Krista McRae / Alister Yiap / Kelly Riekels / Marike Andeweg

Facets. I love them. If I were to be stranded on an island, I'd bring them with me — preferably in the form of these rings by Australia's Krista McRae, who kicks it up a notch with her single bejewelled facet detailing.

Above, some more faceted silver: double-header ring (top) by Alister Yiap, also of Australia, and shiny rings by Michigan's Kelly Riekels.

Bonus link:
Dutch designer Marike Andeweg makes faceted metal rings shaped like diamonds — this one is even covered in 640 of them.

Even more jewellery:

• Simone Giesen (Germany) - facets & lace


• Bonedust (California) - bone feathers


• Cathrine Clarke (Brazil) - contemporary gems


• GK Designs (New York) - simple & stamped


• Stefan Hafner (Italy) - sparkly pavé

Jaanika Pajuste / SooYeon Kim / Bon Bon / Vladimir / Lígia Rocha

Since I featured only one artist last week, let's do a little catch-up today, starting above with this enamelled piece by London-based Estonian artist Jaanika Pajuste.

Silver "box rings" by Korean RISD student SooYeon Kim.

Tiny figures by Swiss jeweller Judith Bütler-Studer of Bon Bon.

Loopy "forja" rings by Spain's Vladimir.

Layers of silver, resin and galalith by Portugal's Lígia Rocha.

Bonus link: no matter how many links I try to stuff into one post, I'll never have as much going on as in this ring by Australia's Felicity Peters. It really should be viewed full-size, so check out her site!

Even more jewellery:

• Janet Fraile (New York) - gold & gems


• Celapiu (Poland) - textiles & fur


• Kiki Huston (New Orleans) - silver & stones


• Elizamar (Jody Cornett) (UK) - metal & pearls


• Yoshinob (Tokyo) - fine & bridal

Liaung Chung Yen / Geoffrey D. Giles

Part V of this week's feature — see Monday's post for details!

I saved my favourite for last. This "cages" ring is part of the "Blowing Smoke" series, based on our no-longer-a-mystery artist's personal quest to stop smoking (yes, that cigarette is encased in glass). There's still plenty to see that I haven't posted this week, so please go check out the portfolio of SCAD grad and Henrietta, NY resident Liaung Chung Yen.

Bonus link: this ring doesn't contain real cigarettes, though it does resemble a pack of them spilling out of their box. Gold ring by North Carolina's Geoffrey D. Giles.

Even more jewellery:

• La Jewellery (UK) - organic silver


• Erika Hollis (New York) - fashion charms


• Erin Jane Designs (Seattle) - metal & stones


• Cristian Dorigatti (Italy) - statement necklaces


• Beobi (France) - busy beads

Mystery Artist Week / Pan Wei Lu

Part IV of this week's feature — see Monday's post for details!

I love his series based on these little gold clamshell pods.

Bonus link: your fourth and final clue? Our mystery artist originally hails from Taiwan, just like Barcelona-based jeweller Pan Wei Lu; her sculptural giraffe ring is pictured at left.

Even more jewellery:

• Kristin Diener (New Mexico) - art pieces


• Vanessa Robert (Brazil) - silver & beads


• Marie-Lise Lachapelle (New York) - lacquered orchids


• Kwodrent (Singapore) - ruffled neckpieces


• Enibas (Ireland) - pebbles & hearts

Mystery Artist Week / Stefanie Priessnitz

Part III of this week's feature — see Monday's post for details!

Above, some of his work in plastic and rubber.

Bonus link: clue #3 is that our mystery artist was born in 1972, just like Germany's Stefanie Priessnitz, whose textured "structure rings" are shown at left.

Even more jewellery:

• Sydney Cash (Marlboro, NY) - glass balls


• Marte Frisnes (UK) - pretty & feminine


• Adina Mills (California) - bold & sculptural


• Annika Bertilsdotter (Sweden) - enamel & silver


• Leaf (Germany) - beads & charms

Mystery Artist Week / Nicole Zahour

Part II of this week's feature — see Monday's post for details!

Bonus link: here's another clue — though our mystery artist attended school in the southern US, he resides in the state of New York. So does Nicole Zahour, whose "HOT" Braille ring is shown at left.

Even more jewellery:

• Chris Irick (Utica, NY) - turbines & labyrinths


• Jack Terweduwe (Belgium) - contemporary metal


• Jamie Rubin (London) - vintage style


• Mainichi (Australia) - leather & fabric


• JudeFrances (California) - fine & regal

Mystery Artist Week / David Bausman

As a rule, I don't feature the same artist twice. This week, though, I'm doing things a little differently. I just couldn't decide which part of this portfolio to feature so I'm spreading it out over the week, posting the same artist five times. The name, though, will be posted just once; tune in Friday to find out who it is!

