Trash and Soul (Pablo Reinoso) / PennyDog (Kerry Wilkinson)

Let one man's trash become your treasure. Paris-based Pablo Reinoso (originally from Argentina) is the designer behind Trash and Soul, where everyday garbage is gold. The trashbags and lemon peels above will run you €580-€1,180 (~US$850-$1,700); view more styles on his site.

Bonus link: for another dose of citrus, check out PennyDog, where England's Kerry Wilkinson offers lemons, limes and oranges encased in resin.

Even more jewellery:

• PetitPlat (France) - miniature food


• Parsprototo (Germany) - pearls on circles


• Susan Lenart Kazmer (Ohio) - mixed media

Tanja Zessel / Barbara Schulte-Hengesbach / Michael Berger

A rare behind-the-scenes look at how rings get their nice shape: they do sit-ups.

And these ones are engaged in group calisthenics. It's tough work, looking good. Rings above by Germany's Tanja Zessel.

Bonus link: for rings that really do move, see Barbara Schulte-Hengesbach (far left) and Michael Berger (right), both from Germany.

Even more jewellery:

• Kamilla Ruberg (Denmark) - kinetic metal


• Mallarino (Paris) - modern filigree


• Elma Blint (New York) - coins & snakes

Angela Sauer / Keys and Memories

The first set of rings is industrial yet decorative, somewhat art deco with a floral nod to art nouveau. Meanwhile, the second set is all aged and eroded, like relics from an old sunken ship. It's almost like "The Titanic: Before and After," give or take a decade. So what do these rings have in common? Despite their wildly different styles, they're all by the same jeweller (and yoga instructor): Germany's Angela Sauer.

Bonus link: for more of that eroded, weathered look, go for a verdigris piece like this oxidized brass spoon ring from Oklahoma's Keys and Memories.

Even more jewellery:

• Lora Leedham (UK) - contemporary silver


• Alidra Alic (Denmark) - bright poppies


• Vitalis Kubach (Germany) - rocks & stones

Lucy Rowlands / Samantha Kramer

Want to eat poppy seeds with aplomb? Experience the joy of dentistry without the expensive visits? UK designer Lucy Rowlands makes it all possible with her "oral examination device" rings.

Bonus link: this isn't a link to a jeweller's site but, on the topic of oral fixations, New Yorker Samantha Kramer's teeth rings could not be ignored.

Even more jewellery:

• Lila Pix (Austria) - insects & butterflies


• Unearthen (Brooklyn) - crystal bullets


• Michiel Teunen (Netherlands) - circles & cones

2Roses / Christy Robinson

It started at a gas station. Now, it's moved to water. The violence over scarce resources is escalating and the birds are not about to go quietly. Pictured above: silver ring, with glass water and birds in bone and ebony, by California's 2Roses.

Bonus link: here's some more water for those birds to fight over. Resin waterdrop on silver ring by Dallas jeweller Christy Robinson.

Even more jewellery:

• Emma Herrero (Spain) - glass drops


• Judith Haas (New York) - organic metal


• Nathalie Costes (France) - ball beads

Hyeseung Shin / Jos Jonkergouw

"If there is no hole in a ring, can I wear it?" That's the question posed by Hyeseung Shin in this "hide a hole" ring, above. While you ponder the answer, here's more from the Korean jeweller:

Bonus link: the holes in Jos Jonkergouw's rings aren't hidden but proudly on display; pictured is one of the Dutch jeweller's many perforated rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Kristen Elspeth (Los Angeles) - quills on chains


• Hilary Laing (Scotland) - bangles & textiles


• Ole Lynggaard (Denmark) - modern classics

Vina Rust / Himie (Shimokawa Hiromichi)

If an octopus, a mustache and a bubble machine walked into a bar, the punchline might look something like this. Of course, far from being a joke, these rings by Seattle's Vina Rust are seriously cool. Her "stamen" and "stained cell" series were inspired by botanical and cellular imagery.

Bonus link: for more rings made of silver bubble clusters, check out Japanese jeweller
Shimokawa Hiromichi of Himie.

