ARA Jewellery / Hyangmi Kim

Sometimes, as much as I like the featured ring, it's really a thinly-veiled way for me to highlight the rest of the jeweller's collection.

Today, I'm not even going to bother veiling it. Visit South Korea's ARA Jewellery for charming, modern takes on Korean motifs, particularly in their non-ring collections (like the fan and eggplant earrings above).

Bonus link:
While her "Balance" ring is neat, here's another Korean jeweller whose standout work is outside the realm of rings. See New York-based Hyangmi Kim for show-stopping necklaces.

Even more jewellery:

• Ye Jin Hwang (South Korea) - paperback rings
• Angelina Tsvetkova (Bulgaria) - lacey silver
• Jón Bjarni (Iceland) - modern runes

Aida Bergsen / Margalita Designs

Tuesday was talons, Wednesday is wings — aaaand how! This ring is positively swooping.

For a touch of the dark side, see Turkey's Aida Bergsen.

Bonus link:
When it comes to wing rings, you probably think birds, angels or insects. New York's Margalita Designs (Margo Konikoff) gives us a break from the norm with this dragon wing!

Even more jewellery:

• Papillon Belle (South Africa) - butterfly wings
• Alice Menter (UK) - mixed metals
• Holy Chappy (Japan) - leather & beads

Tessa Metcalfe / I Love Crafty

I never met a meta ring I didn't like. Though we've seen talon rings before, these ones are adorned with their very own teeny rings! By UK jeweller Tessa Metcalfe.

Bonus link: for more claws — literally, if you like! — check out UK shop I Love Crafty, which has tons of playful acrylic pieces. This one is from their "Feline Fatale" collection, where you'll find cat silhouettes and more.

Even more jewellery:

• Talon Design (UK) - metal & gems
• Shuò (Japan) - little pearls
• Arje Griegst (Denmark) - sculptural gold

Alison McKellar / 9000things

It's neat what a change in perspective can do. While this may look like a specimen from a Level 3 biolab, it's actually a cross-section of fused wires!

For more wire jewellery, check out Australia's Alison McKellar.

Bonus link:
Remember telephone cords? (If you don't, get off my lawn!) "Ringgg" is a series of fun, colourful, recycled phone wire rings from Boston's 9000things.

Even more jewellery:

• Irene Storch (California) - tin & circuits
• James di Marco (Italy) - acrylic neckpieces
• Ella Cooley (UK) - geometric silver

Alexandra Hopp / Pothos Jewelry

Ending the week with some intriguing work in wood, silver and more from California-based Alexandra Hopp.

Bonus link:
Here's one more antler ring, this time in brass, from California's Pothos Jewelry (Amanda Espy). It's meant to symbolize the Greek god Dionysus.

Even more jewellery:

• Audrey Laine (North Carolina) - deer & birds
• Danuta Uhlig (Germany) - modern metal
• Clarice Price Thomas (UK) - cogs & gears

Hector Lasso / bulBULARium

How to get from this...

...to this?

If you're Colombian jeweller Hector Lasso (now based in Germany), "The extended planes of the stone become the building blocks of the silver castings. I still make some choices, but the shape of the ring is a consequence of the shape of the stone." Also shown are some of his stoneless rings.

Bonus link:
Just like the rings above, this one has the unmistakable texture of having been created using the cuttlefish bone casting technique. Ring by the UK's bulBULARium.

Even more jewellery:

• Nancy Shapiro (California) - cuttlebone casting
• Atur (Japan) - beaded patterns
• Mie Frey (Denmark) - bacon & yarn

Sid Design (Frantisek Safarik) / Kerstin Laibac

Just like I said two weeks ago: going...

Going...

Gone. Only this time, it's a more serious matter — global warming. Ring by Slovakian designer Frantisek Safarik; see his site, Sid Design, for many more interesting pieces!

Bonus link: German jeweller Kerstin Laibach is highly concerned with the environment, using only recycled materials and donating 15% of profits to wildlife protection. See her "finger sculptures" for some cool architectural rings.

Even more jewellery:

• Sibley Grove (UK) - environmental paper
• Tapirus (Japan) - modern classics
• Julie Impens (France) - rococo gold

Simmon / Jennifer Tull Westberg

Horsies and braids, for grown-ups.

All rings above by Japan's Simmon (Shimon Sato).

Bonus link:
For many more braided rings, like this silver piece, check out Jennifer Tull Westberg. The New York artist also creates dolls and other sculptures.

Even more jewellery:

• Hayden Dunham (New York) - human hair
• Wasted Effort (Vancouver) - brass triangles
• Kizmet (UK) - African motifs

Kristen Baird / F&f

"Access Denied." I'll leave the describing to Georgia metalsmith Kristen Baird:

This two part ring symbolizes my ongoing conflict with food allergies. The middle ring represents a shiny ring pop that is enticing and desired, yet can not be consumed. Encasing the ring pop is a wire constructed cage wrapped in monofilament that encloses the ring pop allowing one to only admire but never touch.

Bonus link: as you may know, this very site was born of my own allergy to metal. Which is why metal rings appear here but not in my shop. And which is also why I love resin rings like these by Tokyo-based F&f (Felipe Fonseca).

