A Hollow Man.
$700
& Complimentary Express Post (Aus)
An Anchor Against the Void.
- Next day delivery on a free ring sizer with Buy now, size later.
- 99 year comprehensive warranty on all rings.
- Crafted from 940 Argentium silver to prevent tarnishing.
Don’t know your size at all? Order using Buy now, size later. and get a sizer delivered the next business day if you order before 3PM. More info.
Have a size but need to convert it to US sizing? Here’s a sizing chart for the most common systems. The numbers highlighted in blue are the system I use. Pandora sizing conversion is on this page.
I offer change of mind returns for store credit as well as 100% refunds for any issues with your piece upon arrival.
Ring too small? I’ll size it up for free, just pay shipping.
Ring too big? I offer a downsizing service for a fee of $70.
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Read 150 reviews
What are your shipping times?
- Urban Sterling Express (USE) pieces: 1 business day.
- Rings/Pendants: 7-12 business days (Australia), around 15 days (international).
- Bracelets/Necklaces: 3-4 business days (Australia), about 12 days (international).
- Buy now, size later orders begin production as soon as you notify me of the size you need.
- I’ll email you updates at every stage of production.
What is Argentium Silver
Argentium Silver is essentially a modern, upgraded version of sterling silver, which was “invented” in the 1300s by King Edward the first. Although the history behind this alloy is rich and fascinating, in my experience sterling silver leaves something to be desired in terms of appearance and durability. More info on the properties of Argentium Silver here.
Will your rings turn my finger green?
No they won’t. This occurs when rings are made of low quality materials and plated to look like silver. Copper, for example, will produce the green finger effect. Argentium silver is the highest quality silver alloy available, so it won’t have this effect.
Sustainable Metal Sourcing:
I use Argentium silver, a 100% sustainably sourced and recycled metal produced by the Argentium Company, ensuring ethical and environmentally friendly practices.
Certified Suppliers:
Palloys, the only Australian casting company certified by LBMA, OECD, and World Gold Council, supplies metals that comply with strict ethical standards, including the RJC certification for responsible jewelry practices.
Australian Labor and Manufacturing:
I use exclusively Australian labor and manufacturing for all aspects of production, maintaining slavery-free supply chains and supporting the local economy, with the exception of FSC-certified packaging from Denmark.
Sizing
Next day delivery on a free ring sizer with Buy now, size later. Make sure it fits perfect.
99 year warranty
99 year comprehensive warranty on all rings. Includes unlimited free restorations.
Argentium silver
Crafted from 940 Argentium silver to prevent tarnishing and maintain a quality finish.
Don’t know your size at all? Order using Buy now, size later. and get a sizer delivered the next business day if you order before 3PM. More info.
Have a size but need to convert it to US sizing? Here’s a sizing chart for the most common systems. The numbers highlighted in blue are the system I use. Pandora sizing conversion is on this page.
I offer change of mind returns for store credit. If your piece has any quirks you think shouldn’t be there, let me know and send me a some photos. If it looks like a workmanship problem I’ll issue an immediate full refund or replacement upon return postage.
Bought the wrong size? The course of action depends on whether the ring is too small or too large. If it’s too small, just send it back and I’ll size it up for free. If it’s too large, I’ll have to charge you a $70 resizing fee, since I’ll need to cut the ring open, remove metal, and solder it back together. This is fairly time consuming, hence the fee.
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Read 150 reviews
What are your shipping times?
- Rings/Pendants: 5-9 business days (Australia), around 15 days (international).
- Bracelets/Necklaces: 3-4 business days (Australia), about 12 days (international).
- Buy now, size later orders begin production as soon as you notify me of the size you need.
- I’ll email you updates at every stage of production.
What is Argentium Silver
Argentium Silver is essentially a modern, upgraded version of sterling silver, which was “invented” in the 1300s by King Edward the first. Although the history behind this alloy is rich and fascinating, in my experience sterling silver leaves something to be desired in terms of appearance and durability. More info on the properties of Argentium Silver here.
Will your rings turn my finger green?
No they won’t. This occurs when rings are made of low quality materials and plated to look like silver. Copper, for example, will produce the green finger effect. Argentium silver is the highest quality silver alloy available, so it won’t have this effect.
Sustainable Metal Sourcing: I use Argentium silver, a 100% sustainably sourced and recycled metal produced by the Argentium Company, ensuring ethical and environmentally friendly practices.
Certified Suppliers: Palloys, the only Australian casting company certified by LBMA, OECD, and World Gold Council, supplies metals that comply with strict ethical standards, including the RJC certification for responsible jewelry practices.
Australian Labor and Manufacturing: I use exclusively Australian labor and manufacturing for all aspects of production, maintaining slavery-free supply chains and supporting the local economy, with the exception of FSC-certified packaging from Denmark.
MASTERWORK
Representing Urban Sterling's pinnacle of storytelling and craftsmanship.
This piece is classified as a Masterwork - Urban Sterling's pinnacle of storytelling and craftsmanship.
There are those who are lost and violent. And then there are the hollow men: the consciously empty, the perpetually depleted, those paralysed between intention and action.
Written by T. S. Eliot in 1925, The Hollow Men is a diagnosis of spiritual emptiness, the recognition of what is missing, but the exhaustion to reach for it. This ring is a wearable anchor against that condition.
The Portrait: A Hollowed Presence
Most signet rings project their figure outward. Here, the portrait is sculpted inward into a deep intaglio relief, creating a deliberate hollowed space instead of a presence.
The face itself is ambiguous. He is neither crying nor laughing, just empty. Eliot’s hollow men are not dramatic villains; they are empty because they are paralysed. I wanted the expression to sit in that same unsettling ambiguity.
This shrouded expression required an intensive, multi-stage finishing protocol never attempted before.
This is a deep dive into oxidisation as texture. The key was giving the oxidised recesses a precise satin finish. This prevents the deep intaglio from reflecting light and giving up its detail easily. It required a seven-step cycle of layering and removing shadow: I repeatedly burnish the solid Argentium silver, then chemically oxidise it to jet black, followed by a steel pin tumble to set that satin texture. This double-layered approach creates a permanent, weathered depth that only intensifies with time.
The sculptures edges are finished with a manual, high-polish burnish, creating a perfect tension: the dark recesses hold the shadow, while the sharp border catches the light.
The Internal Story: The Valley of Dying Stars
Inside the shank is the poem’s most visually arresting scene, captured in relief carving.
You will find the “Valley of Dying Stars”: the perpetual star looming over four dying suns, with the hollow men separated by a rushing river that can never be crossed.
The inner band is engraved with the iconic final lines: This is the way the world ends.
DESIGNER’S NOTES:
I know this piece might not be to everyone’s taste. It is a challenging, heavy piece conceived less as simple jewellery and more as a wearable anchor for anyone grappling with the unmoored spiritual emptiness of our time.
Since there was no reference for this finishing style, the first three prototypes were scrapped. It took the fourth prototype and countless hours of bench time to fine-tune this unprecedented protocol.
The finished piece, with its complex intaglio and multi-layered shadow, is the most technically demanding piece of design engineering I have ever executed. I genuinely believe it is built to last a century, just like the poem it honours.
If you see both the emptiness and the defiance in this piece, this one is for you.
940 Argentium Silver (heat-hardened, passivated). Handcrafted in Newcastle, NSW. 99-Year Warranty.
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