Kateřina Reichová / Sean Ramsden

These sleek "ixbox" and "crystal sky" rings are made from plexiglas and alpaca (the metal, not the domesticated Peruvian camelid). But, as cool as they are, it's time to cue the Bachman–Turner Overdrive because you ain't seen n-n-nuthin' yet. Don't miss out on Czech artist Kateřina Reichová and her amazing futuristic pieces!

Bonus link:
For more sleek metal and acrylic with crisp lines, check out UK jeweller Sean Ramsden. He also does a lot of work with slate, inspired by his love of rock climbing.

Even more jewellery:

• Pleksimanija (Slovenia) - cool acrylic
• Sara Piper-Heap (UK) - silver circles
• Marya Williams (California) - contemporary metal

Ele Maudsley / Fevi Reyes

Saxamaphone! (Two references to "The Simpsons" in as many days — I like to party like it's 1995.) If you're so musical that simply drumming your fingers isn't enough, check out English jeweller Ele Maudsley, who made these rings from saxophone keys.

Bonus link: maybe this headphone-wearing skull is listening to some saxophone, himself. Get more headphones, microphones, and DJ-inspired pieces from Fevi Reyes, a Puerto Rican designer based in Florida.

Even more jewellery:

• Chime Jewelry (California) - recycled cymbals
• Jenny Parker (UK) - silver & slate
• Gláucia Pietrobon (Brazil) - little necklaces

Bobo Tsang / Elisabeth Leenknegt

When I break out the spinning Homer, you know I'm excited, and I am about five Homers' worth crazy over the "Growth" series from Hong Kong's Bobo Tsang.

Bonus link:
For glass-and-silver rings more suited to everyday wear, check out the "Cherry Facet" rings from Belgium's Elisa Lee (Elisabeth Leenknegt).

Even more jewellery:

• Victoria Kelsey (UK) - glasses & rings
• Ivanka (Hungary) - concrete organs
• Sarah Ana Designs (Toronto) - dogs & seahorses

Charlotte Yeo / A.P.G. Jewelry

Looking for a positive sign? After taking a sign language course, UK artist Charlotte Yeo was inspired to make this "Extension of Gestures" ring with interchangeable hands. (If you're wondering what the sign is for "jewellery," just check out this post from last year!)

Bonus link:
London-based A. Pinkney Gould of A.P.G. Jewelry used her own hands to make this magpie hand talon ring (plus other interesting pieces).

Even more jewellery:

• My Bear Hands (UK) - hand-drawn
• Aroha Silhouettes (Vancouver) - molecule necklaces
• Stephani Briggs (Maine) - gold & gems

Gabi Veit / Jessie Harris

Italy's Gabi Veit created these cast silver "mountain" rings, inspired by the hours she spent exploring the Dolomites.

Above, some of the jeweller's aluminum pieces.

Bonus link:
For more modern metal nuggets, check out UK jeweller Jessie Harris, who also has a cool collection of graphic designs in flat sheets of brass.

Even more jewellery:

• Cath Hill (UK) - landscape-inspired
• Kelly Vivar (New York) - organic metal
• Darwin Jewelry (Vancouver) - recycled vintage

Kathy Buszkiewicz / Eva Schreuder

Use enough U.S. dollars and you could make a "paper" ring as valuable as a diamond ring. But what if the currency were shredded? Kathy Buszkiewicz, professor of jewellery and metals at Ohio's Cleveland Institute of Art, explores such concepts of "worth" on her website, Value and Meaning. It's worth a visit.

Bonus link: this adorable ring looks like a little price tag, but it seems to be a nametag stamped with initials. It's by Dutch jeweller Eva Schreuder, who also makes little tag necklaces.

Even more jewellery:

• Made from Coins (New York) - vintage coins
• De Anna Kiernan (UK) - modern & minimal
• Nellie Peoples (Australia) - oxidized metal

Katie Greaves / Sara Shahak

[Whoops! Looks like Wednesday's post didn't go up for some reason — sorry about the disappearing act!]

