Feminist Jewelry To Spark Hope and Rage This Especially Infuriating Intl. Women's Day

International Women’s Day is March 8, but I celebrate it every day of the year at Bang-Up Betty. Feminist jewelry is kind of my specialty (if you know, you know!), and my jewelry is made by me, one woman with a small workshop and a fierce desire to smash the patriarchy. Many of my designs also benefit progressive causes in Arkansas. I rounded up 21 of my favorite pieces of feminist jewelry below in case you need a little inspiration during this especially trying Women’s Day.

Smash the patriarchy! This necklace is one of my original designs I’ve been creating for nearly ten years. Somehow we need the message more than ever before. Get your Smash the Patriarchy Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/smashthepatriarchynecklace

Every summer, local nonprofit Trust Tree uplifts young girls and gender-expansive youth in our community via their music and songwriting camps, and we want to show some love back to Trust Tree by bringing awareness to their organization and raising funds for them with this “Girls Rock” hand-stamped lightning bolt necklace. Each necklace is lovingly hand-stamped letter by letter locally in my North Little Rock studio, and 25% of the sales go to Trust Tree! The little brass lightning bolt is paired with a tiny quartz crystal because it’s Arkansas’s state mineral and it’s just darn pretty. The chain is 18 inches long and 14k gold-filled, so it’s hypoallergenic. If you’d like a longer chain, you may add an extender by clicking here. To learn more about Trust Tree, visit their website here. Get your Girls Rock necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/girls-rock-trust-tree-necklace

Arkansas is home and it’s worth fighting for, which is why we’ve got to keep going, keep calling our representatives and senators, keep making our voices heard, keep convincing smart people to run for office, keep working toward a more equal, equitable Natural State. This handmade Arkansas necklace features a cast bronze Arkansas pendant pressed with the words KEEP GOING to remind us to keep up the good fight. Get yours Keep Going Arkansas Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/keep-going-arkansas-necklace

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. Get your I Dissent Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/rbg-gavel-necklace

This “Not Aspiring to Be Humble” necklace was inspired by an interview with Kamala Harris, wherein she responds to a jab from Sarah Huckabee Sanders that Harris doesn’t have biological children to keep her humble, “I don’t think [Sanders] understands that there are a lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble [. . .] Two, a whole lot of women who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life, and I think it’s really important for women to lift each other up.” Get your “Not Aspiring To Be Humble Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/not-aspiring-to-be-humble-necklace

Progressive women will change the world, but we have to VOTE for them and support them! These “progressive” necklaces and cuff bracelets benefit PAWPAC (Progressive Arkansas Women PAC), which helps elect PROGRESSIVE women to state and local office in Arkansas. Get your Progressive Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/progressive-necklace-or-bracelet-benefiting-pawpac

Progressive women will change the world… we just have to elect them first! This hand-stamped ELECT PROGRESSIVE WOMEN necklace benefits Emerge Arkansas, a statewide organization whose mission is to give progressive Arkansas women the tools they need to run for office and get elected. Since 2002, they’ve trained more than 6,000 women to run for office, and there are more than 1,200 Emerge alums currently serving in elected office across the United States. Our Elect Progressive Women Necklace is available to purchase through this listing or at our storefront (429 Main Street, Upstairs, in North Little Rock), and 20% of the proceeds go to Emerge Arkansas. Get your Elect Progressive Women Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/elect-progressive-women-necklace-benefiting-emerge-arkansas

“Going high” takes on several meanings in this handmade 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. Get Your Go High Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/go-high-mountain-range-necklace

This necklace features a brass flay charm alongside a stamped brass circle that reads I’M SPEAKING. Be like Kamala Harris. Don’t let any man talk over you. Tell them to buzz right off. Get your I’m Speaking Fly Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/fly-necklace

