's Dalia Gefen. They're not ordinary, but they're also not jumping up and down, waving their arms and screaming, "LOOK AT ME, I'M DIFFERENT!" If that makes sense, too. (I know, that last sentence makes no sense.) Lots more to see on her site!

Bonus link: delight your senses of sight and touch with this soft, recycled fur ring by Nova Scotia's Emily Dempsey.

Even more jewellery:

• Nicole Landaw (Brooklyn) - gold & diamonds


• Karalee Designs (Massachusetts) - cute & kitschy


• Ciara Creates (Philippines) - colourful clusters

Lima 7192 / Badass Jewellery

Happy 2008! I've awakened from my winter snooze; the shop and the blog are both back in business! What better way to kick off the year than with a new favourite of mine: clear boro glass rings by Japanese designer Banri Miyashita, who designs as the label Lima 7192.

These and other pieces are available for ¥8,925-10,500 (roughly US$80-100) at Japanese webshop Kök (Swedish for "kitchen").

Bonus link: "toast" the new year with this deco toaster ring, CAD$495, from Toronto's Badass Jewellery. Designer Calvin Dana Munroe is one of the Devil's Workshop artists I mentioned in November.

Even more jewellery:

• Jennifer Fisher (New York) - charm necklaces


• Iosselliani (Italy) - modern luxe


• Louise Ashton Designs (UK) - dichroic glass

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