Mirveta Redzic / Jules Reid / Jenny Sweetnam / Amy McColl / April Marie Hale

It's the end of November already?! Well, let's end the month the same way it started: with Random Pluckings from My Bookmarks! First up is this spinning top ring, made of laminated popsicle sticks, by Mirveta Redzic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Lucite Rock" from New York's Jules Reid.

"Cloud" and "Mountain" rings by the UK's Jenny Sweetnam.

Silhouettes in resin by UK jeweller Amy McColl.

Finally, Montana's April Marie Hale prepares us for winter with fur rings from her "Roadkill" collection.

Bonus link:
This "tickle" ring is another fur piece, made of springbok hair, from Della Lana. The Dutch artist also has porcelain rings and textile works.

Even more jewellery:

• Rachel F (Montreal) - fur & chains
• Laurel (Uruguay) - cut leather
• Kathleen Whitaker (California) - minimalist gold

Emefa Cole / Sibylle Flouret

While some people like to flaunt their valuables, London's Emefa Cole prefers to keep her treasures safely hidden in crevasses that invite spelunking.

Bonus link:
For a similar piece — a smooth exterior surrounding a rugged excavation — check out the "Evolution" ring by French jeweller Sibylle Flouret.

Even more jewellery:

• Michelle Hartney (Illinois) - excavations in wood
• Elma Blint (New York) - simple gold
• Mahlika Jewelry (UK) - metal & gems

Mödernaked / Natalie Frigo

These may be my favourite animal rings in recent memory. And that's saying something, because there is no shortage of animal rings to be memoried. Brass rings by Spain's Mödernaked.

Bonus link: ok, so maybe you're not a cat person. But you can't sit there and tell me you're not a saber toothed cat person! (I mean the cat has saber teeth, not you.) Ring by New York's Natalie Frigo.

Even more jewellery:

• Sharon McSwiney (UK) - folksy animals
• Skadi (Australia) - damask cutouts
• Claudia Llado (Toronto) - simple silver

Deanna Burasco / Matthew Smith

Ooh, yes.

How can something so icy be so hot? I'm loving these resin rings by Kansas City designer Deanna Burasco.

Bonus link: here's some more dark vs light but with a completely different take on resin. Leaf ring by North Carolina's Matthew Smith, whose cool, graphic jewellery has a retro/mod feel.

Even more jewellery:

• Zaha Hadid (UK) - crystals in resin
• RMD Jewellery (Australia) - enamel & silver
• Made With Love (New York) - world aid

Jane Layton / Kristen Dorsey

Engraved barnacles! Whenever I say "barnacle," I feel like I'm saying "bare knuckle" with some indeterminate accent. And it's weird because barnacles sorta kinda look like knucklebones. But knucklebones aren't even from knuckles, they're from ankles, and sheep ankles, at that. They're what people used to use to play jacks. Anyway, as I was saying: engraved barnacles! See UK jeweller Jane Layton for more.

Bonus link:
The cast silver "Black Diamond Barnacle Ring" by Los Angeles jeweller Kristen Dorsey is set with black or champagne diamonds.

Even more jewellery:

• Hannah Blount (Massachussets) - barnacles & more
• Stephanie Walton (UK) - metal & textiles
• Lucia K. (Seattle) - chains & crystals

Eunice Kuo / Kate Walls

My American readers have it so good when it comes to online shopping! For the rest of us, I've put together a little guide of shops that ship to Canada and internationally, including who ships for free and some other bits of info. Maybe my International Shipping Guide can help with your holiday shopping! (Note: none of the links are paid or affiliate links, so I don't gain anything. I just wanted to share my research!)

* * * * * * *

While we're all aware of the destructive power of water, UK-based Taiwanese jeweller Eunice Kuo tries to arouse childhood memories of playing happily in the rain. Her silicone rings and hand-pieces are designed to squirt water, surprising the viewer.

More playfulness above: rings from her "Obscura" series, inspired by theme parks.

Bonus link: For more waterdrops and theme parks, check out Australia's Kate Walls (pictured is the wheel ring from her "carnival" series). She also has a ring designed for blowing bubbles!

Even more jewellery:

• Carny Couture (California) - vintage bits
• Spruce Design Co. (Vancouver) - wood & resin
• Jay Tsujimura (Japan) - jewels for cameras

Noha Khalaf / KD2024

Consider this your jewellery Rorschach test: what do you see?

If you're Australia's Noha Khalaf, it's the observation deck of Seattle's Space Needle — just combine it with the tower brooch!

I love these minimalist takes on famous landmarks; above is her Eiffel Tower ring and pendant. She also has more intricate puzzle pieces in her gallery — check them all out!

Bonus link:
This ring by Italy's KD2024 was inspired by the great Cambodian landmark, Angkor Wat, the world's largest Hindu temple.

Even more jewellery:

• Miss Wright Designs (Australia) - Sydney landmark
• Abigail Takieh (UK) - photo-printed fabric
• Karen Hemphill (North Carolina) - hair on hide

Barbora Dzuráková / Barbarian Enterprises

I used to love Jello when I was a kid. Sometimes I'd make it with fruit bits suspended inside. I'm not sure why I brought that up; I really should be talking about Slovakia's Barbora Dzuráková and her gallery of slightly offbeat art jewellery.

Bonus link:
This Jello mold ring in copper and silver is by Maine's Barbarian Enterprises (Cat Bates), whose metalwork is infused with a rustic, natural feel.

Even more jewellery:

• Jelly Jewelry (Japan) - wearable fruit
• Anastasia Stanford (UK) - made for men
• Gracie Canaan (Rhode Island) - wing pendants

Yoko Takirai / Angela Ciobanu

Something tells me Yoko Takirai would be great at Scrabble. The Japanese jeweller (now based in Italy) takes basic building blocks — squares, circles, U-shapes — and combines them in a seemingly endless number of ways, each one a winner.

