What's New at The Carrotbox

See what's new this week in the shop!

Lucy Elsie Harvey / Heist Jewelry

You may have heard of something called "Hallowe'en" going on this weekend. To get you in the mood is UK artist Lucy Elsie Harvey and these ceramic claws from her "Backstreet Dentist" series.

Above, her "Pedestal" ring with fly and her silver scar ring.

Bonus link:
"Wing of the Bat" ring from the "Punk Rock Luxe" collection by Heist Jewelry of Boston and Miami. Check out their "gallery" page to see the ring being worn.

Even more jewellery:

• Decarabia (UK) - goth & Victorian


• Mark Sanfilippo (Australia) - deco & poets


• Les Morceaux (California) - chains & braids


• Karla Wheeler (Illinois) - silver & resin


• Claudia Diehl (Germany) - paper necklaces

Eugeniusz Salwierz / Jacek Ostrowski

Remember what I said yesterday? Well, this is amber done my other favourite way. Eugeniusz Salwierz props amber slices on straight-cut acrylic, contrasting clean lines with amber's raw, natural edges. A match made in heaven (where heaven = Poland).

Bonus link:
For more geometric rings featuring amber slices — though with silver instead of acrylic — check out Jacek Ostrowski, also of Poland (a hotbed of amber jewellery).

Even more jewellery:

• Ambermoda (Poland) - geometric amber


• Sahani (Australia) - modern deco


• Lisa Jane Forrester (UK) - simple silver


• Little Doe is Love (California) - crystals & headpieces


• Marie-Pierre Ginestet (France) - metal & glass

Janis Jakobson / S&A

This is amber jewellery done my favourite way: carved and sculptural, on its own, sans silver. Latvian jeweller Janis Jakobson follows the principle that "objects created out of this substance should be held in great respect, that the material's natural attributes should be enhanced in the creation process."

She also has a collection of works in mammoth ivory — visit her site for more!

Bonus link:
Here's a mammmoth-sized ring that looks like ivory but is actually white amber (with gold). You'll find it in the special collections of Polish jewellery company S&A.

Even more jewellery:

• Aleksander Gliwiński (Poland) - bold amber


• Kirsty Eaglesfield (UK) - driftwood & silver


• Karin Alisa Houben (New York) - seedbead animals


• Ninaki (California) - chunky & sculptural


• Sally Jean (Oregon) - vintage collages

Kaori Watanabe / Anne Léger / Carly Paiker

As Uncle Joey used to gesticulate on "Full House," CUT. IT. OUT. Cut out the silver, that is. These pretty rings with acrylic backings are by Japanese jeweller Kaori Watanabe; they were inspired by the rose windows found in Florence, Italy, where she now lives.

Here's an impressive, intricate display of cut-out silver: towering "Secret Garden" ring by Anne Léger, a French jeweller based in Norway.

Bonus link:
Also reminiscent of a rose window but inspired by a different part of the world is this silver and agate "Marrakech" ring by Australia's Carly Paiker.

Even more jewellery:

• Magpie and Molly (Ohio) - hand-cut metal


• Erica Meier (Wisconsin) - pierced silver


• Caroline Watson (UK) - flora & fauna


• Laurène Pijulet Balmer (France) - acrylic silhouettes


• Cornelia Goldsmith (California) - gold & gems

Dougie Kinnear / Sandy Hyun / Sultana Maria

Looking like the parts for some fantastical lollipop-making machine are these riveted acrlyic rings by UK designer Dougie Kinnear. I always did love lemon.

And these must be the control panels. Studded plexiglas rings by New York's Sandy Hyun.

Bonus link:
This silver and candy pink briolette ring is called, appropriately enough, the "O'Lollipop Ring." Piece by New Jersey jeweller Sultana Aschim of Sultana Maria.

Even more jewellery:

• Neonpolka (Germany) - minimalist acrylic


• AuraDror (New York) - fused glass


• Lorinczi Jewelry (San Francisco) - metal & gems


• TLK Jewellery (UK) - simple silver


• Perlenküche (Switzerland) - colourful PVC

Sam Hamilton / Rogue DZN

Dressed to kill?