Even more jewellery:

• jef créations (France) - translucent resin
• Pablo Valencia (New York) - silver compasses
• Rob Grootenboer (Sweden) - iron & gold

Ming Gu / Izlakar-Germ

We've all come across jewellery we just need to have — but what kind of jewellery really needs you? Parasites! Check out the "Body Parasite" series from UK-based Chinese artist Ming Gu.

More from the artist above.

Bonus link: let's move from parasites to germs. Matko and Katarina Izlakar-Germ, that is. The Slovenian duo produces cute glass jewellery, like these cats!

Even more jewellery:

• Eco-Couture (Israel) - bacterial couture
• Brian Everett (Missouri) - lasercut wood
• Kayleigh Luck (UK) - paper pulp

Helene Torp-Holte / This and That

Not for the faint of heart: rings from the "Swords & Daggers" collection by UK jeweller Helene Torp-Holte.

Bonus link:
Here's a ring that's almost literally heart-grabbing. From the "Lovely Things" series by This and That (Greek jeweller Konstantinos Lekkas).

Even more jewellery:

• Lovely Trifles (Ukraine) - painted flowers
• Meri Takala (UK) - time tags
• Katheryn Leopoldseder (Australia) - contemporary silver

Persephoni / Michelle Sebbag

Persephoni of Greece is all about cool, stark geometry in stainless steel, whether it be a necklace or a clutch! Pictured is their cigarette-holder ring (I'm thinking a Twizzler would fit pretty well, too).

Bonus link:
Here's another stark metal triangular ring from Jerusalem's Michelle Sebbag. If you count that thick, slightly curved edge, it could even be another double triangle.

Even more jewellery:

• Berezki (Oregon) - geometric concrete
• Miriam Salat (New York) - resin & crystals
• Lisa Fletcher (BC) - contemporary silver

Gabriela Pauli De Rolt / Real Fruit Jewelry

Today, let's apple-aud Brazilian jeweller Gabriela Pauli De Rolt.

Bonus link: for more fruit — actual fruit, dried and sliced — check out Philadelphia's Real Fruit Jewelry. Shown is their dragon fruit ring; they also have figs, strawberries, blood oranges and more!

Even more jewellery:

• Skin Jewellery (UK) - fruit & feathers
• Jeannie Vianney (Texas) - metal lace
• Kent Latimer (Pennsylvania) - ziptie jewellery

Krisztina Stomfai / Tasha Hussey

Tickle the ivories, then tickle your tastebuds. This cake ring is made from old piano keys.

Using everything from candles to bakelite to vintage ivory, Hungary's Krisztina Stomfai serves up an array of fun pieces.

Bonus link:
For more rings with vintage components and findings, check out Atlanta jeweller Tasha Hussey. Pictured here is one of her bakelite pieces.

Even more jewellery:

• Creations by Esther (Pennsylvania) - vintage bottlecaps
• Kate Barton (New Zealand) - 2D cubes
• KELLYM.Jewels (New York) - beads & briolettes

Franz Bette / Banjara

So interesting, so distinctive. So goes Germany's Franz Bette.

Bonus link: did someone say "sew"? How about stitched? Australia's Banjara offers "tribal" rings with patterns hand-stitched in nylon thread.

Even more jewellery:

• So Pretty (Edmonton) - metal & quartz
• Sangji Yun (Netherlands) - molecule necklaces
• Özay Emert (Sweden) - silver structures

Gaetano Pesce / Kristýna Malovaná

The prolific Gaetano Pesce flexes his already formidable design muscles with the use of flexible silicone resin. Check out the Italian architect/designer's jewellery range at Fish Design.

Bonus link:
Speaking of fish, here's a simple ring made of silver and orange fishing line. For more, including interesting line brooches, check out Czech artist Kristýna Malovaná.

Even more jewellery:

• Shark Alley (UK) - cute resin
• Meander Works (California) - arcs & branches
• Myra Mimlitsch-Gray (New York) - art metal

Saskia Detering / Laurel Hill

Archaeological relics? Maybe they will be, in another thousand years, but these are the present-day works of Germany's Saskia Detering.

Bonus link:
These "crescent totem" rings, available in silver or brass, could also pass for ancient artifacts. Rings by Georgia's Laurel Hill.

Even more jewellery:

• Mythos (Minnesota) - artifact necklaces
• The Golden Smith (Australia) - golden rays
• Amber Tenzin-Dolma (UK) - silver & stone

Elise Dray / Schield

You don't have to be a rockstar to wear something by French jeweller Elise Dray but you... actually, scratch that. You do. You do have to be a rockstar. I mean, just look at them.

Bonus link:
For more eye-catching, crystal-studded rings, check out Italy's Schield, where you'll find this blue panther (not to mention pink lemons, green ants and other colourful critters).

Even more jewellery:

• Glamrocks (Illinois) - metal & quartz
• g;fifty (Japan) - charms on cords
• Torched Studio (Toronto) - enamelled copper

Monika Brugger / Yubinuki

A tip of the hat finger from Monika Brugger. Don't miss the rest of this German artist's work, both jewellery and non.

Bonus link:
Yubinuki, traditional Japanese thimbles, don't cover your tips at all — but they're pretty enough to wear as rings! Read more here.

Even more jewellery:

• Mark McLeish (UK) - thimbles & objects
• Renee Damiani (Australia) - happy & colourful
• DaSilva Studios (Massachusetts) - enamel necklaces

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