In 2019 I came across on Instagram the Ring a Month challenge begun by Anna Campbell, a jeweler and educator in the UK. The premise is simple: design and make a new ring every month. Campbell provides a theme and some ideas on how to interpret it, but they are only suggestions—the jewelers are free to make anything they want, and share the results with the group.
The participants are a small but loyal following of independent jewelry designers who fabricate their pieces entirely by hand. But because I come from the world of CAD and lost-wax casting, that’s naturally where I started. Several times this year though, the Ring a Month challenge gave me the kick I needed to explore methods and design topics I had not previously considered.
The exercise proved useful not only to grow me as a jewelry designer but also to fine tune the way I thought about developing my business. Even though the design process began with a prompt and a ring, the resulting design can spawn an entire collection or theme. As I played along, I tried to consider how the theme of the month should be interpreted in line Elire Dantes—Wearable relics inspired by Eastern antiquity. Some rings became part of my permanent collection. Most will either become the launching point for further iteration, or remain one-of-a-kind pieces. (By the way, if you see anything in this post you’d like to special order, please contact me!)
Will I join in again for 2021? I will see if the mood strikes me come January—but if it does I’ll commit for the year!
If you’d like to see more about each ring, read on!