I started PrettyUgly so I could turn traumas and life’s hardships into something beautiful and empowering. Many of us are marginalised by the societies we live in, and these rings represent symbols of strength and courage to stand tall in the face of adversity.

The Hawk represents “fight or flight”, the Pig represents the gender and ethnic pay-gap and your right to “bring home the bacon”! The Goat is the “scapegoat” and represents victim blaming and being shouldered with blame that is not yours to carry, and the Rabbit with the hole in it’s forehead represents “going down the rabbit hole” for when we find ourselves in a dark place where we fear we cannot get out or be found.

I carve each design out of a hard wax (the Rabbit took me three attempts over three years!). Once cast in sterling silver, each piece is personally hand finished in my home workshop, and as such, each one is unique to you. Silver is a soft metal and it will mark over time. Although it is important to take care of such pieces, I encourage you to embrace the marks and scratches, for true beauty lies in imperfections, and they will bear the marks of your life and how you choose to wear it.

Stand tall, you are not alone, and when life throws you a curveball, knock it out of the park.

Kitty