Line Jorddal / Julie Shaw

To help you better understand her jewellery, this Norwegian designer provides a helpful diagram:

She also demonstrates how to wear a ring around your neck:

For more of Line Jorddal, visit her site!

Bonus link:
For more playful, colourful jewellery, check out these rings by Kentucky's Julie Shaw. These two pieces feature vintage metal and a billiards ball.

Even more jewellery:

• So Charmed (Maryland) - eclectic & playful


• Elinor Voytal (UK) - crystal ropes


• Maureen Faye-Chauhan (Australia) - geometric patterns


• Stiria (Argentina) - contemporary silver


• Leslie Lammens (Belgium) - metal & gems

Jiska Hartog, Michiel Henneman & Jonas Staal / Adi Zaffran Weisler

What an unfortunate ring.

Not because of the ring itself, but because of the circumstance. In their "Bomb Wreck" series, Dutch artists Jiska Hartog, Michiel Henneman and Jonas Staal used scraps from a March 2007 bomb attack in Baghdad. Read more here.

Bonus link:
On a similar but less tragic note, this ring by Israel's Adi Zaffran Weisler is from his series made from spent bullets collected at a firing range.

Even more jewellery:

• Lynn Christiansen (California) - armour & gears


• PlietSH (Germany) - helicopter leaves


• Sarah Kettley (UK) - mixed media


• Kaminer Haislip (South Carolina) - simple silver


• Jackeline Martinez (New Jersey) - copper neckpieces

Michelle Kirana Oh / Misato Iijima

I seem to be all about the nails this week. Today, we have what I believe are the first ever toe rings to make an appearance on this blog: nail-capping "Arcana" rings by London-based Indonesian artist Michelle Kirana Oh.

Visit her portfolio for more, like these nature-inspired "mutant" rings, above.

Bonus link:
Bear with me while I indulge in my nail theme — sort of — just one more time. Pictured is the screw-filled "Screwed" ring from Virginia's Misato Iijima.

Even more jewellery:

• Original Hardware (Colorado) - etched silver


• Anna Hegarty (UK) - modern metal


• RFRM (Illinois) - brass chains


• Stefano Poletti (France) - statement necklaces


• Vaka Design (North Carolina) - classic gold

Amélie Onzon / Woolfspoon (Wolfgang Loeffler)

Unless you've got a set of yesterday's rings (see below), you never know when your nails will need a little repair. Like a good little boy scout, Dutch artist Amélie Onzon is prepared.

Bonus link: if you want to be a bad little boy scout, forget all that rubbing together of sticks. Start a campfire the easy way with this lighter ring by Austria's Woolfspoon (Wolfgang Loeffler).

Even more jewellery:

• Tessa Hunkin (UK) - LED brooches


• SAAKO (Spain) - rope necklaces


• Marilie Jacob (Montreal) - silver branches


• Silke Knetsch & Christian Streit (Germany) - eco-friendly


• Blue Hour Designs (Colorado) - metal & stone

Anna-Sara Dåvik / Simone Nolden

This manicure won't chip... though it may tarnish. "Fake Nail" rings in gold and silver by Swedish womenswear designer Anna-Sara Dåvik.

If you're pressed for time, the gloved version will help you slip on five at once.

Bonus link:
For nails of the hammering kind, see England's Simone Nolden, who combines non-precious items like nails with gold and pearls.

Even more jewellery:

• Charlotte Lovering (UK) - nails & cogs


• Dotoverdot (New York) - modern brass


• Mathias Chaize (France) - small & simple


• Sun Jie (China) - organic silver


• Francesca Furzi (Italy) - contemporary classics

Lillian Pau / Rowan Davis

I say I'm obsessed with rings but Lillian Pau brings it to a whole new level. In the UK artist's own words:

"A dark collection of jewellery designed to reflect order and disorder. Repetitive, intrusive thoughts resulting in compulsive behaviour are redefined in this collection, questioning whether we all have slight OCD. Humour and eccentric use of repetition is used to introduce an OCD sufferer's daily routines, alerting the wearer to follow the rules. Taking jewellery to the edge, the bold colours and forms give a beautiful packaging to possible OCD generators."

The light switch bracelet is my favourite (visit her site to see).

Bonus link: if you're fascinated by the neural activity that underlies OCD, you may appreciate the "Dendrite" collection by UK jewellers Rowan Davis (Alex Maryon-Davis and Nick Rowan), who have backgrounds in science and engineering.

Even more jewellery:

• Kirsty Stevens (UK) - personal disease


• Obsessive Compulsive Design (Texas) - metal & beads


• g|auau (Lithuania) - ivory & amber


• Sol Gonzalez (Argentina) - simple silver


• Pacci Designs (California) - vintage parts

Mutterland / Eoin M. Lyons / Wheeler Willis

Zippity do dah, zippery day! Rings above by London-based Austrian jeweller Birgit Maria Schmidt of Mutterland (top), Ireland's Eoin M. Lyons (bottom left) and Washington, DC's Wheeler Willis (bottom right).

