Steuart Bremner / Chatrine Rinman

I have seen the light. Turns out, it was a ring! This concept by Colorado artist Steuart Bremner is one of my favourite takes on the temporary ring. Of course, you could always go for tanlines to make them last a little longer.

Bonus link: Sweden's Chatrine Rinman also has temporary rings, like these made of ice (far left) and soap film. And yes, she even has tan line jewellery.

Even more jewellery:

• Bogdana Topreva (Bulgaria) - light tubes


• Carla Reiter (Illinois) - dark & knit


• Sarah Abramson (New York) - black & white


• Charlotte Rudkin (UK) - contemporary silver


• Kajsa Åman (Sweden) - metal & gems

Maria Hanson / Frida Jeppsson / Maria Volokhova / Anita Dineen / La Poterie

Our Friday runneth over with cups!


Above: "Decadence" wearable punch cup by England's Maria Hanson.

Cocktail ring, literally, by Sweden's Frida Jeppsson.

"Coppurings" by Ukranian jeweller Maria Volokhova.

"Tea Party" by Australia's Anita Dineen.

Finally, a little role reversal: rings worn by cups! Made by Japan's La Poterie and available here at handmade wares shop Oyatsu (which means "snack").

Bonus link:
If you're thirsty after all those cup rings, New Zealand's Georgina Baker has these "tea rings." She also has a wonderful collection of pieces made from collected teaspoons.

Even more jewellery:

• Frances Levis (UK) - fluid silver


• Carol Ware / CarolKaryl (New Mexico) - crushed cans


• Bijougraphie (Montreal) - patterned balls


• Atelier Merveille (Spain) - modern metal


• Michaela Niegemann (Sweden) - conceptual necklaces

Caz Guiney / Alexandra Bletsas

Paris and Milan may be famous for fashion but no city is as well-accessorized as Melbourne. "City Ring" is one of two installation series by Australian artist Caz Guiney, who, in 2003, embedded fourteen of her handmade rings into her urban environment.

Bonus link: in Guiney's city rings, the city wears the rings. In these city rings, the rings wear the city. Alexandra Bletsas, also of Australia, layers metal, wood and acrylic in her cityscape rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Trakcyde (UK) - urban accessories


• Carly Wright (New York) - enamel panes


• Ingomar (Denmark) - contemporary metal


• Emma Rose (Australia) - silver cutouts


• Szilverworks by Szilvia Gyorgy (Hungary) - thin cables

Louis Mueller / Patricia Madeja

Louis Mueller has a golden rule(r)...

... to make amusing rings. Visit the Rhode Island jeweller's site for more.

Bonus link: this ring isn't merely amusing — it actually belongs in an amusement park. Ferris wheel ring by Patricia Madeja, a jeweller who teaches at Pratt Institute.

Even more jewellery:

• Raivio & Kulju (Finland) - porcelain popcorn


• Eun-Mee Chung (Maryland) - cloth maché


• Miranda Watkins (UK) - minimalist steel


• Lenneke Kooijman (Netherlands) - charms & tassels


• Wanda Griffin (Australia) - organic silver

La Chiocciolina (Atinuj Tantivit) / Sophie Marie Smith

In her "Ring for Each Finger" series, Thai artist Atinuj Tantivit gives the traditional fourth finger a rest and honours "each [other] finger with its own representative ring." I'm guessing the button represents the pointer and the index cards represent "thumbing" through. But wait... those are thumb tacks, aren't they? While I mull this over, visit her site, La Chiocciolina.

Bonus link:
For rings that I'm 100% certain were made for the thumb, like the one pictured here, see Sophie Marie Smith. The UK jeweller specializes in simple silver pieces.

Even more jewellery:

• Kirsten Kinvara (UK) - black buttons


• Makiko Shinoda (Japan) - conceptual jewellery


• Kemmo (Australia) - wheels & nozzles


• Robyn Kane (Michigan) - contemporary silver


• Nadia Lee Solomon (New York) - gold vermeil

Petra Schou / Georg Spreng

Cones: from cradling delicious ice cream to making gorgeous rings, is there anything they can't do? This "funnels" ring is by Swedish metalsmith Petra Schou, who tries to "relieve the solidity and rigidity of metal by adding a sense of air and movability."

