The British artist Kevin Coates draws on strong figurative imagery for his work. He describes his approach to jewellery thus : ‘If jewellery has become jewel, then jewel must become poem. I realize that this is a personal philosophy, but it is at the very heart of what I seek in my work; I understand, too, that it requires the conspiracy of others to approach what I do in terms of connotation and not denotation, in other words to “read” it in terms of poetry not prose.’

A 2008 publication describes this ring as 'A magnificent storm-grey moonstone has been carved as the expressive head of Caliban. His eyes, hinting at the angry turmoil within, are carved and inlaid with rubies. The shank of this dramatic ring is formed by the golden hands clutching the troubled head, their arms still crossed with bindings of slavery.' (Kevin Coates, A Hidden Alchemy. Goldsmithing: Jewels and Table-Pieces, Stuttgart 2008)

Coates's work often draws upon literary and mythological sources. In this case, the semi-monstrous figure of Caliban is drawn from Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest'.