The $500,000 ring that will turn your stomach: Designer uses strip of his own hairy skin to decorate piece of jewellery

If you are struggling with ideas for a Valentine's gift for your other half then why not consider this - a ring made of 24 karat gold… and human flesh.

Eccentric Austrian designer Sruli Recht made the ring, called the Forget Me Knot ring, from a strip of his own skin removed from his stomach during recent surgery.

Despite its controversial material, the ring, which is part of Recht’s Autumn/Winter 2013 Menswear collection, is priced at a stomach-turning £317,581 ($500,000).

Sruli Recht's Forget Me Knot ring, featuring flesh from his own stomach is on sale for $500,000

The strip of flesh measures about 4.3 inches and still has some of Recht’s hairs attached to it.

The background to the forging of the ring can be seen in a video, filmed by Recht, which shows graphic shots of the flesh being removed during surgery (performed with Recht awake) before being attached to the gold ring.

The skin was prepared and salted and tanned with Alum, before being attached to the gold.
The ring comes with a unique DNA certificate to prove its authenticity.

The skin, which was salted and tanned before use, still has some of Recht's hairs attached

Recht previously hit headlines and caused controversy when he used the skin of 27 stillborn lambs to make clothes for his first collection in 2011.

While the ring is certainly the most adventurous item in Recht’s latest collection, it is by no means the only item you are unlikely to find featured in his catwalk collection.

 

Highlights of the collection – entitled ‘Concentrated’- include jackets made partly out of walnut wood, fossilised resin jewellery, oxidised metals, pixelated rabbit fur and reindeer skin.

The pieces are made out of a single piece of material folded in a manner similar to origami.

On his website Recht describes his design company as: ‘Based in Reykjavík, the studio produces one 'non-product' every month from umbrellas to bulletproof scarves, tables, to belts and boots, and incorporating such materials as concrete, diamonds, skin and wool.

It is not yet known whether the ring has found an owner.

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Vamos Rafa! Former World No 1 Nadal makes winning start on return from injury

Rafael Nadal made a winning return to action after eight months out through injury and illness when he partnered Juan Monaco to a straight sets doubles victory in the opening round of the VTR Open in Chile.
Nadal, whose last competitive match came in a shock second-round defeat to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June, was forced to abort his return from a knee injury in December after being struck down by a stomach virus - an illness which ruled him out of last month's Australian Open.
The former world No 1 was back on court in Vina del Mar, though, as he and Argentine Monaco record an impressive 6-3 6-2 victory over second seeds Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy in a match that lasted just over an hour.

 

Winning return: Nadal made his first appearance since losing at Wimbledon

 

Victors: Nadal and Juan Mónaco beat Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy 6-3, 6-2 at the Chilean Open.

The 26-year-old 11-time major winner, who has not contested an ATP tournament in South America since 2005, is scheduled to make his singles comeback against Argentinian Federico Delbonis tomorrow.
The Spaniard is the tournament's top seed and received a first-round bye.
Nadal seemed upset being asked immediately after the match about his knee.

 

Recovery: Nadal has started his long road to 100% fitness by playing doubles

 

Comeback: The former World No1 will play his first singles game on Wednesday as he takes on Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis

'The knee - I said it when I got here. I would prefer not to keep talking about the topic,' Nadal said.
'At the end of the day the doctors have said it's OK. There is no risk of making it worse. My knee keeps hurting. But the fact I am playing here is a thing of joy. 
'I am not 100 percent, I need some weeks,' he added. 'If it hurts, it hurts and we'll put up with it. I am here to play tennis, with or without pain. ...I'm happy to have played an official game, although it was doubles.'

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Meet the Red Cup girls! Laura and Heather dazzle Israel ahead of return to Fed action

Great Britain's Fed Cup team open their 2013 campaign in Israel this week, and let's hope their tennis proves as dazzling as their dresses.
Judy Murray's team, including British Nos 1 and 2 Heather Watson and Laura Robson, looked stunning as they posed ahead of their official team dinner in Eilat on Tuesday night, and Murray tweeted: 'Ladies In Red. GB best looking team in Eilat. No question.' We couldn't agree more.
The team start their campaign with a Europe/Africa Pool B fixture against Bosnia-Herzegovina before clashes with Portugal and Hungary. But they looked determined to enjoy a glamorous night before getting down to the real competition.

