For the first time, the JB Blunk Estate is issuing reproductions of JB Blunk’s iconic unisex rings in silver and recycled 18-karat gold, made in collaboration with fine jewelry designer J. Hannah in Los Angeles, California. Each of the four styles is based on a unique original ring by Blunk, with its own origin story. While the rings themselves were treasured gifts for the family and friends for whom Blunk made them, they are also reminiscent of Blunk’s monumental sculptures and indeed often served as models for larger works, making them wearable sculptures.

Although his best-known works of art are monumental—such as his home in Inverness, and his public seating installations—the jewelry illustrates the continuity of form and gesture amongst all Blunk’s works, whether intimate or massive in scale. Throughout his decades-long career, working on a small scale was also a way to return consistently to a particularly engaging shape, such as a keyhole-figure or an uneven, dynamic circle.

While his monumental works tended to honor and amplify the qualities of a single material, his minimalist and elegant jewelry often hinged on the meeting of materials: gold and Walnut, bone and brass. As with the rest of his oeuvre, Blunk collected objects from nature as both inspiration and as materials: he used ivory from a tusk that his mother-in-law brought back from Taiwan in the 1960s; silver, gold, and antique beads from Mexico, and wood and shells from local Northern California beaches.

Limited edition of 50. Each unisex ring is engraved on the interior with its edition number and hallmark.

 

Muse

Muse takes the shape of a ring Blunk made in 1974, as a Christmas gift for his partner Christine Nielson. She considered it their wedding ring, and wore it on her ring finger for decades. Earlier that year, Blunk had finished one of his well-known public seating sculptures, The Muse (1973–74), at the Experiment in International Living in Vermont, carved from one contiguous salvaged Redwood burl.

 

Presence

The basis for Presence is a ring Blunk made for his partner Christine Nielson in 1980, from an ivory tusk Christine's mother brought from Taiwan. Though Christine loved jade, she owned a jade necklace which she never wore. In a gesture of care and attention, Blunk repurposed the jade and incorporated it into a piece of jewelry she would actually wear. The ring is striking and powerful, reminiscent of the iconic sculpture Presence made in 1968.

 

Crown

In 1988, Blunk made the basis for Crown for his daughter Mariah, then 11 years old. The symmetrical, tightly refined style is unusual for JB's work, even his jewelry. Though the original was wrought in silver and gold, Blunk worked the shapes as he would hand-assemble his ceramics. Crown has the elegance of pearls in a strand and the humorous brightness of the experimental kiln that Blunk built with friends in the early 1960s, which was covered in hand-rolled clay spheres.

 

Continuum

Continuum is based on a ring that Blunk carved for his partner Christine Nielson for Valentine’s Day 1975, from a single piece of ivory Christine’s mother brought from Taiwan. Like the massive outdoor redwood sculpture Continuum, which Blunk finished the same year, the circle is both continuous and marked by a distinct beginning and end. This particular shape is more pronounced and sinuously anthropomorphic, harkening back to ancient art.

 

FAQ

  • Ring sizing is an art, not a science, due to the variations in ring widths and the shapes of human fingers. These rings are extremely difficult to resize. Please be mindful of this when determining your size. We highly recommend that you visit a professional jeweler to determine your true ring size before ordering. Please see each ring's product description to see sizing recommendations based on that particular, unique style.

    If you have questions about sizing or need further guidance, please contact us at contact@jbblunk.com

  • You may request an invoice instead of paying online – please email contact@jbblunk.com.

  • Handcrafted in LA using 100% post consumer recycled 18k Gold and/or Sterling Silver. Presence features Canadian Mined Nephrite Jade.

    These objects were made in collaboration with fine jewelry designer J. Hannah.

  • Orders placed during the VIP pre-sale window, October 8 – 18, have guaranteed delivery by December 23, 2024.

    Orders placed after our public launch on October 24 will be delivered in 10–12 weeks.

    Each ring is a limited edition run of 50. They will be available for purchase only until December 31, 2024.

  • Silver will naturally tarnish and oxidize over time; you can buff it with a jewelry polishing cloth (these are impregnated with polishing compound) or just a microfiber cloth and some silver polish. Silver can also be professionally cleaned by a jeweler.


    The gold rings feature a high polish finish. Any trusted local jeweler can maintain this by polishing your ring periodically, however as these hairline scratches accumulate they will lend the piece a softened, heirloom quality that is marked by wear.