Bonus link:
For more zipper rings, as well as pieces with resin, buttons, wire crochet and coins, see the jewellery site of English textile crafter Elisa Etemad.

Even more jewellery:

• ZipBling (Massachusetts) - zippers & pulls


• Spindi (Lithuania) - acrylic brooches


• Alexandra Shamoon (UK) - distressed metal


• RockLove (New York) - eclectic emblems


• Selin Ecer (Turkey) - silver & beads

Stacey Bentley / Mendel Heit / Nicole Langner

I love the vaguely cellular/vascular (and, dare I say, mullet-al) feel of this ring by Edinburgh's Stacey Bentley. Her textured enamel series is gorgeous and well worth a look.

Here's another cellular ring in 3D-printed stainless steel from German product designer Mendel Heit.

Bonus link:
Another ring with a cellular structure, this time from German jeweller Nicole Langner. If you like this organic style, don't miss out on her brooches in particular.

Even more jewellery:

• Rebecca Steiner (UK) - cellular gold


• Isabella Zini (Italy) - vascular metal


• Romy Mittelman (Australia) - coral & branches


• Rachel Eva (California) - organic hoops


• Cynthia Toops & Dan Adams (Seattle) - clay mosaics

A Peace Treaty / Tasaki / Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez / Moonwoods

If you have two fingers, congratulations: you're equipped to don this fantastic bronze ring by New York's A Peace Treaty (Farah Malik & Dana Arbib). Their collection was inspired by the nomadic tribes of Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Another two-finger ring from Japan's Tasaki. The full-circle shanks are a nice detail.

Last but not least, a striking, sculptural two-finger piece by New York's Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez (originally from Mexico).

Bonus link: ok, just one more two-finger ring. Perhaps it's no accident that this wooden piece reminds me of a pair of frames; Oregon's Moonwoods crafts custom eyeglasses as well as jewellery.

Even more jewellery:

• Simona Chytil (Australia) - twotone metal


• Carla Pennie McBride (New Mexico) - silver & tagua


• LAF Designs (UK) - recycled loops


• Oliphant (Spain) - illustrated charms


• Veerle Maes (Belgium) - crochet necklaces

Aude Tahon / Juanamaraña

These rings are a breath of fresh air — and not just because the white ones remind me of baby's breath (which I've always found to be a slightly creepy name for a flower, but that's neither here nor there). French textile jeweller Aude Tahon keeps her pieces light and airy with her loose-knit crochet rings.

Bonus link: Argentinian mother and daughter duo Rosa Alcántara and María Laura Licandro, aka Juanamaraña, have knit rings in metal wire. These are from their "Pétalos" collection.

Even more jewellery:

• Cooler by Rita Cordeiro (Portugal) - colourful crochet


• Katherine Wheeler (Australia) - thread & porcelain


• Heather Stowell (UK) - buttons & silver


• Le Knockout (Oregon) - baby teeth


• Holly Hamilton (Maine) - gold & gems

Sayaka Yamamoto / Zen Silver (Daisuke Yamashita)

Anyone who "nose" Japanese will get this visual pun. This is Sayaka Yamamoto's spin on the ubiquitous flower ring — "hana" being the Japanese word for both "flower" and "nose." See more from the Netherlands-based designer at BCXSY, which showcases her collaboration with Israel native Boaz Cohen.

Bonus link:
Back to the more traditional version of "hana"... Japan's Zen Silver has a number of cherry blossom rings in sterling, ranging from the simple to the ornate.

Even more jewellery:

• Andrea Thorpe (UK) - flowers & bamboo


• Ingrid Larssen (Norway) - pleated neckpieces


• In-Bloom (Ontario) - solid wood


• Varga Réka (Hungary) - busy beading


• Ina Gumpert (Germany) - silver & stone

Charles Wyatt / Jennifer Tran / Keiko Kubota-Miura / Phoebe Porter / Karin Roy Michelle Andersson

I usually do my random pluckings at the end of the week but sometimes I go a little k-razy and do things on Thursdays that I normally do on Fridays. Unfortunately, this does not mean tomorrow is the weekend.

Above: ring in steel and nylon by Australia's Charles Wyatt.

"Contrast" rings by Brooklyn's Jennifer Tran.

Copper, foil and patina by New York-based Japanese jeweller Keiko Kubota-Miura.

Folded titanium by Australia's Phoebe Porter.

Wing ring by Sweden's Karin Roy Michelle Andersson.

Bonus link: for more wing rings — three more, in fact — check out these plane, bird and butterfly wing rings by Spreeglanz, a small collective of European designers based in Berlin.

Even more jewellery:

• Nicole Jacquard (Indiana) - art jewellery


• Kathleen Baird (UK) - modern silver


• Michael Good (Maine) - clean loops


• Natasa Milenovic (Australia) - stones & wood


• Viviana Uchitel (Argentina) - vintage necklaces

Małgosi Kalińskiej / Lockmaria

These rings remind me of lace eyelashes...

