Melanie Bilenker Jewelry

Just like the popular children’s book Everyone Poops correctly preaches, we are indeed all creatures of commonplace routines and activities. But there is something extraordinary that resides in the mundane, and it is the clear connection that these everyday rituals bring…each and every one of us eating dinner, opening our mail, fixing our hair, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

It is this premise that Melanie Bilenker explores with her work, sketching ordinary moments with wispy hair (her own) and preserving them within resin. The illustrated blocks are framed with gold and ebony wood, and presented as brooches, rings and pendants. We love the lockets, with a wood slipcover, allowing the image to be revealed at the wearer’s discretion (shown above is Sunday Night, a dip into the bath).

To view designs and browse gallery links, visit the Melanie Bilenker’s Web site.

Hot Pick: Soixante Neuf Heart Earrings

Heart jewelry usually can be described as a giant sugar-rush, transforming women into little girls who absentmindedly forget that eating too much candy does indeed make one sick to their stomach.

Fortunately designer Joie Jager serves up an alternative, draining the heart of its gushiness, and infusing it with some well-placed gypsy mojo. Her heart-shaped wood earrings from her Soixante Neuf line are intricately hand-carved with floral detail, maintaining a sense of femininity, but without heavy-handedness.

Available at the designer’s Web site.

Hot Pick: SURevolution Studded Bangle

Too often bracelets are relegated to second-tier status, almost as if they are the bastard children of the jewelry world. Lately necklaces have taken front-and-center position, and statement earrings will soon be at the head-of-the-pack. And rings, well they have had their resurgence and them some. Yet, the cuff, the bangle, and other bracelet styles always seem to be the additional adornment, never the main event. It’s certainly not for a lack of options, that’s for sure.

We’re big fans of SURevolution, who bring you hand-crafted goodies from around the world, and they always have an amazing array of bracelets in their collections, from woven metal bangles to mosaic coral cuffs. Our current fave is a dark wood bangle embellished with rows of copper-hued brass studs.

Available at Vivre.

Comfort Station

You’re the brainy one in the group, humble, but with biting wit. Of course, smart doesn’t equate to being a know-it-all, it just means that attention to the finer points carries serious weight. That’s right, the devil is in the details, not to be glossed over in flaky, airhead style.

London designer Amy Anderson’s Comfort Station line is brimming with multifaceted jewelry selections that deliver a singular monumental impact. The whimsical pieces flaunt signature wood pendants (some engraved with cloak-and-dagger type messages, others shaped like chess pieces), as well as a slew of other adornments, from chandelier charms to glass bottles. Steam Punk influences are on full display, from a gold vermeil necklace dangling clock hands to burnt walnut heart-shaped earrings dressed up with brass clock innards.

To view styles and browse a store list visit the designer’s Web site. Selected pieces are also available at kim & maki.

June Deal: Amy Bengtson Jewelry

Amy Bengtson's wood jewelry flaunts etched patterns, many with a vintage flavor be it circular mod shapes detailed with mother-of-pearl and sterling silver, or intricate scrolling graphics.

And now, her jewelry just became even sweeter...from now through June 30th, Jewelry Hunter readers will receive 15 percent off all purchases made at the Amy Bengtson Web site. To redeem offer, enter JHUNT08 at checkout.

Tivi

Diamonds, pearls, sparkling gems…that’s never been your style. You live fast, skirt confining traditions, and spend your time off at the corner brewery where cold mugs, bratwurst, and British Jazz-Funk music rules. And yes, try as you might, jeans and camisoles always seem to be your uniform, so when you can add a spark, while staying casual, you’re all for it.

Wooden cuff bracelets from Tivi are crafted from ebony, zebrawood, maple and walnut, and then hand silk-screened with distinctive prints that have charming names such as Orange Junegrass and black coneflower (shown right). Each cuff is finished with a satin lacquer for resiliency. Tivi’s designers Ryan Wither and Paul Lewin enlisted artist Sari Gunderson, a fibers and mixed media specialist, to collaborate on the line, which also includes laser-cut flat veneer wood bracelets.

To view styles and purchase, visit the Tivi Web site.

Elke Kramer

You'd love to fill your apartment with bright white accoutrements and Florence Knoll furniture, but the reality is, it's a challenge to even get the dishes done, let alone find time to organize and decorate your humble abode. But the thing is, deep down you're a minimalist who hates clutter, and in a heartbeat you'd swap everything you own for one perfect Pierre Paulin orange slice lounge chair. You shop for personal adornments in the same manner - opting to own one amazing piece, than cram your drawers with a bunch of mediocre stuff.

Australian Elke Kramer spreads herself across many creative mediums, from graphic design, illustration and art direction (she did the backdrop artwork for the Holly Throsby and Joanna Newsom tour) to textile design. But it’s her role as jewelry designer that we love best, producing artistic pieces that are infinitely wearable yet deliciously off-beat. Her limited edition collection of necklaces and earrings flaunt abstract elements that are laser-cut from plywood and then laminated. Evocative of insect forms, Aztec motifs and clockwork mechanics, the shapes are hung from copper-plated chains.

To view styles and purchase visit Style-Scene.

Amy Bengtson

The wanderlust bug bit you early on in life, creating an insatiable appetite for snow-capped peaks, historic ruins, and bountiful rain forests. Yes, you’re quite the free spirit, always more than a few steps ahead, eager to explore each and every crevice of our planet. Of course, this defines you more than any job could or should, leaving its indelible imprint on every embarked activity. And your jewelry box, filled with tasteful delights that never betray your inherent down-to-earth sensibilities, is a textbook lesson in owning things that one loves, instead of buying what’s trendy.

Amy Bengtson’s wood jewelry flaunts etched patterns, many with a vintage flavor be it circular mod shapes detailed with mother-of-pearl and sterling silver, or intricate scrolling graphics. A perfect marriage of modern and earthiness, the pieces are special, but unfussy enough to wear with your favorite everyday casual ensembles.

To view styles and purchase visit the Amy Bengtson Web site.