14 Graduation Gifts for Smart, Hard-Working, Progressive Grads

Rad grad gifts are in right now. Give the graduate in your life an empowering custom bar necklace, the Nevertheless She Persisted Necklace, the Strong As Hell Necklace or a custom mantra cuff. You can also add a birthstone to a necklace to personalize it even more.

Graduation season is here, and after an exceptionally stressful year of pandemic-style learning, I think the grads of 2021 deserve a HUGE shout out for keeping it together, adapting to virtual learning, and putting in the extra organization work that this year undoubtedly required. The graduation jewelry gifts I’ve been making this year have reflected the theme of perseverance more than ever: empowering custom bar necklace that say things like “total badass,” “keep going” and “Dr., Not Ms.,” the Nevertheless She Persisted Necklace, the Strong As Hell Necklace and custom mantra cuffs with a number of uplifting and kick-ass phrases are a few of the popular gifts. You can also add a birthstone to a necklace to personalize it even more. Here are a few more of my top graduation gift picks for 2021:

The Smash the Patriarchy Hammer Necklace is a great way to empower a new feminist graduate heading into the workforce for the first time. Remind them to power forward no matter what obstacles try to slow them down, especially if they’re entering a male-dominated field. Get the Smash the Patriarchy Necklace here.

Think of these hand-stamped custom Mantra Cuff Bracelets as your Wonder Woman cuffs. (Cuffs don't come with super powers, but you do!)

Keep your grad motivated to keep being the badass they are with these stamped mantra bracelets. Cuffs are solid brass or solid aluminum, polished so there are no sharp edges, durable and adjustable. Each cuff is hand stamped letter by letter with the mantra of your choice. Choose from our variety of favorite mantras or enter your own at checkout. Some of my favorite phrases are: take no shit, get shit done, grown ass woman, unstoppable, get out of my way, strong female lead, and keep kicking ass.

A briefcase for the modern badass. The world will make no mistake: you get shit done with this Get Shit Done Tote Bag.

For the history major: The Acropolis Column Earrings are an ode to strength and beauty. Thousands of years after civilizations fall, their artwork and culture survives, like the columns standing on the Acropolis in Athens and the mythologies we keep telling.

For the graduate going into the legal field: This hand-stamped I DISSENT necklace is like a contemporary dissent collar, nodding to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’ve paired the stamped bar with a silver-plated gavel charm, because there are many tools for smashing the patriarchy. BONUS: This RBG necklace donates to the scholarship fund for the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers, so you’ll be paying it forward to future grads!

“Going high” takes on several meanings in this Go High Mountain Range Necklace. Inspired by Michelle Obama’s famous words, “When they go low, we go high,” this bronze necklace has the words GO HIGH pressed into a solid bronze mountain range, for when you need some extra motivation to get over the next ridge and revel in your hard work and commitment, or for when you need a beautiful reminder to take the high road and let the bullshit wash under you like water under a bridge instead of splashing around in it.

For the grad who can do absolutely anything they want: Let the world know that you do you, and nothing can stop you with this handmade I Do What I Want Stamped Necklace in silver or gold color.

A gift for the graduate going into science and medicine: This I Believe in Science Necklace is a subtle but firm mantra. The science necklace is hand-stamped letter by letter and comes with a little dopamine molecule charm. Get the I Believe in Science Necklace here.

For the literary grad: Are you a bookworm? A Bluestocking? A bibliophile? Is seeking out your next good read on your list of top joys in life? Me too. So I made a necklace about it.

This hand-stamped necklace features a solid brass heart stamped with the words ASK ME WHAT I’M READING. It’s a conversation starter in the best way and it’s like a tiny, attractive Bat Signal to fellow avid readers out there.

For the classical studies grad: Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, was represented by the owl. She was wise and often referred to as “gray-eyed,” hence the gray jade stone in this necklace dedicated to her. The Athena Necklace features an intricate perched owl centered within a shield, combining Athena’s signature bird with strong, warrior imagery. It’s available in bronze and sterling silver. Looking for another Greek god or goddess? Find my entire collection of Greek mythology jewelry here.

For the art history or biblical studies graduate: There’s something scintillating about seeing Artemisia Gentileschi’s image of Judith Slaying Holofernes, a biblical scene also depicted by Caravaggio and other male artists of the Baroque era, and realizing that this c. 1620 painting of a robust, ruthless Judith mercilessly and dutifully slicing the head from Assyrian general Holofernes was painted by a 20-something-year-old woman. If you don’t know the story behind the painting, Holofernes is about to ransack Judith’s city, but he drinks too much before the siege, allows beautiful Judith to enter his tent thinking it’ll be a good time, and Judith cuts off his head while he’s drunk. It’s kind of a lovely feminist twinkle in the Bible if you ask me. What’s so special about Artemisia’s work, (besides finding a well-known woman artist of this era being like finding a needle in a haystack) is the strength and brutality of Judith. Many other works depicting the theme portray Judith as a seductive, demure or more delicate beauty, but Artemisia went really Rosie the Riveter with her Judith, giving her impressive arms that hold Holofernes down while she violently saws off his head, him writhing and blood spurting everywhere. 

My Judith Slaying Holofernes Necklace is a nod to the gruesome, powerful scene by Artemisia, with Holofernes’ severed head above two daggers and a garnet drop of blood. The cast bronze or sterling silver pendant hangs from an 18-inch 14K gold-filled or sterling silver chain and is accented with a flat-cut, teardrop-shaped garnet (also the January birthstone if that’s your month). Looking for more art history jewelry? Find my entire collection of art history jewelry here.

Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as feminist pins, stickers and gifts. Since 2013, Bang-Up Betty has been crafting custom and personalized jewelry and other quirky, nerdy and feminist necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Shop Bang-Up Betty’s unique Arkansas-made jewelry through our “shop” tab, where you can also order custom name necklaces, mantra cuff bracelets, stamped key tags and more.