Bonus link:
German jeweller Georg Spreng has several cone rings in his collection, including this bold, jewel-encrusted "ice cream cone" ring that's anything but vanilla.

Even more jewellery:

• Coxy (California) - modern metal


• Kate Furman (South Carolina) - burnt wood


• Anne V Massey (UK) - silver spirals


• Thomas Schleede (Germany) - gold & cabs


• SuperVery (New Zealand) - lasercut pendants

Geoff Riggle / Cheap Monday

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: Because dodecahedrons are awesome.

That's no punchline, but that's also no lie.

Awesomeness brought to you by Ohio artist Geoff Riggle.

Bonus link:
If twelve sides is more than you can handle, how about we pare it down to six? Cube ring by Swedish fashion label Cheap Monday (matching bangle also available).

Even more jewellery:

• Hani Laronne (Israel) - wireframe polyhedrons


• Kat Dalene (New York) - silver chains


• Heather Wang (Massachusetts) - enamel blossoms


• Charlotte Jones (UK) - simple & modern


• Eliana Negroni (Italy) - texturized aluminum

AHead Creative / Nicolas Cheng

Erase the word "erasing" from your vocabulary. Henceforth, it can only be known as "erasering." Createrated by Balance Wu and Chin Yang of Taiwan's AHead Creative.

Bonus link: this is a ring! I'm not being defensive — that's actually what it's called: "This is a Ring" by UK artist Nicolas Cheng, who also offers an illustration of the ring in action.

Even more jewellery:

• Iris Tsante (Greece) - pencils & paper


• Grishka (New York) - clean silver


• Joanna Cave (UK) - modern metal


• Kilian Schindler (Germany) - simple porcelain


• Metal Urges (Australia) - contemporary classics

Fdotlove (Frank Love) / Andi Monn

Ceci n'est pas une pipe, of course, but it might make a "peep."

The "Wysle" ring is — sound it out — a whistle ring. Find lots more of interest at Fdotlove, online home of California designer Frank Love.

Bonus link:
I'd be pretty impressed if you could carry any kind of tune on a whistle but if you wanted to try, Germany's Andi Monn has rings decorated with a few musical bars.

Even more jewellery:

• Lia Terni (Spain) - bold & simple


• Ulrike Poelk (Germany) - conceptual chains


• Kakaano by Kiyomi Kano (Japan) - light & delicate


• Charmian Beaton (UK) - diamonds in cracks


• Denise Cox (Connecticut) - semiprecious beads

Hannah Ren / Bonfire Folk (Kim Victoria Wearne) / Kirsten Hendrich

The name says it all: "Beautiful Decay" in fine silver and enamel by Australia's Hannah Ren.

Just as corroded and just as pretty are these "Into the Fire" rings by Bonfire Folk (Kim Victoria Wearne), also from Australia.

Bonus link:
For more eroded jewellery, see UK metalsmith Kirsten Hendrich, who offers this "Eroded" band in oxidized silver.

Even more jewellery:

• Jenny Pope (UK) - eroded ceramic


• Davide Bigazzi (California) - silver & gold


• Christine Alaniz (Pennsylvania) - sculptural resin


• Feine Sachen (Germany) - little charms


• Zofia & Witold Kozubscy (Poland) - enamel & aluminum

Eric de Gésincourt / Sergio Colon

I'm in heaven — and manning the pearl, formica, resin, acrylic, tagua and aluminum gates is French jeweller Eric de Gésincourt.

Bonus link:
Argentinian jeweller Sergio Colon also makes chunky, modern resin rings, like the piece pictured here — though this one might be more devilish than heavenly!

Even more jewellery:

• Alright Darling (UK) - white resin


• Andrea Valentini (Rhode Island) - metal granules


• Julie Rofman (California) - graphic cuffs


• Step by Step (Switzerland) - red & aluminum


• Carlina Goffe (New Zealand) - simple silver

Fiona Mitcham / Caroline Lindholm / Jason Moss

Wanderlust + metallust = Fiona Mitcham. The UK jeweller's rings not only are etched with topographical maps, but also cleverly echo the arc of a sextant!

