different rings

A single stone of natural carnelian possesses a fiery orange-red glow, cradled at the top of this ring from Bali. Local artisans craft the ring by hand, elaborating the sterling silver band with intricate spiral motifs that evoke the beauty of Uluwatu Temple, located on a towering cliff above the sea.

A set of four bells is ready to ring in the holiday on your tree. Costa Rican artisan Blanca Padilla handcrafts these angels out of the fiber extracted from cabuya, a succulent that looks like agave. The artisan works with the cabuya's natural texture to form the bells, each a different color and topped with a gold ribbon bow and red paper flower.

The art and skill of creating handicrafts from cabuya has been handed down through Blanca Padilla's family for generations. The artisan sources her material herself, growing and harvesting the cabuya, extracting the fiber, and preparing it for use in the handicrafts. Blanca Padilla hopes to help revitalize the cabuya craft industry with the success of her designs.

The alley cat does her best to stay in the shadows. Contending with other night creatures, the feline also prefers to be neither seen nor heard. No wonder they call them "cat burglars!" The nocturnal nature of the notorious alley prowler is captured in beautiful detail by Balinese artisan Made Wardika. The circular pendant features a smiling crescent-moon, hand-carved from bone, with a cat of sterling silver sitting beside it. A pair of faceted garnet gemstones flank them, while the top and bottom are adorned with amethyst and peridot gems. The entire necklace receives a combination of oxidized and high-polish finishes for stunning visual contrast.

This decorative bowl is crafted from recycled paper and the handwoven cotton fabric used in the traditional skirts of Santiago Atitlán. A beautiful, authentic union between two seemingly different materials, this design is presented by Guatemalan artisans Argentina and Francisco.

Red nylon cord is used to hand-knot macrame bracelets with a bohemian style. Promoting rural artisans in Guatemala, Wakami presents this set of seven, each with a unique design. Some close with metal buttons and others feature adjustable sliding knots. According to Wakami, these bracelets represent the history of Guatemala — the creation of the sun, the stars, water, air, plants, animals, as well as children are each signified by a different bracelet.