... which are not as foreign a concept as you might think. Lace lashes by Shu Uemura; lace rings by Poland's Małgosia Kalińska.

Bonus link:
For slightly less dramatic (though still pretty) lace rings, as well as coins, twigs and bows, see Japan's Lockmaria.

Even more jewellery:

• Stephanie Simek (Oregon) - eyelash necklaces


• Alexandra Schade (Germany) - large-scale lace


• Ruth Berenbaum (UK) - glass links


• Michael Nashef (Michigan) - sleek & shiny


• Johanna Persson (Sweden) - textile neckpieces

Dan Connelly / Zoe Buchanan

I'm lucky I'm not a caffeine addict. If I were, combined with my ring addiction, this "Caffeine Injector" ring would be the jittery end of me. Then there's the "Lethal Dose" ring:

Rings above by Illinois artist Dan Connelly, who has a great gallery of sculptural work.

Bonus link:
For those of you who do have coffee on an IV drip, New Zealand's Zoe Buchanan has a series based on the sacred bean. This ring is cast brass on silver.

Even more jewellery:

• Slashpile Designs (Toronto) - drugs & stickmen


• Elsa Hedberg (Sweden) - sugar & icing


• Ruff & Cut (New York) - fair trade


• Jennifer Kidd (UK) - modern silver


• Apis (Germany) - green & gold

Ramjuly / Anneleen Eyckmans & Bart Robeyns

Feeling a little low? Rings are the best pick-me-up, and nobody knows that better than Ramjuly, aka Bulgarian jewellers Antoaneta Petrova Ramdjulska and Emanuela Deyanova Ramjuly (now based in Amsterdam). The duo, who create gorgeous botanical jewellery, describe themselves as "self-esteem architects."

Bonus link: for more botanical rings, look no further than Belgium's Anneleen Eyckmans & Bart Robeyns, whose pieces are bursting with blossoms.

Even more jewellery:

• Rebecca Myers (Maryland) - fine botanical


• Hazel Cole (North Carolina) - flowers & bottlecaps


• Designerica (New York) - lasercut acrylic


• Anna Wales (UK) - clusters & felt


• Nina Ehmck (Germany) - metal & gems

Yuma Fujimaki / Pamela Pereyra

There was a time when personal computers were a rarified commodity understood only by the Anthony Michael Halls of the world. Here we are, in the ostensible, capital-F Future, and the "computer user = frumpy geek" stereotype still persists. Well, maybe these rings can help break that image. While we've previously seen computer chips glued onto ring shanks, Japanese jeweller Yuma Fujimaki elevates the concept by forming the entire ring from a circuit board and turning the wiring into a graphic pattern. This jewellery doesn't rely on circuitry as a gimmick; take it away and you're still left with a lovely hexagonal ring.

Bonus link:
Here's a ring that's an homage to human circuitry. This silver "DNA ring" by New Mexico's Pamela Pereyra is stamped with the chemical bonds of life.

Even more jewellery:

• Upcycled Jewelry (Kansas) - circuit boards


• Hannah Biggs (UK) - hand necklaces


• Lisa Jane Grant (Maine) - modern mokumegane


• Sabine Brandenburg-Frank (Germany) - clean & simple


• Trish Becker (New York) - semiprecious stones

Carrie Bilbo / Zerger (Nesrin Dugan)

This pleated pastiche is a ring, brooch and necklace all in one! Talk about a matching set.

But what you really want to check out on Brooklynite Carrie Bilbo's site is her insect- and spider-themed jewellery (arachnophobes, beware!). Pictured above are her stacked "entomophobia" rings in silver, brass, resin and cicada wings.

Bonus link:
Here are two more takes on the "wing ring" idea, both from Zerger by Turkish jeweller Nesrin Dugan.

Even more jewellery:

• Lindsay Park (New Zealand) - butterfly clusters


• Kepa Karmona (Spain) - for the homeless


• Anna Gallof Godin (New York) - squares & circles


• Fiona Odle (UK) - organic silver


• Luxenter (Spain) - chunky quartz

Sarah Doremus / Kinekt Design (Glen Liberman)

"Ohmigod!" The title of this puppet ring sums up my thoughts on amazing jeweller Sarah Doremus.

The Maine artist's kinetic rings cannot be missed! Among my favourites is the hilarious "Queen Elizabeth Wave" ring (pictured above, bottom left).

Bonus link: this stainless steel "Gear Ring" by New York's Glen Liberman is another fun, kinetic ring. Twist the outer rims to set the inner cogs in motion. You can view a video on his site, Kinekt Design.

Even more jewellery:

• Jennifer Chloé (UK) - kinetic silver


• Aimee M. Howard (Louisiana) - anatomical art


• Becksöndergaard (Denmark) - sequins & leather


• Minerva Orduno (Arizona) - wire roses


• NinGures (Spain) - anodized titanium

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