Paging Wile E. Coyote! Put away your lighters and tread lightly around Ireland's Sam Hamilton.

Bonus link:
Wile E. should consider upgrading from ACME to California's Rogue DZN, who uses aerospace- grade titanium in their military style jewellery (like this three-piece "Clover" ring).

Even more jewellery:

• Michelle Verbeeck (Pennsylvania) - leather & bullets


• Sian Bostwick (UK) - anodized titanium


• Vanessa Lianne (New York) - modern metal


• Agustina Fernandez (Argentina) - silver & beads


• Chris Ploof (Rhode Island) - meteorites & mokumegane

Marta Carmela / Owe Johansson / Seventyseventyone Design

Of all the obscure phobias out there, chromophobia has got to be one of the most inconvenient. For one thing, you wouldn't be able to appreciate these vibrant pieces in crochet fabric, steel wire and silver nylon from Mexico's Marta Carmela.

Another dose of nylon: loopy filament rings by Denmark's Owe Johansson.

Bonus link:
Here's one more loopy ring in blue, this time in felt instead of nylon. Blooming wool ring by English textile designer Seventyseventyone Design.

Even more jewellery:

• Juha Koskela (Finland) - spirals & loops


• Julia Barello (New Mexico) - dyed film


• Tereza Pízová (Czech Republic) - felt & porcelain


• Haruko Ito (Italy) - organic metal


• Anya Keeley (UK) - collaged pendants

Jennifer Hoes / Golden Chix (Soonmi Kim) / Katelin Gibbs

When you've got this many ears...

...you probably have a good appreciation for quiet.

Ear and nose rings by Dutch jeweller Jennifer Hoes; "Shhhhh" rings by Golden Chix (Korean jeweller Soonmi Kim).

Bonus link:
Here's another pair of lips for your fingers. Sterling ring by Rhode Island's Katelin Gibbs, who does some interesting work in silver and glass.

Even more jewellery:

• Simona Kaunaite (Lithuania) - five senses


• Renaissance Life (Sweden) - hearts & horseshoes


• Marco Fleseri (Illinois) - silver & stones


• Gemstitch by Christine Witham (UK) - textile neckpieces


• Nancy Hoyt (Idaho) - figural metal

Irina (Ira) Frid / Karol Weisslechner

You might think she were Japanese...

...or maybe English...

... or even Scandinavian, in her minimalism. But you'd be wrong on all counts. Irina (Ira) Frid hails from Russia, a place I think is under-represented in the world of jewellery (at least on my blog!). Visit her site for lots of small, sweet, modern silver work.

Bonus link: by my count, I've featured only six other Russian jewellers. Slovakia doesn't fare much better, at 13. Make that 14, with this kinetic bird ring by Karol Weisslechner, chancellor of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava.

Even more jewellery:

• Carmine (Japan) - fruit & animals


• Becca Straus (New York) - organic gold


• Malte Ström (Sweden) - clean silver


• Pilar Agueci (UK) - roses & curlicues


• Maya Brenner (California) - state outlines

TULILABEL (Tal Arbel) / Michel de Bellefeuille

Despite their relatedness, it seems the words "strum" and "plectrum" have different etymologies. Huh. Anyway, these plectrum rings were created especially for the qanún (or kanun), a stringed instrument found in regions of the Middle East. By Israel's TULILABEL (Tal Arbel).

Above, mud rings from her "Terrific Land" series, "which bonds the wearer's body and the Israeli scenery."

Bonus link: speaking of stringed instruments, check out this "wind harp" ring in silver, gold and silk linen, one of many interesting, sculptural pieces by Quebec jeweller Michel de Bellefeuille.

Even more jewellery:

• Pokke (Japan) - instruments & animals


• Cheng Xu (Pennsylvania) - audio earrings


• Route 13 (Tennessee) - simple silver


• Johnny Loves Rosie (UK) - roses & pearls


• Molly Buckle (Ontario) - mixed beads

What's New at The Carrotbox

See what's new this week in the shop!

Emer Duffy / Francesc Peich / Kika Alvarenga / Emi Fukuda / Catalina Brenes

A tangle of dark colour from Ireland's Emer Duffy.