Bonus link: here's a clue — our mystery artist is a male, just like Texas jeweller David Bausman, whose "archetypal rings" are pictured here.

Even more jewellery:

• Emily Valentine Bullock (Australia) - feathered friends


• Laura Lobdell (New York) - matches & macaroni


• Jeremy Leeming (UK) - silver & stone


• Melody Armstrong (Regina, SK) - contemporary metal


• Tasha D (Indonesia) - clustered beads

Elizabeth Woll / Audrey Says Hello!

As a creature in the wild, it would terrify me like nothing else. As a ring, however, the "scissor peacock" is pretty cool. For the equally cool "scissor feather" necklace, as well as striking pieces in pleated polyurethane, check out Massachusetts metalsmith Elizabeth Woll. More of her rings below:

Bonus link: here's a peacock ring, sans scissors, by Australian designer Karen Thompson. Her site, Audrey Says Hello!, specializes in "silver jewellery for plus sizes."

Even more jewellery:

• Design + Conquer (Calgary) - giant earrings


• Bottled Up Designs (Pennsylvania) - recycled glass


• Wendy Mink (New York) - gold & briolettes


• Sallyanne Lowe (UK) - contemporary jewels


• Salome Lippuner (Switzerland) - Japanese lacquer

Soki / Klei

Postmodern and minimalist? Were these designed by the ghost of Raymond Carver? While that would be awesome, the credit actually goes to Belgium's Sofie Deboutte and Christine Loos, aka Soki (bague blanche, for those who may be wondering, means "white ring"). Below, more of their porcelain pieces with quotidian prints:

Bonus link:
For porcelain rings printed with patterns, check out Barbara van Oost and Ben Paola of Melbourne-based Klei.

Even more jewellery:

• Vick Bevan (New York) - bright ceramic


• Barbe-a-rat (Belgium) - paper earrings


• Beth Gilmour (UK) - modern metal


• Sandra Nichols (California) - silver & stone


• Peppina (Texas) - circles & chains

Cleo & Cat (Claudia & Catalina Pieschacon) / Gudrun Stolz

I usually love chunky pairings of metal and stone, but not in this case. Here's why: this ring is actually made of polymer clay! While most polymer jewellery tends to be covered in bright patterns, Colombian-born sisters Claudia and Catalina Pieschacon (now based in Florida and New York, respectively) take a different approach. Rather than focus on colour, they concentrate on the sculptural properties of the material, then embed semi-precious stones and gild the pieces with paint. The rings aren't gold, but the results sure are. A few more samples below; visit their site Cleo & Cat for the whole collection.

Bonus link:
For more traditionally colourful polymer clay pieces, see Austria's Gudrun Stolz and her wrap rings in a variety of hues.

Even more jewellery:

• Dan Cormier (British Columbia) - polymer clay


• Tom Tom (New York) - brass chains


• Transludia (France) - diamonds on filament


• Eve Ella (Yvonne Ryan) (Ireland) - silver & beads


• Daniel Espinosa (Mexico) - contemporary metal

Aaron Sault / Isabelle Azaïs

This "articulating talon ring" is designed to give the wearer control of the talon — which raises all sorts of ethical questions because, really, can a talon be used for anything other than evil? Below, more rings from Chicago-area jeweller Aaron Sault, featuring the hairs of mammals such as fox, squirrel, man and man's best friend (St. Bernard, to be precise):

Bonus link:
For a lot more fur (as well as lots of leather), see the jewellery of French-born, Belgium-based Isabelle Azaïs.

Even more jewellery:

• DanniJo (New York) - chains & metal


• KapowWow (UK) - textile neckpieces


• Xavier Civera (Spain) - clean & minimal


• Lisa Slodki (Illinois) - circles & links


• Sabrina Goh (Singapore) - lego necklaces

Claire Johnston / Kalle Polkutie

Back when I was a kid and my inner tubes didn't revolt at the sight of a giant yellow M, I used to love it when they handed out these types of puzzles with my filet o' "fish." Come to think of it, I think the little toys were even decorated with images of characters like Ronald McDonald and Grimace — as opposed to, say, Shrek™. Hard to imagine nowadays (and get off my lawn!). Anyway, this piece is by UK artist Claire Johnston, whose teeth you really ought to check out. The ones not in her mouth, I mean. Here's a sampling from her "Tooth Fairy" series:

Bonus link: teeth not porcelain white? You can still dazzle with some red lips and a mole in cubic zirconia. "Honeylips" ring by Finnish jeweller Kalle Polkutie, now based in France.