Locally Made Mother's Day Gift Guide: 18 Arkansas Made Gifts Mom Will Love

Handmade gifts are always a great idea, and these Arkansas-made products are perfect for Mother’s Day.

So you’ve outgrown making Mom macaroni necklaces, but you still want to give her something handmade (with a lot better craftsmanship) from the heart? Giving something handmade in Arkansas is like giving TWO gifts because you’re giving a super cool, creative item someone poured their heart into as well as the warm fuzzy feels that come with shopping small and local. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite locally made gifts in this Mother’s Day gift guide. Check out the decorative, useful, wearable and edible gifts here, all made in Arkansas.

Ceramicist Carla Churchwell makes these adorable ceramic houses that double as incense burners. Carla’s gorgeous pottery includes stacking heart-shaped trinket dishes, cute “worry warts,” Guinea hens and more. Find Churchwell Pottery here.

The Red Bird Designs is tie-dye reimagined with gorgeous color palettes. Laura Grimes dyes every piece by hand, so they’re all wonderfully unique. Check out her gorgeous apparel as well as tableware here.

Bang-Up Betty’s custom birthstone necklaces are the perfect gift for mothers, grandmothers or anyone with several special people close to their heart. Wear the birthstones of each little one in your brood! Check out the whole Birthstone Cluster Collection of handmade jewelry here.

These custom “Real Housewives” wine glasses are hilarious, and you can have Lux + Soul print them with your hometown. Lux + Soul offers a wide range of candles and lounge wear as well, so you can create a whole self-care package for Mother’s Day. Shop Lux + Soul here.

Artist Sherry J. Williamson’s colorful and delightful paintings light up any room, and her wide array of greeting cards, prints, stickers, magnets and more make cheerful gifts. And Sherry is always donating to worthy causes through her work! Check out Sherry’s shop here.

Dessert chef Matcha Norwood’s inventive and delicious cheesecakes are unforgettable. Follow her at Cheesecake On Point to keep up with what she’s cooking up and where she’ll be!

Bang-Up Betty’s Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace is a nod to the Natural State that gives back. This necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant was made with real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR). Get the Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace here.

North Little Rock-based woodworker Paul Milholland’s mid-century modern handcrafted wooden birds are the perfect addition to any birdwatcher’s shelves. Paul’s Danish-inspired work includes incredibly beautiful furniture as well as gorgeous figurines like whales, herons and geese as well as the birds above. Check out Milwerk Modern here.

Moms who would love an uplifting book to add to their collection of bedtime stories will treasure Crystal C. Mercer’s From Cotton to Silk: the Magic of Black Hair. Publisher Et Alia Press describes this book perfectly: “Sprinkled with #BlackGirlMagic and an ode to cultural beauty, From Cotton to Silk encourages girls everywhere to appreciate their hair in its natural state and love themselves just the way they are. Its enchanting pages reveal 467 hours of hand-stitching poured into textile renderings that blend cloth, culture, and the superpowers of the kinky, curly coif.” I could spend hours staring at all the intricacies of Crystal’s illustrations! Get your copy here.

Encourage mom to do some journaling or make it easy for her to keep track of her busy schedule with a handmade fillion from Little Mountain Bindery. You can even build a custom one to make it extra personal. Shop Little Mountain Bindery here.

In my family, you can’t go wrong with the gift of tea from Abbi’s Teas & Things. Abbi Siler hand blends all of her teas and sources consciously, so you’re sure to get the very best tea that’s ethical and free of added sugars. Her Watermelon Rose blend is legendary! Some of my other favorites include Cherry Chamomile, Lavender Lemon and Lavender Pear. Shop Abbi’s teas here.

If your childhood was filled with empty threats, immortalize them on a Bang-Up Betty custom keychain to create the funniest Mother’s Day gift ever. Get the Don’t Make Me Turn This Car Around keychain here, or click here to customize your own keychain.

Up mom’s relaxation game with CBD gummies (plus salves, cookies and drops!) made from locally grown hemp. These new watermelon CBD gummies from Hawgs Hemp Refinery in Birdtown, Arkansas, are so tasty it’s hard to not eat the whole bag in one sitting. Get them here.

Bastet Glassworks got her stained glass start renovating antique church windows, and sometimes she even incorporates antique windows into her own quirky window hangings. These stained glass feather sun catchers would look beautiful in a birdwatcher’s window. Message Felicia directly on Instagram here to purchase a stained glass feather or have her create something custom for you.

Speaking of stained glass… This necklace from Bang-Up Betty’s Gallery Collection inspired by art history was fashioned after the rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift for moms who love to travel and need to stop and admire all the beautiful churches when they do. Find the Rose Window Necklace here. It’s part of my Gallery Collection of jewelry inspired by Art History.

Creative moms will love the handmade watercolor paint sets created by Wild Ozark. Madison Woods makes the paints by grinding up actual rocks, clay and earth from Arkansas, creating the most beautiful natural pigments. Check out her shop here.

Jewelry maker Elizabeth Rogers electroforms copper around gorgeous gemstones to create her signature stud earrings. These deep blue lapis lazuli studs are just one example of the dreamy stones available through her shop Web and Rock.

Give Mom the gift of a new hobby! Beading is such a fun, creative activity, and the folks at Argenta Bead Company make it fun to learn, shop and socialize with their workshops and extensive shop filled with all the supplies you need to get started making jewelry. Visit them in SoMa or call them to get a gift card. Visit the Argenta Bead Company website for more information.

Arkansas Made Mother's Day Jewelry Picks for 2021: Birthstones, Florals, Customizable and More

Mother’s Day feels like it’s coming up faster than ever this year. Don’t let May 9 sneak up on you! Here’s a list of my top picks for handmade jewelry magic that’ll make moms smile, be fun to personalize, and is made in Arkansas so you can feel great about shopping small and local.