Lightening up with colourful cells by Montreal's Francesc Peich.

Muted hues in these tourmaline slices by Brazil's Kika Alvarenga.

Colours hidden in white by Melbourne's Emi Fukuda.

Finally, a faint drop of blue from Costa Rica's Catalina Brenes.

Bonus link:
I'm sure you guessed what comes next (hey, I never said this was a Mensa test). For an all-white ring, check out this clustered porcelain piece by San Francisco's Cynthia Rohrer.

Even more jewellery:

• Laura de Alba (Mexico) - colourful crochet


• TULP by Gerry Hofstede (Peru) - bright & playful


• Du Poil De La Bête (France) - noir fantasy


• Kendra Studio Jewellery (New York) - inlaid stones


• Sarah Proctor (UK) - wavy silver

Micah Adams / CoseInutili

What do these rings have in common with elastic waistbands? One piece fits all. In Micah Adams' own words, "multiple sizes are combined in one piece to make accessible one-of-a-kind rings modeled after a magnified look at the structure of foam." The Toronto designer has an interesting portfolio, including "My Own Personal Olympic Stadium," which is better seen than described.

Bonus link: for actually elastic rings (inner tubes, to be exact), see German artist Chiba of CoseInutili and her "Gummi 100% Recycle" collection.

Even more jewellery:

• My Sister's Art (Alabama) - recycled rubber


• Fay Andrada (New York) - simple & modern


• Jasmine Pennamma (California) - agate slices


• Nenad Roban (Croatia) - sculptural forms


• Caroline Tetley (UK) - enamel pictures

01MATHERY (Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli) / Insinuo (Gloria Ng)

Today, we bring new meaning to "smoke rings."

Italian design duo 01MATHERY (Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli) created these rings to keep the smell of cigarettes off their fingers. Just unroll when needed.

Check out their site for more design ideas, like these glue and clothespin rings.

Bonus link: another way to avoid the smell of smoke permeating your fingers is to have your cigarette be made of gold. "Hold It" ring by Hong Kong's Insinuo, aka conceptual artist Gloria Ng.

Even more jewellery:

• Debby Xiaorui Zhang (UK) - rubber gloves


• To the Metal (Greece) - silver & titanium


• Made by Eugene (New York) - leather & charms


• Baxter Moerman (California) - modern classics


• Nancy Bullock (Arizona) - chains & briolettes

Sabina Kasper / Lina Fanourakis

Swedish jeweller Sabina Kasper takes the expression "splash of colour" quite literally. Her otherwise traditional rings are enhanced with at-times haphazard splashes of paint, turning classic gemstone rings into cool and modern statement pieces.

Bonus link: Greek jeweller Lina Fanourakis also paints gold, though with a more deliberate application, in keeping with her more formal aesthetic. Pictured is her "Zaha" ring in paint and 18k gold.

Even more jewellery:

• Cometman (Japan) - metal & colour


• Mathilde Quinchez (France) - clean & modern


• Ruby Kobo (New York) - luxe bohemian


• Carine Terreblanche (South Africa) - contemporary gold


• Low Tide Jewellery (UK) - simple silver

Erin Marie Holstein / Point of Departure (Meris Mosher)

I thought I'd seen this ring before and I think I finally figured it out. Am I crazy? Or does that agate slice, above, look just like...

... this Percy Moran painting from 1909, depicting the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution?

Right?

Speaking of which, would the American Revolutionaries have been so quick to dump their tea in Boston Harbor if they'd each owned one of these tea infuser rings? We'll never know. All rings above (well, except for the one with the superimposed painting) by Atlanta's Erin Marie Holstein.

Bonus link: Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, which means today is a great day for pie. Pie ring in silver, copper, enamel and resin by Canadian jeweller Point of Departure (Nova Scotia's Meris Mosher).

Even more jewellery:

• Tea Stained (UK) - kitschy charms


• Klik Klik (New York) - shiny magnets


• Jesse Bert (Mexico) - found parts


• Teal by Julie Wong (Singapore) - gold & briolettes


• khMetalwork (California) - silver & stone

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