Now, if you're so directionally challenged that you can barely tell your right from your left (let alone east from west), these rings by Sweden's Caroline Lindholm should help you out.

Bonus link:
Australian jeweller Jason Moss customizes rings by stamping them with birthdates, initials (in binary, if desired) or, as pictured here, geographical coordinates.

Even more jewellery:

• Diane Archer (Oregon) - photo-etched maps


• Tanaya Henry (New York) - ear laces


• Nina Carolyn (UK) - silver & resin


• Picca (Italy) - chunky beads


• Sabine Scheuble (Germany) - cute fish

Theresa Burger / My Heart Monster

Three years ago, I started adding those "even more jewellery" links after each post because I wanted a place for jewellers who don't necessarily have rings as a focus. Since then, I've had many an "argh!" moment when I've re-visisted a site and found it updated with — what else? — fabulous rings. Well, it's happened again... but this time, because I am weak, I'm going to break my "no repeats" rule. New on South African designer Theresa Burger's site are these amazing rings that look like quartz but are actually resin!

Bonus link: for rings made with actual quartz (as well as other semiprecious stones), check out Wisconsin's My Heart Monster. They have lots of simple, chunky pieces, like this one set with graffiti quartz.

Even more jewellery:

• Cocomero (Australia) - gypsum & quartz


• Janet Wass (UK) - etched acrylic


• Jacqui Chan (New Zealand) - organic silver


• Carmen Esteba (Spain) - simple metal


• Marco & Dicky (Japan) - beads & fabric

Nancy Wu / Melissa Pedersen

If I upset any clean freaks yesterday (don't get me wrong — I'm a "freak" myself), maybe these rings will atone for that. After all....

... they're made entirely of soap! By California designer Nancy Wu, these are the "small" incarnation of her "Momentary Reasons" series; just wait 'til you see the "large."

Bonus link: if you haven't already guessed what this ring is made of, does the colour clue you in? Yep, it's a rubber glove — let's just hope it didn't actually see any grime in its former life. By Calgary's Melissa Pedersen.

Even more jewellery:

• Gina Bulgamin-Salo (Finland) - clean & modern


• IMK Jewelry (New York) - rubber chainmail


• Ai Ai Gasa (Qatar) - recycled umbrellas


• Suzanne Nairne (Vancouver) - contemporary silver


• Bianca Padidar (UK) - felt & textiles

Eriko Unno / Niiro Jewelry

Do you hear that rustling? That's the collective sound of neatniks squirming in their seats. These chaotic gold wire rings are by Japanese jeweller Eriko Unno.

Relax — she does clean, too. If you visit her site, don't miss her cassette-tape jewellery!

Bonus link:
Here's another scribbly ring made of knit wire from the aptly-named "Entangled" series by Slovenia's Niiro Jewelry (Rosanna Raljevic Ceglar).

Even more jewellery:

• Elizabeth Chamberlain (UK) - wrapped & scribbly


• Natasha Wozniak (New York) - metal curlicues


• Fastenations (California) - button pendants


• Shlomith Bollag (Switzerland) - busy beads

Ute Decker / Mike and Mary / Jolene Kritzinger / Beth Essex / Claire Dries / Caroline Bassett

Ending the week with a small round-up of modern silver rings.

Up first: sculptural wire by London-based German jeweller Ute Decker.

Sterling disc by Oklahoma's Mike and Mary.

Fence-like bands by South Africa's Jolene Kritzinger.

Loopy teardrops by UK jeweller Beth Essex.

Rough and striated ring by Belgium's Claire Dries.

Bonus link: if you need even more modern silver to tide you over the weekend, see New Zealand jeweller Caroline Bassett. She likes to manipulate the surface of metals, as with this lace-patterned piece.

Even more jewellery:

• Carla de la Cruz (Los Angeles) - simple & modern


• Reuven Kassai (New York) - hammered silver


• Laurie Kaiser (Tennessee) - golden flowers


• AS & AS (Spain) - contrasting metals


• Vicky Griffiths (UK) - circles & hearts

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