Whether mom loves to garden, hike, or just stop and smell the roses, my newest cast bronze jewelry embodies Mother Nature, and most of it can be personalized by adding birthstones. Find the cast bronze sunflower necklace here, the dandelion seed necklace here, the rattlesnake tail necklace here, and the bronze butterfly earrings here.

This necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant was made by casting real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR) in bronze, and it’s also available in sterling silver. 20% of the sales of these necklaces go directly to the Arkansas Foodbank. Each bronze Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace sold raises enough money to fund 58 meals for hungry Arkansans, and each silver necklace funds 67 meals for Arkansans in need. Get the Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace here.

If your mom is as into cats as my mom is, she’ll appreciate the Leonardo da Vinci-Inspired Cat and Mouse necklace from my Gallery Collection inspired by art history. If you’re surprised to learn that the man who painted the Mona Lisa spent a lot of his time observing and sketching cats, I’m with you. “Even the smallest feline is a masterpiece of nature” is a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, whose sketches of felines and studies for a painting he intended to finish portraying the Madonna and child holding a cat attest to the artist’s reverence for the animals. For my da Vinci-Inspired Cat and Mouse Necklace, I chose to focus on this playful fact and add a layer of my own friskiness. This necklace features a large cast bronze medallion impressed with the likeness of one of da Vinci’s cat drawings, and I added a hand-sculpted cast-bronze mouse connector charm above the cat to appear as if it’s stalking the mouse. Click here to get the Bronze Cat and Mouse Necklace.

If your childhood was filled with empty threats, immortalize them on a custom keychain to create the funniest Mother’s Day gift ever. Get the Don’t Make Me Turn This Car Around keychain here, or click here to customize your own keychain.

The perfect gift for mothers, grandmothers or anyone with several special people close to their heart. Wear the birthstones of each little one in your brood. Each mixed stone birthstone cluster necklace is unique. You select up to seven (7) stones for your necklace. Click here to get the custom birthstone cluster necklace from my Birthstone Cluster Collection of jewelry. Be sure to order this one ASAP! The pendants take a few days to make.

If you love the custom birthstone pendant necklace but think mom would be more into a stackable strand version or you’re looking for a custom birthstone necklace that costs a little less, check out the custom birthstone strand necklace here.

And if you already found a necklace here and you’d just like to add a personal touch to it, it’s affordable and easy to add a birthstone or two or three to your necklace. These birthstones are gemstone chips, and they’re the perfect addition to a vertical bar necklace or charm necklace. Just add the necklace you want to your cart (may we suggest the custom vertical bar necklace?) and then add this listing with your chosen birthstone to your cart. Create your own custom birthstone jewelry! These birthstone chips look great with vertical bar necklaces and charm necklaces, but we don’t recommend them for horizontal bar necklaces. Click here to add a birthstone to your necklace.

These dainty, Art Deco Arkansas state necklaces and earrings are simple and beautiful. These little bronze or sterling silver Arkansas charms are cast with a beautiful Art Deco fan pattern and come as a dainty necklace or a set of hoop earrings. Find the Art Deco Arkansas Jewelry here.

Custom name necklaces are a great gift for Mother’s Day! Keep those you love close to your heart, figuratively and literally with this sweet, classic custom name necklace stamped by hand. Click here to get the Personalized Name Necklace.

Is mom your missing puzzle piece? Get a friendship necklace for you and one for mom with these puzzle piece necklace sets. Handmade bronze puzzle piece charms are about one inch across and hang from gold-filled chains. Please note that the pieces don’t fit PERFECTLY together, as is the nature of hand-cast charms (they’re all unique!). But they are cast from matching puzzle pieces. They are available with a decorative, Art Deco pattern or without a pattern and also available on 18-inch and 20-inch chains. Find the Missing Puzzle Piece Friendship Necklaces here.

Is your mom the queen of Bingo? Get her a trophy she can wear to let the world know she plays for keeps. Find the Bingo Queen Necklace here. It’s cast from a real Bingo chip!

My Rose Window Necklace was inspired by the stained glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift for moms who love to travel and need to stop and admire all the beautiful churches when they do. Find the Rose Window Necklace here. It’s part of my Gallery Collection of jewelry inspired by Art History.

Is the mom in your life a total goddess? Then I bet she’d love something from my Siren Collection of jewelry inspired by Greek mythology. This necklace is the Hera Peacock Necklace inspired by the queen of the Greek gods. Find the whole Siren Collection here to see which god or goddess fits your mom.

If you’ve found a necklace mom will love, but you think she’d like a little bit longer chain for it, add one of these extenders to your order and I’ll attach it to her necklace so it’s ready to gift when it arrives! Get a necklace chain extender here.

Thank you for shopping small and shopping local this Mother’s Day!

Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace to Benefit Arkansas Foodbank

This necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant, created by North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty, was made by casting real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR) in bronze, and it’s also available in sterling silver.

If you’ve ever driven across the Natural State, you’ve probably laid eyes on a rice field. As the top rice producer in the nation, Arkansas produces more than 9 billion pounds of rice each year - which would explain why rice is an important dinner staple for many Arkansans, especially those experiencing hunger.

This necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant, created by North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty, was made by casting real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR) in bronze, and it’s also available in sterling silver.

Each bronze Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace sold raises enough money to fund 58 meals for hungry Arkansans, and each silver necklace funds 67 meals for Arkansans in need.

Rice farmers are a big part of the Arkansas Foodbank. In the early 1980s, Arkansas rice farmers realized two things: they had a surplus of their crop, and they had hungry neighbors. By working together, they filled an important need by ensuring families and children had access to nutritious food. To this day, these producers donate millions of pounds of rice to food banks across our state, in turn feeding thousands of our neighbors experiencing hunger.

 20% of the sales of these necklaces go directly to the Arkansas Foodbank. To learn more about how the Arkansas Foodbank works to relieve hunger in our state, click here.