Even more jewellery:

• Manon von Gerkan (New York) - bubbles & solids


• Amy Wing Designs (Portland, OR) - silver discs


• 925works (Connecticut) - power buttons

Elza Pereira / Karolina Anna Matea / Angela Scirpo

Armed with enamel, Portugal's Elza Pereira is here to smack us in the face with colour. In a good way.

Above, Poland's Karolina Anna Matea launches her own enamel colour assault. I think earth is safe, however, as these "planets" and "constellation" rings seem to be focussed on outer space. Below are two of her non-enamel rings:

Bonus link: for a garden's worth of bright enamel flowers, each hand-cut and one-of-a-kind, see the work of Connecticut's Angela Scirpo.

Even more jewellery:

• My Little Drama (Sweden) - brass illustrations


• Amenda Tate (Parker, CO) - industrial & playful


• Carol Holaday (California) - enamel & beads

Silver Kitsune / Dawn Vertrees

[I put up Monday's post a day late so if you missed it, skip down a bit!]

Leaves and flowers are such common motifs but the UK's Heather Fox of Silver Kitsune (kitsune being Japanese for "fox") puts a fresh spin on things with these designs, above. If you know her personally, please push her into tackling textile design, because I'd love some curtains printed with those graphic shapes.

Bonus link: for more realistic leaf shapes, leave it to someone with both "vert" and "trees" in her name: Dawn Vertrees of Florida.

Even more jewellery:

• Claudia Kussano (San Francisco) - botanical silver


• Lisa Cimino (Baltimore, MD) - twigs & circles


• Elke Kassebaum (Germany) - paper beads

Nikola Semotánová / Sherry Cordova

These plastic "Palmolive" rings are made from recycled bottles of something or other.

Above, more recycled bottle rings from Czech artist Nikola Semotánová. Seeing these once-disposable objects become objects of art, one comes to an important realization: Czech cleaning products are packaged in some very pretty colours.

Bonus link: California jeweller Sherry Cordova has more recycled bottle rings, only hers are glass rather than plastic.

Even more jewellery:

• Saves Nine (Australia) - textiles & tupperware


• Sasja Saptenno (Neterlands) - latex & rubber


• Roos Arntz-van Doren (Germany) - clean & contemporary

ESLA / Bryan Johnson

A couple of spine-tingling rings from the "exo" collection of Vancouver designers Elsa Smith and Lallen, aka ESLA.

Bonus link: another Canadian dabbling in spines is Winnipeg's Bryan Johnson with this sterling and garnet piece.

Even more jewellery:

• Theresa Carson (Baltimore, MD) - textured silver


• Tuleste Market (New York) - deco style


• Pulchra Gemma (Toronto) - semiprecious sparklies

Ornella Iannuzzi / Anna Schmid / Christine J. Brandt

Nature, au naturel: this "in the forest" ring by London's Ornella Iannuzzi is composed of petrified wood, dry mushrooms, bark, moss and silver. I think Les Stroud is hiding in there somewhere, too.

Above, Switzerland's Anna Schmid shows us another wooden ring that embraces its roots. While I absolutely love the display for this piece, I'm really glad the concept was done with wood and not fur.

Bonus link: more wood from Ohio's Christine J. Brandt, who is probably best known for her rings featuring clusters of uncut semiprecious stones.

Even more jewellery:

• iWood (Kentucky) - wood & brass


• Kathryn Hinton (UK) - silver ovals


• Janis Kerman (Montreal) - metal & gems

Ma & Mé / Brigitte Adolph

Thanks to these rings, I can no longer look at someone in an empire-waist dress without her looking like a salt shaker to me. Mmm, salt.

The lace, silver, acrylic, nylon and fur pieces above are by Switzerland's Marisa Louvet and Mélanie Raetz, aka Ma & Mé.

Bonus link: more lace rings? Not exactly. These bands by Germany's Brigitte Adolph are actually gold and silver made to look like lace.

