To many people, a skull appears to be a symbol of death, but those of us who have a penchant for goth-inspired jewellery know that it has a much deeper meaning than this.
So, why are skull motifs so popular on stainless steel jewellery for both men and women? Let’s explore what’s really behind their use and why they’re a timeless symbol.
Firstly, it’s important to recognise that skulls have long featured in all kinds of jewellery. Some of the earliest recorded examples come from as a far back as the Middle Ages, when skulls were considered a reminder that life is fleeting.
This interpretation continued not only in jewellery, but also in other forms of art, which have come to be known as memento mori – the Latin translates as “remember you must die”.
Over the centuries, the use of skulls in various designs evolved and for many years they were considered a respectful way to remember the dead.
Secondly, skulls have come to be associated with other connotations besides death, including as a symbol of transformation and hidden wisdom. In many occult traditions, the skull is used to represent the bridge between the physical existence and the spiritual world that comes after.
In modern eras, skulls were adopted by the rock and biker movements as signs of bravery and rebellion.
Ultimately what you can take from this is that a skull in your stainless steel jewellery can have a multitude of meanings and you are free to choose the one that is most pertinent to you.
One of the reasons we love skulls as symbols is that they can be featured in a variety of ways. Some can be ornate and decorated by other patterns, or they can stand alone.
In our jewellery designs, we create pieces where skulls feature in unusual ways – such as our pendant featuring two skulls facing each other, connected by spinal columns in a heart shape.