I used florets from real Arkansas rice sourced from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, Arkansas, for these bronze and sterling Arkansas necklaces that benefit the Arkansas Foodbank.

The Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace pendant measures approximately 1.25 inches across and is available in bronze or sterling silver. The. bronze necklace is made with an 18-inch 14k gold-filled chain, and the sterling silver necklace has an 18-inch sterling silver chain. Prefer a longer chain? Click here to add an extender to your necklace.

The Gallery Collection: Art History Jewelry

The Gallery Collection is jewelry inspired by art history, long walks in monumental museums, and the little-told stories of the images and symbols that shape our view of the past and present.

The Gallery Collection is jewelry inspired by art history, long walks in monumental museums, and the little-told stories of the images and symbols that shape our view of the past and present. This collection of art history jewelry by no means even begins to encompass the vast history of art, which spans every inhabited place great or small across the globe and includes every culture on our diverse planet. Consider it more like a room—a small gallery—wherein I’ve hung a handful of meaningful works to contemplate and paid homage to them with my own method of interpretive reproduction. 

Given the time, assets and freedom, I could have never stopped making this collection; that is to say that if your favorite artist isn’t featured, well, neither is mine. I also explicitly chose works by artists who were active in the early 20th Century and before, as I felt uncomfortable re-interpreting works by living or recently living artists for sale. 

This collection is dedicated to my brother Steven, who was an avid reader and lover of all things history and art. He especially loved Gauguin, and as you’ll learn from my Van Gogh-inspired necklace, had an affinity for a certain painting by the artist. 

If you’ve ever gazed up at the dreamy glow of sunlight diffusing through a rose window in a Gothic cathedral and marveled at the lengths to which mankind will go to create divine wonder on earth, you’ll cherish the Rose Window Necklace, inspired by the stained glass rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

If you’ve ever gazed up at the dreamy glow of sunlight diffusing through a rose window in a Gothic cathedral and marveled at the lengths to which mankind will go to create divine wonder on earth, you’ll cherish the Rose Window Necklace, inspired by the stained glass rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This cloisonné style enamel pendant measures about 1.5 inches across and hangs from a 14k gold-filled chain that measures 20 in total length but can be fastened up the chain wherever you like so that the length is customizable if you’d like it to sit higher on your chest. The pendant is nickel-free zinc alloy. 

Rose windows are a major staple of Gothic architecture and can be found in major Gothic cathedrals across France and elsewhere. Though the stained glass of the Notre Dame rose windows is not original, the windows did survive the 2019 fire that damaged much of the cathedral. 

My Caravaggio-inspired Medusa head necklace features a cast bronze or sterling silver pendant of Medusa’s head with wild, curling snakes for hair.

Caravaggio’s (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) often dark and violent subject matter, paired with his signature chiaroscuro (or use of heavy contrast using light and dark) echoed the dramatic, tumultuous life he lived, peppered with murder, assassination attempts, arrests and exile. His famous Medusa, painted in 1596-97, depicts the moment when the legendary snake-haired gorgon of ancient Greek myth was beheaded by Perseus, and the artist experiments with casting his own face as Medusa’s. 

My Caravaggio-inspired Medusa head necklace features a cast bronze or sterling silver pendant of Medusa’s head with wild, curling snakes for hair. The pendant hangs from an 18-inch 14k gold-filled or sterling silver chain. The necklace pairs perfectly with my Medusa Serpent Earrings form my Siren Collection inspired by Greek Mythology, and you can learn more about Medusa and those earrings here.

For my da Vinci-Inspired Cat and Mouse Necklace, I chose to focus on this playful fact and add a layer of my own friskiness. This necklace features a large cast bronze medallion impressed with the likeness of one of da Vinci’s cat drawings, and I added a hand-sculpted cast-bronze mouse connector charm above the cat to appear as if it’s stalking the mouse. 

If you’re surprised to learn that the man who painted the Mona Lisa spent a lot of his time observing and sketching cats, I’m with you. “Even the smallest feline is a masterpiece of nature” is a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, whose sketches of felines and studies for a painting he intended to finish portraying the Madonna and child holding a cat attest to the artist’s reverence for the animals. For my da Vinci-Inspired Cat and Mouse Necklace, I chose to focus on this playful fact and add a layer of my own friskiness. This necklace features a large cast bronze medallion impressed with the likeness of one of da Vinci’s cat drawings, and I added a hand-sculpted cast-bronze mouse connector charm above the cat to appear as if it’s stalking the mouse. 

The entire length of the necklace including the cat and mouse charm is about 17.5 inches, and the chain is 14k gold-filled. It can be fastened up the chain if you prefer a shorter look. It’s also available with JUST the mouse charm on a 16- or 18-inch chain. 

These cast bronze and sterling silver hand earrings were inspired by a pair of earrings she actually owned and painted into her work in Self Portrait, Dedicated to Dr Eloesser, a 1940 work depicting her in the pair of oversized hand-shaped earrings that she was also photographed wearing. This self-portrait is a widely circulated painting of hers, and Frida fans will recognize the nod to the hand earrings, which were given to her by fellow artist Pablo Picasso when she visited Paris. 

With Frida Kahlo’s bold dissection of herself, the way she painted pain and suffering, culture and ideas, into self-portraits that stared brazenly and honestly back at her, it’s safe to say she created one of the boldest, most-recognizable styles in art history. The life behind her art was so compelling, it’s no wonder why she’s the favorite artist of so many people the world over. She was my favorite artist for years beginning in adolescence, and she’s still one of my very favorites; in my closet somewhere is a study I painted of one of her works in high school. 