Even more jewellery:

• Emma Cassi (UK) - beaded lace


• Daphna Simon (New York) - gold animals


• Dark Slow Warp (Tokyo) - stamped silver

Monika Glöss / Susanne Vorsprecher / Silverbridge / Eles Designs

What does the Canadian Olympic team have in common with these rings? So far, they remain unadorned. Pictured are rings by Monika Glöss (top row) and Susanne Vorsprecher (middle), both of Germany, and Toronto's Silverbridge (bottom).

Bonus link: some more clean metal from another Toronto designer, Laura Serrafero of Eles Designs.

Even more jewellery:

• Casa di Minea (Italy) - modern & natural


• Gemma Lister (UK) - cubes & pearls


• Cíntia Maria (Brazil) - fabric beads

Kirsten Plank / Bilingual

Hey, it's not like the Olympics own a trademark on colourful interlocking rings. Well... maybe that specific set of colourful interlocking rings. But not these ones by Germany's Kirsten Plank, above. Below are some more examples of her clever interlocking; the first row is an oxidized set of four pieces that form either a ball or a ring, while the second row is a band that's also a carrying case for some earrings!

Bonus link: for more interlocking rings, head on over to Australia's Bilingual, where interlocking silver rings seem to be their specialty.

Even more jewellery:

• Zara Collins (Australia) - Chinese themes


• Amy Pfaffman (California) - recycled materials


• Mikala Djørup (UK) - brushed gold

Jun Konishi / C2 Sportschmuck

The big five-ring event begins today — will you be watching? I don't think I'll be tuning in (gotta preserve my Olympic interest for the games here in 2010) but I was pretty impressed by the opening ceremony in Athens in 2004 so I may record the Beijing opening out of curiosity. In any event (literally), go, underdogs! Pictured above: "rings for winners" by Japan's Jun Konishi. Some more of his work below:

Bonus link: swim-bike-run ring in steel (though titanium would be more triathlon-like) from Austria's C2 Sportschmuck, who has almost every summer sport imaginable.

Even more jewellery:

• Alex Sepkus (New York) - embellished gold


• Silvergarden (Sweden) - modern silver


• Claire Suzy Stannard (Australia) - bronze & brass

Random bookmark pluckings...

It's that time again: random-pluckings-from-my-bookmarks o'clock.

Above: red plastic rings from Czech artist Pavel Herynek (left) and Chile's Francisca Duarte of Xperimenta.

Interesting settings from Finland's Stephan Maroschek (left) and Australia's Peta Kruger.

Hearts (blooming) by Belgium's Marie-Bénédicte de Schryver and hearts (nesting) by Switzerland's Susanne Holzinger.

Quirky fun by Belén Bajo (left) and Daniel Vior, both of Spain.

Teacups by Dutch studio XS-M-L (left) and Russia's Anna Raygorodskaya.

Crushed metal by New York's Ippolita (left) and Dorothée Rosen of Halifax.

Killer cats from Italy's Gianni Bulgari of Enigma (left) and Austin's Anne Kiel.

Even more jewellery:

• In-sync (Australia) - graphic steel


• Twigs & Heather (Boston) - organic silver


• Hanneke Paumen (Netherlands) - felt & textiles

Janine Eisenhauer / Elisabetha Ielegems / Agete

Stones? Janine Eisenhauer don't need no stinkin' stones.

Even when she does use them, the results aren't exactly traditional:

The German designer has lots more on her site, so go check it out (and don't miss the one-pound necklace made from transparent file folders).

Above: Bel-gem's Iele-gems's gems. By which I mean, more unconventional gemstone rings from Belgium's Elisabetha Ielegems. Don't they look like stones being squeezed out of toothpaste tubes? I love it.

Bonus link: if you are searching for something traditional, Japan's Agete is full of pretty. They sell their own work as well as other designers'.

Even more jewellery:

• Me Me Me (UK) - glazed porcelain


• Ginjer Jar (Kimberley, BC) - semiprecious beads


• much2much (New York) - "bourgeoise punk"

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