“Who you are authentically is alright” - Laverne Cox

The diamond shape of this handmade necklace featuring a powerful quote by trans actress and icon Laverne Cox is complemented by two tiny Herkimer diamonds (double-pointed quartz crystals) on each side, a nod to the adage that diamonds are formed under pressure. This necklace is available in sterling silver with a sterling silver chain or bronze with a 14k gold-filled chain. These necklaces are about 18 inches long, and as with all of our necklaces, we can make them longer with extensions. The pendant part of the necklace measures about 1 inch across. Get yours here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/who-you-are-authentically-laverne-cox-quote-necklace

If you’re one of the many people whose lives have been changed thanks to the magic (jk, science) of IUDs, you’ll love this bronze necklace ode to one of the most effective methods of birth control out there.

This bronze pendant was created by casting an actual IUD (intrauterine device) in bronze. The IUD medallion measures a little over one inch across and hangs from an 18-inch 14K gold-filled chain that ends in a spring clasp.

This necklace was inspired by an OBGYN and is a perfect gift for gynecologists and other specialist doctors. It’s also a beautiful, meaningful conversation starter for anyone who advocates the easy access to birth control and open conversation about reproductive health. Get your IUD Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/iud-necklace

Not every woman was born with a uterus or still has hers, but some of us do! Find my cast bronze and sterling silver uterus necklaces and earrings here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/anatomy-collection/uterus-necklace

“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks” … as in leave tracks for others to follow your work and build on it. - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

This RBG quote encourages you to let others build on the work you’re doing, and reminds us that change sometimes takes time, but it also makes me think about all the organizations out there who have already been laying the foundation and doing the work to make the change you want to see. Be sure to seek out the effective, grassroots organizations in your area, support them, and follow their tracks before you set out completely from scratch on your own.

This pendant pressed with a powerful RBG quote and a set of footprints measures approximately one inch across and is available in bronze or sterling silver. The chain is 20 inches long and the clasp fastens onto any link in the chain, so you can wear it longer or shorter. Silver chains are sterling silver and gold chains are 14k gold-filled. As with all of our necklaces, we can make them longer with extensions. Get yours here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/leave-tracks-rbg-quote-necklace

“Women’s right are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights” - Hillary Rodham Clinton

I’ve heard this quote said so many times by so many people, and only recently I learned that Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke it in a 1995 speech. Almost 30 years later, it’s still extremely pertinent. With this pendant, I played off the mirror-like effect of the words with a reversible, framed, mirror-shaped pendant, where one side says “women’s rights are human rights” and the backside says “and human rights are women’s rights.” These pendants measures about one inch long and are available in bronze on a 14k gold-filled chain or sterling silver on a sterling silver chain. Chains are 18 inches long, and as with all of our necklaces, we can add extenders. Get yours here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/womens-rights-are-human-rights-hrc-quote-necklace

“Change takes courage” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

If anyone has the courage to make change, it’s U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I’m constantly in awe of her ferocity and strength, which is why I paired her quote with an anatomical heart, the symbolic source of courage and bravery. These pendants measure approximately 3/4 inch across and are available in sterling silver with a sterling silver chain and bronze with a 14k gold-filled chain. Chains are 18 inches long, and as with all of our necklaces, we can add extenders. Get yours here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/change-takes-courage-aoc-quote-necklace

“Choose people who lift you up” - Michelle Obama

First Lady, author, activist and icon Michelle Obama was speaking of her daughters with this quote encouraging them to choose partners who lift them up rather than drag them down, but this quote spoke to me far beyond the romantic connotations. Even in friendships, work partnerships and family relationships, it’s so important to be there for the people who are there for you— for the people who want more FOR you and don’t stand in the way of who you are authentically, try to control you or use you for personal gain. For me, it’s a personal mantra of self-care to hold close those who hold me close for the right reasons. This handmade necklace features a pendant with Michelle Obama’s words encircled in a twisted, decorative frame like a work of art.