These cast bronze and sterling silver hand earrings were inspired by a pair of earrings she actually owned and painted into her work in Self Portrait, Dedicated to Dr Eloesser, a 1940 work depicting her in the pair of oversized hand-shaped earrings that she was also photographed wearing. This self-portrait is a widely circulated painting of hers, and Frida fans will recognize the nod to the hand earrings, which were given to her by fellow artist Pablo Picasso when she visited Paris. 

These cast bronze or sterling silver hands are left and right hands to mirror each other and suspend from 1-inch wide hypoallergenic 14k gold-filled or sterling silver hoops. 

My Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired floral cow skull necklace combines the artist’s motifs of skulls and flowers in a solid cast bronze pendant that hangs from an 18-inch 14K gold-filled chain that can be fastened at shorter lengths if that’s your preference. 

Georgia O’Keeffe is simultaneously one of the most celebrated woman artists of the 20th Century and one of the most misunderstood. You’ve definitely seen her work, the most well known of it being large-scale, magnified views of colorful, beautiful flowers. You’ve probably also heard that the flowers are erotic representations of female anatomy. This interpretation of O’Keeffe’s work has been perpetuated for decades and widely accepted, despite the artist’s lifelong struggle to debunk the sexual interpretations foisted onto her work by male art critics and the “male gaze.” 

Inspired by the New Mexico landscape and culture she fell in love with and called home, O’Keeffe’s work often included animal skulls. Sun-bleached and weathered presumably by the desert, the skulls are hauntingly beautiful memento mori. Her well-known 1931 work Cow’s Skull: Red White and Blue elevates the weather-beaten skull to national symbol.

My Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired floral cow skull necklace combines the artist’s motifs of skulls and flowers in a solid cast bronze pendant that hangs from an 18-inch 14K gold-filled chain that can be fastened at shorter lengths if that’s your preference. 

The beautiful, mysterious Unicorn Tapestries have captivated human hearts for centuries, much like the mythical beast they portray. My Unicorn Tapestries Necklace, complete with carnelian rosary-style chain, pays homage to the tapestries.

The beautiful, mysterious Unicorn Tapestries have captivated human hearts for centuries, much like the mythical beast they portray. The symbolism, weavers and occasion for which they were commissioned is still largely unknown. Created in the late middle ages, the tapestries surely hung on the walls of an aristocrat’s home; large tapestries were beautiful and functional, helping to insulate cold walls and provide privacy between areas of the home. 

My Unicorn Tapestries Necklace is modeled after one side a vintage locket depicting The Unicorn In Captivity, popularly considered the final panel of the tapestries, in which the unicorn is subdued in what appears to be happy captivity. The unicorn rests beneath a pomegranate tree bursting with ripe fruit dripping onto the unicorn’s back. The creature is encircled by a small fence and held by a loose tether, but appears to be content. 

Unicorns were sometimes considered to symbolize Christ, so I chose a rosary-style gold-plated chain beaded with carnelian, a stone that has been used for centuries to create carved seals that people used as signatures. The chain measures 18 inches long. 

My Van Gogh-inspired Smoking Skull Necklace is a substantial piece of sculpted cast bronze that hangs from a 14k gold-filled chain that measures 18 inches in total length but can be fastened up the chain wherever you like so that the length is customizable if you’d prefer it to sit higher on your chest. 

Of Vincent Van Gogh’s prolific portfolio, what immediately comes to mind are his warm, sunny floral landscapes and flowers; colorful, swirling self-portraits; dizzying Starry Night; and interiors of peculiar perspectives. But you’ve also probably seen this dark but somewhat amusing painting of a skeleton with a lit cigarette in its teeth. This painting has a particular place in my heart because it held a special place in my brother’s heart; he liked it enough to get a tattoo of it. 

Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette, according to the Van Gogh Museum, was an early work: “This skeleton with a lit cigarette in its mouth is a juvenile joke. Van Gogh painted it in early 1886, while studying at the art academy in Antwerp. The painting shows that he had a good command of anatomy. Drawing skeletons was a standard exercise at the academy, but painting them was not part of the curriculum. He must have made this painting at some other time, between or after his lessons.” 

My Van Gogh-inspired Smoking Skull Necklace is a substantial piece of sculpted cast bronze that hangs from a 14k gold-filled chain that measures 18 inches in total length but can be fastened up the chain wherever you like so that the length is customizable if you’d prefer it to sit higher on your chest. 

Van Gogh’s troubled life and mysterious death are well-known, including acts of self-mutilation, a stint in an asylum, and a suicide that was theorized to be murder by some. I think people who can turn suffering into beauty as Van Gogh did universally captivate us.

My Judith Slaying Holofernes Necklace is a nod to the gruesome, powerful scene by Artemisia Gentileschi, with Holofernes’ severed head above two daggers and a garnet drop of blood.

There’s something scintillating about seeing Artemisia Gentileschi’s image of Judith Slaying Holofernes, a biblical scene also depicted by Caravaggio and other male artists of the Baroque era, and realizing that this c. 1620 painting of a robust, ruthless Judith mercilessly and dutifully slicing the head from Assyrian general Holofernes was painted by a 20-something-year-old woman. If you don’t know the story behind the painting, Holofernes is about to ransack Judith’s city, but he drinks too much before the siege, allows beautiful Judith to enter his tent thinking it’ll be a good time, and Judith cuts off his head while he’s drunk. It’s kind of a lovely feminist twinkle in the Bible if you ask me. What’s so special about Artemisia’s work, (besides finding a well-known woman artist of this era being like finding a needle in a haystack) is the strength and brutality of Judith. Many other works depicting the theme portray Judith as a seductive, demure or more delicate beauty, but Artemisia went really Rosie the Riveter with her Judith, giving her impressive arms that hold Holofernes down while she violently saws off his head, him writhing and blood spurting everywhere. 

My Judith Slaying Holofernes Necklace is a nod to the gruesome, powerful scene by Artemisia, with Holofernes’ severed head above two daggers and a garnet drop of blood. The cast bronze or sterling silver pendant hangs from an 18-inch 14K gold-filled or sterling silver chain and is accented with a flat-cut, teardrop-shaped garnet (also the January birthstone if that’s your month).