Bonus link: for more geometric shapes in silver, check out Romania's Angela Ciobanu (her site isn't 100% ready but there's a PDF to view).

Even more jewellery:

• Cosmic Thread (Colorado) - bold & geometric
• Seth Damm (Seattle) - giant rope
• Bianchi Rocks (UK) - polkadot buttons

Moko Sellars / Alex Garnett

This is how life is meant to be! Handfuls of rings for everybody!

I covet these bone china rings by UK product designer Moko Sellars.

Bonus link:
Do you not like facets? Do you prefer your rings smooth... as a baby's face? Then Alex Garnett, also a UK product designer, has the bone china ring for you.

Even more jewellery:

• NAJS Design (Czech Republic) - modern porcelain
• Audrey Reid (UK) - metal crochet
• Sarah De Gasperis (Toronto) - contemporary metal

Ele Miško / Co.QueLe

Proving that hairy fingers can be attractive.

From silver tubes to rough opals to brass hexagons, Germany's Ele Miško puts her own distinctive stamp on familiar shapes and stones.

Bonus link:
More hexagons (or honeycombs) from Japan's Mamiko Sakamoto, aka Co.QueLe — that's Cute + uniQue + cooL, in case you were wondering.

Even more jewellery:

• Paper and Chain (UK) - hexagons & diamonds
• Love Medals (Vancouver) - pinned medals
• Adel Chefridi (New York) - 4-point designs

Gabriela Wysocka / Güliz Kaymaksüt

With names like "Resprout," "Growth" and "Evolver," these rings are truly about the organic, the biological. Ceramic pieces by England's Gabriela Wysocka.

Bonus link: for more organic pods and sprouts, this time in metal and enamel, check out Turkey's Yuka by Güliz (Güliz Kaymaksüt, who has sleek geometric pieces, as well).

Even more jewellery:

• Deborah Rice (New York) - organic brass
• Doloris Petunia (California) - bright beads
• Julie Nicaisse (UK) - contemporary metal

Decuv (Els Cuvelier) / JuDeLovesYou

What ho! I say, old bean, these hats are absolutely ripping!

3D-printed or handmade in silver, it's all playful in the portfolio of Dutch designer Decuv (Els Cuvelier).

Bonus link:
Here's a top hat Gob Bluth could use during one of his tricks illusions. Magician's hat ring from JuDeLovesYou, webshop for a store and art gallery in Antwerp.

Even more jewellery:

• Craftosterone (California) - 3D-printed
• Sarah Elizabeth Jones (UK) - fanning veneer
• L*sieraden (Netherlands) - metal & gems

Eleni Ioannidi / Fanciful Devices

Sugar and spice and everything nice? These days, little girls may be more likely to be made of lecithin and guar gum — in which case, these rings are just the thing. While we've previously seen recycled tin jewellery take advantage of the colourful packaging, Greek jeweller Eleni Ioannidi goes for the ingredients list instead!

Bonus link:
Here's some more recycled tin, this time adorned with decoupage, from Chicago's Fanciful Devices. Her handmade jewellery is an eclectic mix of materials.

Even more jewellery:

• SisterBloc (Arizona) - recycled tin
• Younghee Hong (Michigan) - organic filaments
• Jennifer Kinnear (Ireland) - stacked discs

Yury Bylkov / Angela Grace

This designer...

...is a man...

...of many faces, all of them super cool. Check out the varied work of Russia's Yury Bylkov (see more on his blog and photostream).

Bonus link:
Halifax jeweller Angela Grace is a woman of many faces, herself. Many foxy faces, that is, in various metals (also available as earrings).

Even more jewellery:

• About Face (Ontario) - metal & stones
• Jantine Kroeze (Netherlands) - clean & flat
• Sahrah Amey (UK) - tangled silver

Alexandra Tosto / Mailys Bages / Agata Kosel

When they're worn like this, I call them spacer rings, but maybe this one should be the outerspacer ring. "Parallel Universes" in silver and garnet by UK designer Alexandra Tosto.

"Labyrinthe" spacer ring from French jeweller Mailys Bages.

And the "Duo" ring makes three! Ring by the UK's Agata Kosel.

Bonus link:
Here's a fourth spacer ring, in sterling and amethyst, from UK silversmith Shaun Grace. Be sure to also see his sleek vessels.

Even more jewellery:

• LZZR Jewelry (California) - two-finger rings
• Seulgi Kwon (South Korea) - stunning organics
• Rocaille (Vancouver) - reworked vintage

Paolo Scura / Helen Sutherland

Let's take another foray into the (eroded) urban jungle today with these rings in metal, paint and putty from UK-based Paolo Scura.

Bonus link:
More eroded urbanism from England's Helen Sutherland. This "corrugation" ring from her "Thinking Along Industrial Lines" series features patinated silver and rusted steel.

Even more jewellery:

• Kellie Riggs (Italy) - architectural fragments
• Jorge Castañon (Argentina) - wood & ebony
• Sonja Bessant (UK) - contemporary metal

Clara Jackson / Tag Urslf

Is it graffiti if you wear it willingly? In her "Urban Remnants" collection, UK jeweller Clara Jackson enjoys "contrasting remnants of derelict free forming fabric elements to the clean angular wire formations," using ripped and faded images of graffiti on "skeletal" structures.

Bonus link:
Looking for a twist on the traditional monogram ring? Tag yourself with your own personalized graffiti ring from Michigan's Tag Urslf.

Even more jewellery:

• Catherine Angiel (New York) - urban glam
• Jenny Konnaris (UK) - leather neckpieces
• Tasha Rae (California) - bullets & curlicues

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