Yes, Those Rings Are Made To Look Like Exactly What You Think

Surviving a horrible, cramps-filled bout of PMS typically necessitates copious quantities of chocolate, Motrin, and whining. But British jewelry designer Lili Murphy-Johnson turned her own grouchy pre-period experience into something very creative: a collection of baubles inspired by the often-stigmatized experience of menstruation and "the frustrating, leaking female body," according to her website. "The anxiety and stress I experience before my period was holding back my research and design process whilst at university, so I decided to replicate these emotions into jewelry to get a collection started," Murphy-Johnson told Refinery29. The pieces include rings, necklaces, cuff bracelets, charm bracelets, and pins, many encrusted with crystals, and range in price from $38 for a necklace to $1,265 for the ring below (it's supposed to resemble a used sanitary pad). Murphy-Johnson's pieces are inspired by a trifecta of unpleasant realities about that time of month. First up, the pain and frustrating mood fluctuations of PMS. Secondly, the bloody realities of menstruating. And lastly, the arsenal of products (i.e. pads and tampons) it requires.

Murphy-Johnson, who's just 22 years old and got her bachelor's degree in jewelry design at Central Saint Martins, created her sparkly homage to the period as a commentary on the taboos that somehow still surround our monthly cycles. " I hope that [this collection] can give space for conversation about menstruation, and that it can be a way to enjoy wearing period stains," Murphy-Johnson said. "Half of the population experiences [menstruation] regularly through their lifetime; it should be something people feel comfortable talking about." Check out some of Murphy-Johnson's full period-inflected accessories here (and some additional, NSFW shots can be found here).