My Calder-inspired mobile earrings evoke the spirit of Calder’s hanging mobiles and modern aesthetics, suspending cast-bronze circles from hand-bent wire connected to 14k gold-filled hypoallergenic ear wires. The bronze discs are set into motion by your movement.

Alexander Calder’s background in engineering and mathematics intertwined in his prolific artistic works, of which he is probably best known for his hanging sculptures, dubbed “mobiles” by artist Marcel Duchamp. Calder’s earlier mobile works included motors to give them movement, but he found the predictability of the motor-driven movements monotonous, so he began to suspend the mobiles, allowing airflow to give natural kinetic motion to the sculptures. Calder’s dynamic portfolio included jewelry, paintings, theatrical sets and so much more.

My Calder-inspired mobile earrings evoke the spirit of Calder’s hanging mobiles and modern aesthetics, suspending cast-bronze circles from hand-bent wire connected to 14k gold-filled hypoallergenic ear wires. The bronze discs are set into motion by your movement.

Many of Mucha’s illustrations feature beautiful female profiles and shapely feminine bodies haloed by the floral and geometrical patterns signature of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, and this is where I chose to draw inspiration for the Alphonse Mucha-Inspired Art Nouveau Cameo Necklace.  

Getting his start in Paris as a magazine illustrator, Czech-born illustrator Alphonse Mucha is one of the greatest names of the Art Nouveau movement that flourished at the turn of the 20th Century. His theatrical posters of actress Sarah Bernhardt catapulted his career in the mid 1890s, leading to prestigious projects with clients like JOB cigarette papers, Beers of the Meuse, Moët-Chandon champagne—all of which became vastly celebrated works in his collection. At the turn of the century he designed a calendar for La Plume which depicted a woman’s head encircled by Zodiac signs, which led to his The Seasons series. Many of Mucha’s illustrations feature beautiful female profiles and shapely feminine bodies haloed by the floral and geometrical patterns signature of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, and this is where I chose to draw inspiration for the Alphonse Mucha-Inspired Art Nouveau Cameo Necklace.  

At the center of this cast bronze or sterling silver medallion pendant is the profile of a young woman with billowing vintage hair surrounded by an Art Deco fan pattern. The chain measures 18 inches and is 14k gold-filled or sterling silver. 

These cast bronze Corinthian Column Earrings celebrate one of the most decorative column styles. You might recognize them from my Siren Collection inspired by Greek mythology because I’m reviving (pun intended) them from that collection.

One of the first things we learned to identify and appreciate in my college art history classes was architecture styles, and columns were an enormous (no pun intended) part of that. Being able to identify a column helps you date the work, even if that work isn’t thousands of years old, but part of a revival period. These cast bronze Corinthian Column Earrings celebrate one of the most decorative column styles. You might recognize them from my Siren Collection inspired by Greek mythology because I’m reviving (pun intended) them from that collection. Columns interweave with art history just like Greek mythology does, and I felt the column earrings belonged just as much with the Gallery Collection as they do the Siren Collection. 

The column charms of the Corinthian Column Earrings measure about 1.25 inches long and are wire wrapped by hand to hang from hypoallergenic 14k gold-filled ear wires. 

What Does Your Birthstone Mean?

Birthstones aren’t just beautiful gemstones to commemorate the months of our birth. Each stone itself has so much more meaning beyond just the month it represents. Every month has had multiple different birthstones over time, too, but here are some of the most prominent stones that I’ve made part of my Birthstone Cluster Collection and which are now available to add on individually to necklaces on my site. Of course I don’t endorse these stones having any healing properties, but it’s fun to know some of the reasons why they’re significant. It’s also fun to find great reasons to wear stones that aren’t your birthstone:

The January birthstone, garnet, with its rich crimson hue, is particularly luxurious and elegant. Garnet is named for the latin word for pomegranate because of its luscious color. Garnet is associated with creativity, purification, love, strength and protection. 

The February birthstone, amethyst, with its violet hue, is particularly romantic and alluring. Amethyst is associated with balance, temperance, pleasant dreams, positive energy and healing. 

The March birthstone, aquamarine, with its sea blue-green hue, is particularly mystifying. Aquamarine is rare and precious and is associated with courage, calm, clarity and tolerance. 

The April birthstone, diamond, is possibly the most coveted of all. Because diamonds are rare and valuable and diamond chips aren’t readily available, we’ve substituted a beautiful alternative: the Herkimer diamond. Herkimer diamonds are quartz crystals that are double-terminated; each end of the crystal has a point. Quartz is associated with healing, enlightenment and clarity. 

Double-terminated quartz, also called “Herkimer Diamond,” makes a gorgeous substitution for diamond as the April birthstone in my Birthstone Cluster Collection. Here is a line of Herkimer Diamonds as a Birthstone Strand Necklace.

The May birthstone, emerald, with its rich green hue, is particularly exciting and energizing. Emerald is associated with love, domestic bliss, friendship and positive actions. 

The May birthstone, Emerald, as featured in my Birthstone Cluster Necklace with a personalized stamped brass monogram.

The June birthstone is often said to be Alexandrite, one of the rarest and most expensive gemstones on earth, but we prefer its equally elegant counterpart, the pearl. Pearls are associated with nurturing, calm, integrity and femininity. 

The July birthstone, ruby, with its lush red hue, is particularly romantic. Ruby, a variety of corundum, is coveted and second only to diamond in its hardness. It is associated with passion, protection, peace and prosperity. 

The August birthstone, peridot, with its otherworldly green hue, evokes magic and mystery. Peridot, a form of olivine, is associated with protection, happiness, well-being and transformation.

Peridot, the August birthstone, seems to glow from within with eerie green light, especially when it’s set against silver. Check out the August Birthstone Cluster Necklace here.