 

Ladies in red: Robson (left) posted this picture of herself and Watson on Instagram with a message reading: 'Heather and I are ready for the team Fed Cup dinner. #Boom

 

The only disappointment for the British team this week is that they have missed out on the excitement of seeing David Beckham training at their National Training Centre headquarters in Roehampton.
While the likes of Robson and Watson have been preparing for this week's group matches, Beckham has been a regular visitor to the LTA's base in South West London, using its state-of-the-art gym facilities as he prepares for his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
With LTA staff used to having the likes of Beckham's management stablemate Andy Murray in their midst the footballer has been allowed to quietly go about his business in the absence of the country's top female players.

Under the captaincy of Judy Murray they are all in the resort of Eilat, where in the next four days they will try and launch Britain back into the elite World Group of the women's equivalent to the Davis Cup for the first time in twenty years.

 

 

The only way is up: Both Robson and Watson have broken into the world's top 50

 

 

Having a ball: The Great Britain team posed for photos before their official dinner on Tuesday night

 

With Watson up to 41 in the world and Robson just behind her at 45 Murray believes that at long last GB, who face Bosnia in their opening round-robin match today, have a chance of making an impact in the competition after so long in its basement division.

'Laura and Heather have had a very exciting twelve months and I think we are ready to challenge,' she said. 'I think we are in a very strong position in that we have three young players who are very much on the up, while in Elena (Baltacha) and Anne (Keothavong) give us a super blend of youth and experience. It's a great opportunity for us to move forward.


Confident: Judy Murray thinks her Fed Cup team is ready to perform

 

Improving: Laura Robson made it all the way to the third round at the Australian Open, before losing to Sloane Stephens

'We've also got four players who can play doubles pretty well, and that is often the tiebreaker in this competition. Doing well in the game's biggest team event could be a very good platform for getting more girls and women to play tennis.'

The third young player is Australian-born Johanna Konta while Baltacha has been taken along as a non-playing supporter. The former British number one has not played since the Olympics but is on her way back from ankle surgery and is now back on court with the intention of returning to the circuit in April.

 

Moving up: The last year has been fantastic for Heather Watson, and she reached a career high ranking of 40 last month

Britain have been drawn in a group with Bosnia, Portugal and Hungary, and will be favourites to make it to Saturday's promotion playoff, which is the gateway to a further playoff in April - the same stage they reached twelve months ago - that could see a return to the World Group.

The team have been amusing themselves in the evenings with board games and Charades as part of Murray's effort to bring together players more used to competing against each other.

 

Strong team: Robson and Watson will be joined by Anne Keothavong, Johanna Konta and Elena Baltacha

'We've been playing Pictionary and you should see what a talented artist Heather is,' said Murray.

'We have got a great team atmosphere and have made that bond again. That was a big part of our success in the group stages last year.'

 

Hoping to improve: Last year the team made it to the World Group II play-offs, where they lost to Sweden

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'We don't remember what it's like to be normal kids': Kendall and Kylie Jenner open up about life in the Kardashian household

They have grown up in the spotlight as the little sisters of the Kardashian clan.
And for Kylie and Kendall Jenner life in the spotlight is now so normal that they can't imagine anything else.
'We appreciate everything that we have, but we don’t remember what it’s like to be normal kids,' Kendall told Glamour magazine.

 

Growing up in the spotlight: The Jenner sisters Kendall and Kylie admit they don't even remember what it was like not to be famous as they pose for Glamour magazine

The girls welcome the interest in their lives, which affords them a lifestyle they would otherwise not experience. But they admit they sometimes find it hard.
'We’re underage girls,' 17-year-old Kendall explained. 'It can also be hard to deal with other kids who are jealous or mean. I can’t post a picture on Instagram without being criticized.'
But Kylie, 15, said there were many benefits to their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

 

Golden girls: The pair pose together on the beach

The sisters were ten and 12 when it premiered in 2007.
'Our family is closer because of the show,' she said.
'And when we are older, we’ll have the memories on tape.If some of those moments hadn’t been filmed, I wouldn’t remember them!'
Kylie also insisted that people who watch the show do not 'know' the sisters.
'No one really knows what we are like. People read about us on Twitter, but they don’t know what we do all day long. We don’t really have privacy, but we have an aspect that people don’t know about.'

