Inspired Alert! Elizabeth + James Knuckle Ring…and Forever 21 Sideways Cross Ring

May 3, 2011 | Fashion

Popularized by the lovely Rumi of FashionToast…among many, many others, this Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James liquid-metal-look knuckle ring was a huge hit from last year, and continues to be a strong seller from the line.  There’s just something about its sleek, minimalist beauty that seems both timeless and fashion-forward, and I’ve been drooling over it for awhile now.

Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth + James Long Knuckle Ring, $195, Saks.com Knuckle Ring in Gold, $30, Shockboutique.com

So I was glad to recently find both a version at ShockBoutique.com, AND one from Forever21 as well.  (Took you long enough, Forever 21!  Hint: Just rip off the filigree from the front of the ring if you’re looking for an exact dupe – it’s affixed with what feels like cheap hot glue and comes off easily.;-)

Forever 21 Regal Knuckle Ring, $5.80

(The Stretchy Knuckle Ring from Forever 21 is also a lookalike for the smaller Elizabeth + James knuckle ring, at about 1.5″ long, and with a stretchy band.)

Additionally, I also found another Elizabeth + Jamese knuckle ring lookalike from Etsy seller snefter.

snefter Flat Armor Finger Knuckle Ring, $15.99, Etsy.com

(It’s not quite as long as the E + J version above, but not quite as short as the small version.)

Also find their YSL Arty Oval Ring lookalike KILLER Chunky Gold Finger Ring, and their Forever 21 sideways cross lookalike Sideways Cross Connector Double Finger Knuckle Ring in their store as well.  Oh, snefter – you crafty caster, you!  Now, the rings they offer for sale are not exact copies down to the millimeter, but they’re pretty goshdarn close.  It’s obvious that the original pieces were not used in the creation of the molds this person uses in their jewelry, but still…they’re amazing doppelgangers!!

And speaking of that Forever 21 sideways cross ring that just EXPLODED in popularity last year (some people were paying $95+ for it on Ebay!)…

Find ASOS.com’s Double Finger ‘Cross’ Ring (above left) here and ShockBoutique’s Two-Finger Cross Ring (above right) here.  And I just re-stocked my silver sideways cross rings in my Etsy shop, too.

My version of the ubiquitous sideways cross ring.

Any designer rings you’re looking for me to sniff out an affordable version of?  Or a DIY?  Let me know in the comments!
xoxox
Carly

All ring photos copyright of their respective owners; FashionToast photo from this post here.

~If you liked this post, please share it!~

Leave Comment

It’s Rings Week Here at Chic Steals!

May 2, 2011 | DIY, Media

Arbitrarily I have decided to make this week all about rings here on my site. One-fingered, two-fingered, sterling, precious metal, gemstones, faux, real, what-have-you – it’s all about finger-adornment!

If you have any questions about rings: how to organize them, how to clean them, and (best of all, IMHO) how to make them…either leave your questions in the comments or shoot them to me via the Formspring.me Ask me anything box in my right sidebar. —–>  I’ll be getting to them all week long, so send them my way!

So first things first, here are some books to learn from and be inspired by:

1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments for the Hand

I love this book!  This is the perfect coffee table/inspiration book for anyone who loves rings.

 

30-Minute Rings: 60 Quick & Creative Projects for Jewelers

This is another one of my faves: beautiful photography and inspiring projects featuring a variety of techniques.

Make Your Own Rings: Easy ring projects to do at home

Another technique and tutorial book; this one also includes tutorials for rings made of Precious Metal Clay (PMC; similar to Art Clay Silver), which is a material people familiar with PolyClay can learn to use quite easily.

The Rings Book (Jewellery Handbooks)

Jinks McGrath, a well-known name in metalsmithing, has written this book which details ring-making for bench jewelers. Though this is certainly not for the hobbyist or beginner, the principles and techniques covered in this book are for fine jewelry and will familiarize anyone with how to properly create a durable piece of jewelry and work of art.


The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)

Sorry, but we’re talking long-haired elves in tights.  I figured a list about rings would not be complete without the One Ring, hmmmm?  (Plus, the extended editions add almost an hour of cut footage to the movies -hence, more elves in tights.  All the more reason!;-P)

And to get further in the mood, here are a two DIY Ring Tutorials I’ve shared here on the blog:

Spiked Crystal Ring

DIY Rhinestone Panja

Only…TWO??!!

Well, I’ll just have to remedy that!

xoxox
Carly

~If you liked this post, please share it!~

Leave Comment

The Origins of the Sideways Cross Ring: Formspring.me Question

Aug 1, 2010 | Fashion, From You

wxtratv.warnerbrofrom formspring.me:

Who came up with the sideways cross ring first? you or madonna/material girl

(does the ring above look familiar?  Forever 21, anyone?)
Hmm. The photo above of Madonna is the first time I’ve seen it, to be honest.  (And it looks awfully familiar to me – I instantly thought it was the Forever 21 ring that they had used to style to shoot.)

I highly doubt the inventor was anybody recent. The sideways cross has a rich symbolic history that dates back to the Bible if not earlier; one of the first re-usages of it was in 1821 when it was adopted on the Norwegian flag; and later, in 1883, when The Emblem of the Order was created utilizing a Maltese cross on its side. (source: Wikipedia.org)

By now, there are pretty much no new ideas in fashion; everything is just recycled, reappropriated, updated, and reused. Neither myself, nor Madonna, nor Forever 21 invented the sideways cross ring – my guess is that it probably was seen in the 20th Century sometime in the 60’s or 70’s (maybe in a Black Sabbath poster LOL), and Forever 21 was one of the more recent recylers of this idea.

xoxox
Carly

Ask me anything
photo source
Leave Comment

Pin It on Pinterest