The September birthstone, sapphire, with its deep blue hue, is rare, cool and dreamy. Sapphire, a variety of corundum, is associated with wisdom, spirituality and kindness. 

The October birthstone, Pink Tourmaline, an alternative to opal, has been associated with creativity and enlightenment. In many cultures throughout history it has been a stone of protection. 

The November birthstone, citrine, with its amber hue, is particularly warm and inviting. Citrine, a variety of quartz, is associated with clarity, energy, creativity and imagination. 

The December birthstone, turquoise, with its blue, greenish blue and sometimes robin-egg blue hues, is a variegated surprise, kind of like azure confetti that comes out of the earth. Turquoise is associated with protection. 

It’s typically a face-off between blue topaz and turquoise for December’s birthstone, and we’ve chosen turquoise for the win. Turquoise, with its blue, greenish blue and sometimes robin-egg blue hues, is a variegated surprise, kind of like azure confetti that comes out of the earth. Turquoise is one of the oldest stones used by humans, found in artifacts as old as 5,000 B.C. Turquoise is associated with protection. Check out my turquoise Birthstone Strand Necklace featured above here.

A Shirt to Commemorate the Cultural Crisis of Crossing the River in Little Rock

It’s a widespread joke among Dogtown residents that we always have to go over the river for everyone and everything because folks on the other side act like we live on another continent. Meanwhile we’re over here on the north side wallowing in great bars, lovely neighborhoods, excellent schools and affordable living. We’ve got a good thing going over here, but we’re happy to cross the river to visit you. Like this retro, throwback shirt and sweater, North Little Rock is groovy, and if you’d stop being a snob about crossing the river you’d find out for yourself ;-p

At first glance, this retro-inspired design looks like a fun, groovy shirt promoting North Little Rock (which it is!), but when you get closer, the snarky “stop being a snob about coming to” part adds a dose of funny realness.

The half sun design beneath "North Little Rock” is not only fun, it’s a throwback to the North Little logo you’ve probably seen on top of the city buildings in Argenta. The old logo has half of what looks like a water wheel, probably a nod to the Old Mill, under the name North Little Rock. I grew up in North Little Rock and live here now, and I remember the logo from years ago.

The half sun design beneath "North Little Rock” is not only fun, it’s a throwback to the North Little logo you’ve probably seen on top of the city buildings in Argenta. The old logo has half of what looks like a water wheel, probably a nod to the Old Mill, under the name North Little Rock.

This design is available in two versions: a soft crew neck t-shirt and a soft crew neck pullover. They’re both Bella + Canvas brand, so they’re soft, true to size and good quality. I’ve only ever printed on this brand of shirt because I’ve been so pleased with them. ALL OF THESE STYLES ARE UNISEX, so you don't have to worry about that weird “babydoll” fit people give to women’s clothing. This listing is a PRE-ORDER so that I can get everyone the sizes they need. Pre-orders will close Friday, January 22, and we’ll try to ship them by the first week in February.

PRE-ORDER YOUR SHIRT OR SWEATER BY CLICKING HERE!

At first glance, this retro-inspired design looks like a fun, groovy shirt promoting North Little Rock (which it is!), but when you get closer, the snarky “stop being a snob about coming to” part adds a dose of funny realness. Get it here.

Thank you for supporting and shopping local! And thank you for crossing the river every now and then.

Made in Arkansas Jewelry That's Perfect for Valentine's Day (Even If You're Not That Into Valentine's Day)

Whether your Valentine is sweet, salty or a little of both, there’s probably most definitely a piece of handmade jewelry at Bang-Up Betty that will make their heart throb.

Whether your Valentine is sweet, salty or a little of both, there’s probably most definitely a piece of handmade jewelry at Bang-Up Betty that will make their heart throb. Since the big VD is just one month away (or less if you’re reading this after January 14), I’ve added a handful of new, lovey-dovey handmade designs and rounded up a few of my (and your!) favorite picks for lovers this holiday. From simple, dainty earrings to bold, beautiful necklaces, here’s a list of jewels that’ll give you heart eyes. And the icing on the heart-shaped lil Debbie is that all of this jewelry is made in Arkansas.

This clever heart necklace is a throwback to the romantic symbolism of Celtic knots, made with just one rope, and the playful macramé knot work made popular in the 1970s (inspired by 13th Century Arabian weaving and passed down over centuries until it blew up massively in the ‘70s). The rope heart pendant was made using a single piece of rope, then cast in bronze. It’s a substantial, meaningful piece of handmade jewelry that would make a perfect Valentine’s Day, anniversary or wedding gift for a love bird. Find the bronze Macramé Heart knot Necklace here.

Sometimes “love” (and the perfect pair of earrings) is all you need…

These sweet, simple, hand-crafted matching half heart earrings are hand-cast in bronze and pressed with the word “love” onto each heart half. They’re dainty, lightweight, and go with absolutely everything. The ear wires are 14K gold-filled, so they’re hypoallergenic. Get the Love Matching Heart Bronze Earrings here.

It's almost Valentine's Day, and I've got a tragic love story for the holiday. One of the most beautiful stories of Greek Mythology is that of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tale of true love and devotion willing to face fear and death. The greatest mortal musician, Orpheus, fell deeply in love with the maiden Eurydice and married her. Soon after the wedding, Eurydice and her bridesmaids were walking in a field and she was bitten by a viper. So much for “happily ever after.”

Beyond distraught in his mourning, Orpheus took his lyre to the underworld, braving the terrible three-headed dog Cerberus and lulling it and the many terrifying characters in Hades with his beautiful music. He pleaded for the life of his bride with his song, and so moved the goddess Persephone and even Hades himself to give him back his new wife, but with one condition: Orpheus couldn’t look at Eurydice until they both emerged from the underworld.