Light and airy (and, dare I say, almost Pringles-y), these rings are made from recycled plastic — and the occasional touch of lace. For more, check out England's Katie Greaves.

Bonus link:
This ring looks like it has more than just a touch of lace but, in fact, it has none. 100% silver ring by Israeli jeweller Sara Shahak.

Even more jewellery:

• Urban Lace (Oregon) - recycled tubes
• Stéphanie Van Zwam (UK) - air & metal
• Un Hada (New York) - fantasy-inspired

Meghan Farrell / Electricfoxy

Why is it E-K-G when it stands for electrocardiogram? Because we take the acronym from the German Elektrokardiogramm. With that fascinating bit of trivia out of the way, please enjoy these EKG rings by New York's Meghan Farrell. Her "Heart" collection also includes "flatline" rings for you morbid types.

Bonus link: "Pulse" by Electricfoxy is a great alternative to those bulky heart-rate monitors. Anytime you slip out of your target zone during your workout, the light on the ring changes colour.

Even more jewellery:

• Sanna Lindholm (Sweden) - organic & anatomical
• Agata Bartos (Netherlands) - conceptual jewellery
• Alden Rae (Vancouver) - wrap bracelets

Julian De La Garza / Jean-Francois Pereña

Lookin' sharp!

I never met a silver-and-acrylic ring I didn't like but Rhode Island's Julian De La Garza also has the less common combination of acrylic/resin and brass.

Bonus link: I'd venture that the combination of acrylic and labradorite, shell, aluminum, ebony and horn is even less common! Ring by Madrid-born jeweller Jean-Francois Pereña, who lives and works in France.

Even more jewellery:

• Annie Markantonatou (Greece) - graphic acrylic
• Eileen Ayers (UK) - marbles & metal
• Marla Wallerstein (Illinois) - Hebrew & symbols

Erik Stehmann / Rachael Brame / Tissa Berwanger / Luke-John Matthew Arnold / Hayley Evans

It's been a while since my last Random Pluckings, so let's start a round with this balloon ring by Dutch designer Erik Stehmann.

Capsule carrier ring by the UK's Rachael Brame.

"Stripe" rings by Brazil's Tissa Berwanger.

Looped twine from Australia's Luke-John Matthew Arnold.

Modern minimalism from UK metalsmith Louise Walker.

"Secrets" ring by another UK jeweller, Hayley Evans; the resin encases a note with a hidden message.

Bonus link: England's Stacey Brumwell has a similar idea with her "Reactance" collection. Encased in the resin is a scroll that can't be read unless the ring is destroyed.

Even more jewellery:

• Katie Jamieson (UK) - hidden gems
• Anne Wiedau (Germany) - art jewellery
• Lara Knutson (New York) - glass fabric

Charlotte le Hardy / Percy Lau

Speak now...

...or forever hold your peace? "Small Talk" speech bubble ring and "My Lips are Sealed" rings by UK jeweller Charlotte le Hardy.

Bonus link:
For more lips, not to mention ears, noses, and teeth made of fingernails, check out London designer Percy Lau. Don't miss her chocolate-and-teacup pieces!

Even more jewellery:

• Edina Kiss (California) - gold & stones
• Marlize van Rijswijk Myburgh (Australia) - porcelain
• Marjorie Fox (New York) - beaded ropes

Natalie Shabtai / Maike Browning

If Keats is correct and beauty is truth, Israel's Natalie Shabtai has made the truest rings I've seen in a while. I swear there's not a lie in the bunch.

Bonus link:
Speaking of Romantic poets, here's some more gorgeous metal from England's Browning — Maike Browning, that is.

Even more jewellery:

• Shelley & Harry (South Africa) - modern classics
• Amor (Edmonton) - clean & flat
• Su (Japan) - gold & gems

Jonek / Mandy Crandell

The next time your outfit needs a little punch, how about a ring that resembles a punching bag? Leather rings by Sweden's Jonek.