This necklace is available in sterling silver with a sterling silver chain or bronze with a 14k gold-filled chain. The entire necklace is about 18 inches long, and as with all of our necklaces, we can make them longer with extensions. Get yours here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/choose-people-who-lift-you-up-michelle-obama-quote-necklace

Not everyone who is a feminist has boobs, but some of us do! Get this cast bronze or sterling silver boobs necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/anatomy-collection/breast-necklace

Because science is real, and it's blasphemy that we still have to advocate its existence...

Decorate your lapel with this I Believe in Science Enamel Lapel Pin. Soft enamel lapel pin measures approximately 1.25 inches across and has a hard rubber back. Get your I Believe in Science Pin here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/ibelieveinscienceenamelpin

Nevertheless, she persisted... and so will we.

Brass bar measures 1.5 inches long and is hand-stamped with the words NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED in honor of Elizabeth Warren's diligent attempt to read Coretta Scott King's letter in the face of denial. Gold-filled chain measures approximately 18 inches and ends in a spring clasp. Silver necklace is made with a polished aluminum bar and a sterling silver chain with lobster clasp. This Nevertheless She Persisted necklace is also available with a dainty 1.25-inch bar on an 18-inch chain. Get your Nevertheless She Persisted Necklace here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/neverthelessshepersistednecklace

Because the patriarchy has you sharpening your claws…

Scratch the Patriarchy feminist enamel lapel pin measures 1.25 inches and is soft enamel, which means it’s hard to the touch, but you can feel the details. Metal is gold tone and clutch on back is hard rubber. Show your fierce feminism with this badge. Get your Scratch the Patriarchy pin here: https://www.bangupbetty.com/shop/scratchthepatriarchypin

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.

Inside the Crafter's Studio: Peek Into a Jewelry Designer's Workshop in Arkansas

Arkansas Jewelry maker Stacey Bowers at work on new jewelry designs in her North Little Rock studio.

I'm about to celebrate one year in my studio space, and what better way to do that than invite y'all over? Consider this your invitation to a virtual visit! 

Brilliant, badass photographer Katie Childs recently stopped by to snap some pics of me at work, and while I'm sad to dispel the rumor that I work in the fires of Mordor, I'm thrilled to show off my newest space. Take a peek at how and where your jewelry gets made. All pics by Katie Childs except for the panorama I took to really show off that wall paint ;-) 

Jewelry designer Stacey Bowers selects a piece of brass to stamp with a hammer in her studio in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

North Little Rock jewelry designer Stacey Bowers' studio, where she creates Bang-Up Betty jewelry.

Arkansas jewelry maker Stacey Bowers at work in her home studio in North Little Rock stamping Bang-Up Betty jewelry.

Arkansas jewelry designer Stacey Bowers stamps brass jewelry and more in her North Little Rock studio.

Nevertheless She Persisted, I'll Cut You, Get Shit Done... a few of the many phrases jewelry Arkansas designer Stacey Bowers stamps onto her line of jewelry, Bang-Up Betty.

Arkansas jewelry designer Stacey Bowers poses with a giant cut-out of her nationally celebrated Smash the Patriarchy hammer design.

Betty, the boy cat behind the name Bang-Up Betty, an Arkansas handmade jewelry company.

Betty the boy cat poses with necklaces by Arkansas jewelry designer Stacey Bowers of Bang-Up Betty jewelry.

Nasty Woman, Smash the Patriarchy, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Hands Off, Witchy Bitch, I Believe in Science... these are few enamel lapel pins created Bang-Up Betty in Arkansas.

Smash the Patriarchy, Buzz Off, Food Over Dudes... a few necklaces by Arkansas jewelry maker Stacey Bowers of Bang-Up Betty jewelry.

Arkansas jewelry designer Stacey Bowers holds Betty, the boy cat who inspired the name of her handmade jewelry business, Bang-Up Betty.

Betty and I are so happy to have your support! Thanks for letting me make keepsakes for you and for letting him sprinkle a little cat hair onto them as they go into the envelope.