Nico Okumura

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Marie-Louise Kristensen

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Doop (Megumi Maruyama)

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Sam H Snyder

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Angela Marzinotto

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Nyui / Colorful8nch / Milk

Although it's now officially summer, the hottest weather is yet to come — just don't tell that to these "Melty" rings by Japan's Nyui, which are positively sweltering. Also check their site for the animal skeleton rings!

Bonus link:

"Melting" bow by Japan's Colorful8nch ("Colourful Punch") by Kaori Oka.

Also admiring:

Ice cream pendant by Japanese label Milk (see also Milkboy).

Paula Isola / Annie's Atelier / Neogranny

Dive head first into summer — the solstice is tomorrow! This refreshing splash of water is brought to you by Argentina's Paula Isola.

Bonus link:

Swimming fish ring from the "Sea" series by Annie's Atelier of Japan.

Also admiring:

"Lucky Diver" necklace by North Carolina's Neogranny (Molly Reilly).

Logan Woodle / My Charm Offensive / Azusa Iio

Serbians smoke more cigarettes per capita per year than any other nation — but if you're interested in marrying a tobacco farmer, you'd best head to China, who leads the world in tobacco production (almost quadrupling the output of India, who sits at #2). Why marry a tobacco farmer, you ask? Well, for one thing, you could receive this "Engagement Ring for a Tobacco Farmer's Wife" by metalsmith Logan Woodle, from the #5 tobacco-producing state of South Carolina. Visit his site for more, like the pig-shaped headcheese mold!

Bonus link:

Brass lighter ring from Scotland's My Charm Offensive.

Also admiring:

Smoking lips brooch by Japan's Azusa Iio.

Biribís / Sai Design / Yellow Bear Wares / Makoto Oozu

A little woodland crochet cuteness, courtesy of Argentina's Biribís.

More colourful crochet from Japan's Sai Design (Mai Sato).

Bonus link:

Knitting needle ring from the UK's Yellow Bear Wares (Claire Griffiths).

Also admiring:

Burger & fries earrings from Japanese cross-stitch artist Makoto Oozu.

Bortsprungt & Keiichiro Oshima / Esoteric London / Charlotte Bezzant

That second pair of rings must be worn as a set — you wouldn't go out in just your bear bum, would you? For imaginative design and illustration work, check out Japan's Bortsprungt, as well as the site of one of the label's designers, Keiichiro Oshima.

Bonus link:

Wooden bear-ears ring by Esoteric London (Chloe Hope King).

Also admiring:

Bear brooch by the UK's Charlotte Bezzant.

Molly Tippett / Alice Stewart / PP from Longwy / Palnart Poc / Jennifer Laracy

Spreading their wings are jewellers Molly Tippett of Japan...

...Alice Stewart of the UK...

...and Italy's PP from Longwy.

Bonus link:

Pigeon ring by Japan's Palnart Poc.

Also admiring:

Painted bird pin by New Zealand's Jennifer Laracy.

The Carrotbox - shop for acrylic rings

New in the shop: "Natsuko"

I am Pan / Vera-Xane / Plomme

A hair-raising ring for Friday the 13th!

Don't be scared — Japan's I am Pan is full of adorable little houses, rocking horses, biscuits and more.

Bonus link:

If pigtail braids aren't your thing, here's a mohawk from Australia's Vera-Xane (Alex Smyth-Kirk).

Also admiring:

Pigtail braid brooch from Japan's Plomme (Yasuko Takahashi).

Kelly DeKenipp / Julia Harrison / Green Goat Designs / Sara Owens / Elin Johnston

Five in a Flash, variations on "two," starting with these double circle rings by New York's Kelly DeKenipp.

"Generous" two-handed ring by Seattle's Julia Harrison (don't miss her sculptural eyes and lips!).

Bicycle ring by Green Goat Designs of Texas.

Double-sided "hammerhead" ring by Seattle's Sara Owens.

Two-tone ring by the UK's Elin Johnston.

Tokimeki Teikoku no Momoiro Gabriel / ERS Creative / Ana João

There was a time when I couldn't go three days without coming across a deer ring but (and I'm not sure exactly when it happened) I think the deer reign is over. Nowadays, collections span the animal classes — sometimes even the phyla.

And sometimes, they even spill over beyond the realm of the living, as in this ghost ring. Check out Japan's Tokimeki Teikoku no Momoiro Gabriel for a herd of ceramic creatures, from scorpions to squirrels to sows.

Bonus link:

Another giraffe from L.A.'s ERS Creative (Eilen R. Stewart).

Also admiring:

Porcelain teddies from Portugal's Ana João [site no longer available].

Michael Owen O'Neill / Nikki Majajas / Harchi

New York-based Michael Owen O'Neill uses "deconstructed architectural forms and found detritus to describe historic and often catastrophic events that have transformed the identity of particular places."

Bonus link:

House rings by Australia's Nikki Majajas.

Also admiring:

Cute house pins from Japan's Harchi (Haruka Imaizumi).

Anima uni / Rutile / Yuikonda / Siki / Ro-Ji

Quartz on wire from Anima uni...

...and Rutile...

...and Yuikonda, all from Japan.

Bonus link:

Pearl-on-wire ring from Japan's Siki (Midori Koibuchi).

Also admiring:

Quartz-on-wire earrings from Japan's ro-ji (Kuniaki Iida and Aya Kinoshita).

Kukubakbak / BBK Works / Daisuke Hosokawa / Ali Munn / Winden

Give a warm hello to these hug rings by Kukubakbak.

BBK Works prefers a strong, firm greeting.

Daisuke Hosokawa is also pleased to meet you. All designers above from Japan.

Bonus link:

"Stop" and "Go" hand rings by Vancouver's Ali Munn.

Also admiring:

"Embrace" cuff by Brooklyn's Winden (Rebecca Mapes).

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