So, I have rheumatoid arthritis. Considering that I make jewelry, it begs the question "Are you a MASOCHIST! or just crazy?".

Well, I'm neither, but some days are tougher than others. And I'm determined that I will not give up what I love without a fight! But lately I've been thinking more and more about the mechanics of getting jewelry on and off - particularly the rings I've begun to make.

Wearing a ring is something that many women (and probably a few men, too) with arthritis have given up due to the intermittent or sometimes permanent swelling and enlargement of their finger joints, particularly the one closest to the knuckle. On the ring finger of my right hand, I need a ring 1 1/2 times larger than I really should just to get it past that joint! But wearing a ring that's really too big is way too annoying. And I have no desire to make the huge investment in special hinged rings that go on and off without sliding over that joint.

So I begun experimenting with various designs and materials to creat a sturdy, attractive ring that has a bit of 'give' to it. I have found that using 2 different sizes and types of sterling silver combined with specific adornments (pearls and beads, mostly) have resulted in rings that I can slip on over my enlarged joint then give a gentle 'squeeze' to so they don't annoy by rolling around as they are larger than my actual ring size.

I'll post pictures and share more about my jewelry solutions for those in the same boat as I in the coming weeks.