Grabbing Eurydice’s hand, Orpheus led her joyously back to the realm of the living, but in his excitement as he exited the underworld, he glanced back at her, only to have looked just too soon, seeing her disappear into the mouth of the cave, stolen back to Hades for Orpheus’s eagerness. He rushed to follow her, but was not allowed to enter the underworld a second time. Doomed to life without his true love, he wandered the earth mournfully and alone until a band of Maenads discovered him and tore him limb from limb. We can only hope he was delivered from the living world into the arms of his lover at last.

Depicted in solid bronze on the medallion of the Orpheus and Eurydice necklace is a pair of lovers, one holding a lyre, the other leaning over a column to swoon at the musician. In this piece of handmade jewelry, I imagine the couple in the happy hours of their union, before the viper struck, and how I hope their eternity looked in the underworld together. The obsidian bead above the lovers and on the matching 14K gold-filled hoop earrings has a marbled effect, echoing ancient Greek sculpture.

Get the Orpheus and Eurydice Necklace here.

A simple, beautiful bronze necklace that says “forever” without speaking a word…

This handmade necklace features an oval charm pressed with the infinity symbol. The solid bronze charm measures about an inch across and hangs from a 16- or 18-inch 14K gold-filled chain; you can select the length at checkout. Mega hint: This necklace is great for an 8th anniversary — It’s the bronze wedding anniversary! Get the Bronze Infinity Symbol Necklace here.

Didn’t expect it to get this dirty, did you??? With custom keychains it can get as nasty as you want. Or as funny. Or as sweet. Custom keychains are also great go-to unisex gifts! Check out my collection of key tag phrases or let me stamp a custom phrase onto a keychain for you here.

A little something for you, a little something for your person…

These hand-cast broken heart charms are hand-stamped with the words MY PERSON on each charm. Handmade bronze charms measure approximately 5/8 inch from top to bottom and are hung from 18-inch gold-filled chains. Each heart charm will vary slightly from the rest, as is the nature of handmade jewelry. This listing is for a set of TWO matching friendship (or loveship!) necklaces. Get the My Person Bronze Heart Necklace Set here.

By far the most beautiful of all the gods was Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. She was completely irresistible and fun-loving. Her power over men is often considered destructive. 

Aphrodite is famously portrayed rising from the waves on a clam shell (as in Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”), for she was born from sea foam. 

The Aphrodite Necklace tells the story of Aphrodite’s birth. It features a handmade bronze seashell pendant, cast using an actual shell that I plucked from a beach in Indonesia on my honeymoon. Atop the bronze shell is a single cultured pearl. Pearls have been incredibly symbolic throughout history, associated with love, perfection, purity and the moon. In Aja Raden’s Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World, she says that “In parts of the ancient Near East, the belief that pearls were a product of tears shed by a goddess under the moonlight persisted for millennia.” There is just so much goddess energy in this necklace. 

Get the Aphrodite Pearl and Shell Necklace here.

Birthstone jewelry is a beautiful gift for any occasion, and being able to personalize it even more with a monogram makes it even more special. My Birthstone Cluster Collection allows you to do just that and comes in these gorgeous handmade pendants or in simple, streamlined strands of birthstones that are great for layering with another favorite necklace. Check out my birthstone jewelry here.

Keep those you love close to your heart, figuratively and literally with this sweet, classic custom name necklace stamped by hand. I had to personalize mine with the names of my cats since I’m a loving cat mom, but of course these custom stamped necklaces are great for kids’ names, significant others and anyone else you hold close to your heart. Find my Personalized Name Necklaces here.

What do you get the person who hung the moon to you? Moon jewelry! The bronze full moon necklace in this handful of handmade jewelry is my Artemis Moon Necklace with Crossed Arrows, representing the goddess Artemis in my Greek mythology jewelry collection. Find the Hammered Crescent Moon Earrings with iridescent beads of moonstone here. The Witchy Woman stamped crescent moon necklace in silver is here, and I’ve got a larger version in brass here.

Think of these hand-stamped custom Mantra Cuff Bracelets as your Wonder Woman cuffs. (Cuffs don't come with super powers, but you do!)

Keep yourself motivated to keep being the badass you are with these stamped mantra bracelets. Cuffs are solid brass or solid aluminum, polished so there are no sharp edges, durable and adjustable. Each cuff is hand stamped letter by letter with the mantra of your choice. Get your custom mantra cuffs here.

What? You thought I was going to get to the end of this jewelry blog without another dirty joke? WRONG. These custom cast bronze heart necklaces are great for short, sweet notes, but I prefer to make them say funny things. Funny things you might just heart… Get them here.

Speaking of big hearts and big boobs… We’ve got HUGE HEARTS for Dolly Parton over at Bang-Up Betty. I made this necklace in honor of the queen herself, because we could all stand to model our ways a little more after her and her big heart. Get the What Would Dolly Do heart necklace here.

Are you absolutely BATTY over your valentine? This tiny bat necklace will make your heart and their heart flutter…

Tiny handmade bronze bat charm dangles from an approximately 16-inch gold-filled chain that ends in a spring clasp. The bat itself measures approximately 3/4 inch across the wings.

Do yours and your Valentine’s stars align? Maybe your zodiac signs do, too? Wear your zodiac sign proudly and cleverly with a celestial astrology necklace that displays your sign’s name alongside the constellation of your zodiac sign. Each constellation and zodiac sign is stamped by hand, letter by letter and star by star. Get the Hand-Stamped Astrology Constellation Necklace here.

Want to add a card to your gift without even having to go into a store? Want to mail your gift directly to your Valentine with a sweet note? We’ve got you covered! Add one of these illustrated greeting cards by Lee Lee Arts and Design to your order, and we’ll hand write whatever you like inside of it to send to someone special. You can take your pick from the “Love You To Death” or the “Get Your Happy On” card, and you’ll be prompted at checkout to tell us what you’d like your note to say. Find the greeting cards here.