 

Idyllic life: The pair admit being famous has many benefits, but have also opened up about the less positive side
And the pair also answered the big question.

Glamour girls! The sisters are featured in the March issue of the US magazine

'We’re full-throttle Jenners!' said Kendall. 'We don’t have any desire to be Kardashians.'
When Kendall and Kylie struggle with their fame they know just who to ask - their big sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian.
Kendall explains: 'If we’re fighting, we call Khloé. She’s our peacemaker. Kourtney keeps us down-to-earth.'
And Kylie adds of their most famous sister: 'Kim teaches us how to deal with the spotlight.'
Also guiding them are brothers Brody, Brandon, Burt, and Rob and brothers-in-law Lamar, Scott, and Kanye.
'Rob checks on me at least three times a day, and Lamar wants to meet any guy we’re talking to,' said Kylie. 'Just yesterday Scott was going over the kind of guy I should date.'
When the sisters aren't filming their TV show or working on their home schooling they both work as models.
They shared their make-up tips with Glamour.
'I think a natural look is prettier,' said Kendall. 'I rarely wear makeup, but we always wear sunscreen on our faces.'
Adds Kylie: 'I love leather pants. I’m obsessed with leather right now.'

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Prosecutors seek to revoke Chris Brown probation amid allegations he 'lied about completing community service hours'

Chris Brown may have 'lied about completing his community service hours' it has been alleged.
Prosecutors have asked a judge to revoke Brown's probation, saying there is no credible evidence he completed his community service sentence for beating Rihanna, and citing several other incidents that they say point to anger management issues with the singer.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office filed a motion on Tuesday which focuses heavily on issues with Brown's community labour in Virginia, citing numerous discrepancies and claiming the R&B singer was essentially unsupervised.

 

Allegations: Prosecutors are questioning the community service hours of Chris Brown, pictured looking emotional on Monday night

Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement: 'Chris Brown failed to provide "credible or verifiable evidence"' that he completed his court ordered community labour.
But Brown's lawyer Mark Geragos labelled the filing 'frivolous and defamatory', adding that he plans to seek sanctions against prosecutors.
'The motion filed by the DA's office is shameful and a disgrace,' Mr Geragos said. 'In essence, it calls everyone a liar in the Richmond Police Department and the Virginia Probation Department.'
He claimed prosecutors ignored interviews 'where sworn peace officers stated unequivocally that Mr Brown was supervised and did all of the community service.'
He added: 'I plan on asking for sanctions from the DA's office for filing in frivolous, scurrilous and frankly defamatory motion.'

 

Denial: Brown's lawyer Mark Geragos, pictured in court last year, has denied the motion from L.A. prosecutors

A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office declined to comment on Mr Geragos's statement.
The prosecution's motion also notes several incidents in which Brown lost his temper, including throwing a chair through a window after a Good Morning America interview in which he was asked about his assault of Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards.

As they were: Brown pictured with Rihanna back in 2008 prior to the assault in February the following year

The report cites Brown's recent fight with R&B singer Frank Ocean, including Ocean's allegation that Brown 'threatened to shoot him in the brawl over a parking space,' according to a police report of the incident.
Ocean suffered cuts on his right index finger and minor cuts to his left temple.
Police officials say they are unlikely to seek charges against Brown for fight with Ocean, after Ocean posted online that he does not intend to seek criminal or civil penalties.
Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered Brown to perform 180 days of community service after he accepted a plea deal of community labour, five years' formal probation and domestic violence counselling back in 2009.
The new prosecutor's motion asks the judge to order the singer to repeat his entire 180-day service sentence in Los Angeles. Brown had been given permission to perform clean up and manual labour duties in his home state of Virginia.
But LA prosecution investigators claim they found no evidence he completed his work as ordered.

Richmond Virginia police chief Bryan Norwood was tasked with supervising Brown and submitted paperwork last year indicating the singer had completed his sentence.
However, prosecutors allege there are numerous shortcomings and possible misstatements in those records, which show the singer performing double shifts in the city and at a day care centre where his mother once worked.
'This inquiry provided no credible, competent or verifiable evidence that defendant Brown performed his community labour as presented to this court,' Deputy District Attorney Mary Murray writes in the filings.

