Some Jewellery designs could be referred to as a stroke of genius, others as stroke inducing. In this blog post, we are going to examine the latter category.  This Ultimate So-bad-it's-good Jewellery List is going to serve as the (fool's) gold standard for the brave, the bold and the kitsch of the jewellery industry. In this post, we are going to present to the world and examine the most daring, extravagant, funny and also grotesque jewellery ever created (while honouring the creators and retailers of course).
Sometimes beauty and uniqueness can be found in the weirdest designs and in places where you least expect it.

1)Hand Rest Gesture Necklace by Jennifer Crupi

Although quite unusual, this is one of the tamest designs in our selection. This Necklace by creator Jennifer Crupi serves essentially as a translucent pocket that enables your hands to rest. I guess there was an untapped market for jewellery that goes well with dresses that do not feature pockets.  This design adds functionality to an adornment that traditionally remained only decorative, so props to Jennifer! Still looks like a stethoscope though.

2)Adjustable Chin Rest Gesture Necklace by Jennifer Crupi

Ok, now we can say for sure that Jennifer overdid it on the functionality aspect. This is a necklace that also serves as an adjustable chin rest for those hungover Monday mornings at work. We get the concept.
What is hard to grasp though is why it HAS to look like a medieval torture device or some punishment accessory from the film "Hellraiser".

3)Frog Ring, Ye Seul Seo, 2009. 925 silver 

Speaking about functionality, here is a jewellery contender that shoves the term out of the window.  This Frog Ring by Ye Seul Seo,  made in  2009 from  925 silver is the epitome of the unnecessary and even as a concept piece it is missing a very important part: "...a good concept". This ring not only occupies all five of your fingers but also fixes itself on the top parts and thus restricts you from folding your fist! Maybe Michael Phelps should wear them at the next Olympics and let us know if they enhanced his swimming performance.

4)Teardrop contact lens Eric Klarenbeek, Designer of the unusual

Ideal for the sad boys and girls out there who want to embrace their feelings of existential angst and uniquely express them...with eyeball jewellery... (Or you could just try rubbing chopped onions on your eyes. Better effect, less money spent!)

5) Taxidermy Mouse Jewellery (Creator Unknown)

Oh, the horrors of Etsy... What a nice and at the same time disturbing nightmare-fuelling online store.  Creating unique handmade jewellery sure is hard, but mixing taxidermy and jewellery is just pushing it too far. You can stumble upon numerous atrocities like this one on Etsy. True plague, gothic vibes tough. Ugh... It would not be a pleasant surprise to see a loved one wear this beauty.

6)"Cages" ring from the "Blowing Smoke" series by Liaung Chung Yen.

When I see this ring I feel threatened. The fingers are restricted but there is a glass cage with a cigarette inside. Supposedly this symbolises the struggle of the creator to stop smoking. Makes sense until you realise that the other hand is free to break the glass bubble cage thing and grab the cigarette. A bit counterproductive... Plus you can still smoke even with the hand that has the ring on. Index finger, thumb, and pinky are still free.... just saying! You just gotta get creative.
Interesting industrial-looking design though. Credit must be given when it is due!

7)Freaky Doll Hand Engagement Ring (Creator Unknown)

Why? I don't understand. Some things are hard to understand even after seeing them. This is one of them.

7)Tooth Jewellery (many different creators)

Obviously Etsy is to blame again! People get creative in all sorts of wrong ways. And what is most intriguing is not the conception of these pieces. It is the fact they actually sell!
Dubbed as the "human ivory" (what a great euphemism, isn't it) tooth jewellery is either crafted like the image below or teeth are grinded so much that they look like pearls. Spine-chilling.
Next time I go to the dentist I'm asking for my teeth back!

8) I got my eyes on you Ring! (Creator Unknown)

This unique Vintage Glass Eye ring actually sold on 1stdibs.com for a cool $2650!
The Description read as follows: "An eccentric Glass Eye ring, the 14k yellow gold band with 1 grey, green, brown and bloodshot glass eye. Not for the faint of heart. Freaky Good. Size 11.5"
Gutted I missed this... should've kept an eye on it.

9) Striking Screw Ring, Karl Fritsch

Highly experimental and also highly dangerous looking, the Tetanus ring as I like to call it is here to amaze you...well, sort of.  This ring is nothing to write home about. Just a bunch of cogs and nails glued together creating a rusty mess of a ring.  This post-apocalyptic adornment can be created easily with simple materials found at a building site. It gets extra bizarre points for the rust though. A very nice touch indeed.

10)The Cockroach Amulet (Creator Unknown)

We saved worst (or best... we don't judge!) for last. This necklace is horrendous. It is essentially a cockroach encased in epoxy or some sort of liquid glass. The concept, the execution, everything is hideous. Beats taxidermy rings and tooth rings easily and that is why it deserves to be in the last spot. Having a cockroach in such close proximity to your chest is creepy, to say the least!  A huge no.

It is easy to create something ugly, by default we are capable of creating ugly things. The real question is, are we capable of creating things of beauty? Or will keep pretending that everything is relative and that ugliness can be beautiful as well?  Some times ugly jewellery can be so well made that it is made beautiful by its perfect form and not by the object depicted. But this is a rare occurrence.