Even more jewellery:

• Buddug (UK) - charming enamel


• Jillian Moore (Iowa) - art brooches


• Elisa Stecca (Brazil) - metal & agate


• K di Kuore (Italy) - modern classics


• Marisa Alonso (Argentina) - contemporary silver

Martin Papcún / Melanie Bilenker

"Ring on my head, from my head, behind my head" by Prague's Martin Papcún. Now, as much as I like wearing rings, I also enjoy wearing hair (as long as it's my hair) so I think I'll leave this particular piece with him. Below, more of his handiwork — transformative rings in silver and brass from his "mechanic" range:

Bonus link:
Speaking of hair, Philadelphia's Melanie Bilenker draws images on her jewellery using strands from her own head.

Even more jewellery:

• So Young Park (Rochester, NY) - sculptural art


• Hanife Design (Indianapolis) - pearl sprouts


• Anne Mette O'Connor (Ireland) - modern metal


• Lint (New York) - hair chains


• by CNX (Conxita Gisbert) (Spain) - crochet & beads

Emily Bute / Elizabeth Goluch / Anna Ruth Henriques

Above, two metalsmiths who make me want to accessorize with creepy critters: Brooklyn's Emily Bute (tardigrade ring in silver, jet, copper and enamel, top) and Elizabeth Goluch of Halifax (silver wood-louse, bottom).

Bonus link:
This chunky black ring is topped with a gold spider, the signature of Jamaica native Anna Ruth Henriques (now based in NYC).

Even more jewellery:

• Tara J Murphy (UK) - wings & silver


• The Rivet Kitchen (Calgary) - planes & insects


• Heron Adornment (Chicago) - fish & squid


• Lajara (Eva Ruiz) (Spain) - chains & beads


• Amber Marie Bently (San Francisco) - Eastern influences

Stefanie Condes / Coconut Lu / Yoka Voorbach / Nao Goldwork

I like to think that all jewellery, on a microscopic level, is composed of tiny, ring-shaped molecules like this. In reality, this macroscopic piece represents one jeweller's efforts to put a modern spin on a traditional goldsmithing technique. Normally, granulation involves applying tiny beads to a surface — but Belgium's Stefanie Condes wanted granulation without a surface. She settled on rapid prototyping as a method and created the white structure you see here.

Above, more granules from Australia's Coconut Lu (top) and Dutch jeweller Yoka Voorbach (in hand).

Bonus link:
If you prefer your granules in a neat little stack, check out the "fiat lux" ring from Japan's Nao Goldwork.

Even more jewellery:

• Anne-Laure Frizot (France) - beads & balls


• Minx (California) - urban charms


• Gail Stefanek (Winnipeg) - carved gems


• Paul Morelli (Philadelphia) - fine jewellery


• Penelope Barnhill (New Zealand) - glass & silver

Carol Kingsbury Gwizdak / Serena Van Rensselaer

Seeing these rings so gorgeously displayed almost makes me wish I had porcelain plinths for fingers. Combining metal and porcelain with seeds, pods, moss and other botanicals, Carol Kingsbury Gwizdak highlights the preciousness of nature as opposed to material goods. More from the artist, who makes her home in Wales, below:

Bonus link:
This "Isadora" ring by New York's Serena Van Rensselaer has a similar aesthetic, though it's made with colourful feathers.

Even more jewellery:

• Tarra Rosenbaum (New York) - seasonal botanicals


• Toria Designs (UK) - fabric flowers


• Anne Mousley (Italy) - figures & trees


• Kevin Main (California) - contemporary gems


• Dietmar Günster (Germany) - nature-inspired

Marta Rudnicka / Andrzej Bielak

Since a picture is worth 1,817 Canadian words, I'll just tell you that today's fab rings are by Polish artist Marta Rudnicka, whose new site launched last week. 9,085 more words' worth below:

Bonus link:
For another Polish jeweller, see Krakow's Andrzej Bielak, who specializes in interesting wedding bands (the wearing kind, not the musical kind).

Even more jewellery:

• Louise Wade (UK) - chains & birds


• Nic Wells Bladen (South Africa) - botanical silver


• Schmuckrausch (Germany) - bright cabs


• Mary Margrill (New York) - words in metal


• Raija Rastas (Finland) - textile brooches

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