Bonus link:
For leather rings with a punch of bright colour (and with cute little charms), check out Indiana's Mandy Crandell.

Even more jewellery:

• Atelier Krapoutchic (France) - leather triangles
• Jacqueline Harold (UK) - cheerful silver
• Luxterous (Illinois) - circles & teardrops

Chaca Jacobsen / Ko Designs

These striking rings have the look of carved quartz but they're actually acrylic "Light Reflecting Rings" by Chaca Jacobsen, a Danish jeweller who works with a largely black-and-white palette.

Bonus link:
For acrylic with a dash of translucent colour, check out Toronto's Ko Designs (Ko Park).

Even more jewellery:

• AG (France) - acrylic & silver
• Maggie Bokor (Maine) - organic circles
• Vickie Hallmark (Texas) - birds & branches

Laura Rittlinger / Miwary

Germany's Laura Rittlinger makes fantastic polyamide jewellery. I want them all. I poly-want them. Forget crackers, Polly wanna ring.

Bonus link: polyester is the fabric of choice when it comes to these bunny- and bear-head rings by Japanese artist Miwary (Miwa Vicary). Also check out her textile tea cups!

Even more jewellery:

• Christine Alaniz (Pennsylvania) - polymer orchids
• Saffa (Poland) - dancers & feathers
• Olivia Hope (UK) - hearts & pods

Natália Dalbem / Chris Parry

Brazil's Natália Dalbem manages to turn simple wire (and the occasional slab of amethyst) into a style distinctly her own.

Bonus link: for your "stay away from me" days, Chris Parry has another kind of wire ring — barbed wire! Check out the UK jeweller for lots of simple silver pieces, including fingerprint rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Mu-Yin Jewelry (South Carolina) - wire & stones
• David Bizer (Germany) - conceptual design
• Henry Lanham (UK) - slats & lines

Maho Takahashi / Charles Pinckney

In her "Childhood Lost" series, Japan's Maho Takahashi turns traditional Japanese games and toys into rings. Pictured are ayatori (cat's cradle) and kendama; see more on her site (including lots of hair jewellery).

Bonus link: this ring kind of looks like it's playing cat's cradle by itself! Ring by Georgia's Charles Pinckney, whose imagery is "abstractly related to memories of childhood." He also has a cat's cradle pendant.

Even more jewellery:

• Katerina Chrysoglou (Greece) - toys & silver
• Hug a Porcupine (Singapore) - origami animals
• Beverly Bartlett (UK) - waves & helices

Laura Bennett / Nicky Hepburn

Some more autumnal botanicals today, courtesy of UK jeweller Laura Bennett. Because I have great willpower, I was able to restrain myself to just six images from her gorgeous portfolio.

Fine, seven, whatever.

Bonus link:
Another plant that signals the start of fall is one you can find in your produce section. Pomegranate rings by Australia's Nicky Hepburn.

Even more jewellery:

• Vashti Innes-Brown (Australia) - bark & grass
• Abby Monroe (UK) - lacy porcelain
• Bruml Design (New York) - minimalist gems

Janice Louise Byrne / Sifis Stavroulakis / Melanie Seiler Malmqvist

Nevermind September 22 — as soon as we wave goodbye to August, it's the unofficial start of fall (in the northern hemisphere, at least). Get in the mood with some woodsy botanicals, starting with these "prickle" rings by Ireland's Janice Louise Byrne.

Another prickly piece by Greek jeweller Sifis Stavroulakis.

Beech seed rings by Swiss jeweller Melanie Seiler Malmqvist.

Bonus link:
Another forest-friendly plant is, of course, the fern. Japanese jeweller Kei Nakamura makes the fern finger-friendly, as well, with this silver ring.

Even more jewellery:

• Claudie Fenwick (UK) - oak & acorns
• Moragh Chisholm (Montreal) - glass cabs
• Hagai Geffen (Israel) - fanning metal

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