She alleges that the records submitted by Norwood are 'at best sloppy documentation and at worst fraudulent reporting.'

 

Brawl: The prosecutors cite incidents where Brown is said to have 'lost his temper', including his recent altercation with Frank Ocean, which the singer tweeted about last week

Plea deal: Brown, pictured in court back in 2009 accepted a deal of community service and counselling following his beating of Rihanna

Richmond police spokesman Gene Lepley declined to discuss the allegations, saying: 'We believe it would be inappropriate to comment on a matter that's before the court.'
According to the motion, officials with Virginia's probation office told investigators that Brown's arrangement to be supervised by Norwood was 'extremely unusual' and had not been approved by the agency. No one from Virginia's probation department oversaw Brown's hours, the filing states.
The motion notes that the only records the department has to indicate Brown was supervised were officers' overtime sheets. But five of 21 days that officers logged overtime for Brown were spent providing security for the singer's concerts.
Around one-third of Brown's community hours were logged at a daycare centre where the singer spent time as a child and where his mother once served as director, it has been reported.
The prosecution motion says a detective checked on Brown on only nine occasions when he was working there. Each time, the singer was found at the centre, accompanied by his mother and a bodyguard but no law enforcement personnel.
The hours Brown recorded as working at the centre were done overnight when children were not present. Some of the records stated Brown waxed floors or did 'general cleaning.'

 

But claims that Brown 'cleaned, stripped and waxed floors' at the location are contradicted by prosecutors.
A professional floor cleaner contracted to work at the daycare centre told investigators he had been cleaning the floors throughout the months Brown reported working at the facility.
The motion states that Brown's mother Joyce Hawkins, no longer had a formal role at the Tappahannock Children's Centre but had her own set of keys and coordinated her son's work at the facility.

The investigation also revealed that while records showed Brown picking up trash in Virginia, he was actually on a private jet to Cancun.

Brown is due in court on Wednesday for a probation hearing.

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'Maybe I should have waited': Demi Lovato admits she 'dived into work really quickly' with X Factor USA job after rehab

She made an impact on X Factor USA due to her feisty opinions and arguments with her boss Simon Cowell.
However, despite being a determined mentor on the talent TV show, Demi Lovato admits perhaps she should have waited to accept such a high-profile job following a difficult few years.
The 20-year-old singer spent time in treatment in 2011 for bulimia and self-harming, which she has openly spoken about in a bid to help others.

 

Moving on: Demi Lovato admits she should have waited before joining X Factor USA

She was offered the job to join Simon, LA Reid and Britney Spears on the X Factor USA panel in autumn 2012 and jumped at the chance.
Speaking to the new Spring term issue of Cosmo On Campus, Demi concedes she wasn't ready for the role.
She said: 'I don’t think I was ready when I started on The X Factor. In an ideal situation I would have maybe waited a year or more.

 

In a good place: Demi speaks about her battle with bulimia and self-harming

The full interview appears in the Spring 2013 issue of Cosmo on Campus, available from 6th February across universities in the UK

'I dived into work really quickly and maybe that wasn’t the best idea at the time, but the place I am in today is so much better than I could have ever imagined, so I’m really glad.'
After conquering her demons, the Camp Rock star is now in  healthier state of mind and admits she's finally ready to start dating again.
She explained: 'It is very unhealthy when girls devote all of their time to a guy and forget their friends and family. I did that. I was always looking for distractions because I was so afraid of being alone.
'I have spent the last year focusing on myself and it’s been incredible. More has come out of the past year than in my entire career so far, and I truly believe it was because I was taking care of myself and not focusing on guys.'
In the past, the young star admitted she used to 'self-sabotage' her romantic relationships.
However, now she insists: 'I’m in a place where I can finally trust and love and be a better person for the man I am in a relationship with, instead of being a clingy girlfriend or getting jealous.'
The full interview appears in the Spring 2013 issue of Cosmo on Campus, available from 6th February across universities in the UK.
Cosmo on Campus is also available to purchase on Apple Newsstand (download the Cosmo UK app to access).

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