With a chill in the air and the nights getting longer, gothic jewellery may start to make its way onto the fingers and necks of those seeking a darker jewellery look this spooky season.
But, gothic jewellery isn’t just for Halloween! Taking inspiration from ancient architecture and blending it with modern motifs, gothic jewellery trends transcend time.
In this article, we will look at the key styles and trends in gothic jewellery that you can wear all year round.
What is gothic jewellery?
Gothic jewellery draws inspiration from gothic subculture, a cultural movement first emerging in the 1970s in Britain.
The Gothic movement takes influence from a range of historical sources, such as gothic literature from the 19th century, medieval gothic architecture and natural elements like botanicals and celestial elements.
Gothic jewellery often features echoes of the past, and the origins of gothic inspiration, and tends to be on the darker side.
One of the key features of gothic style is creativity and self-expression. So, if you’re looking to embrace your more mysterious side through gothic jewellery, you can blend your personal style with gothic touches or go for a full gothic jewellery collection.
Styles of gothic jewellery
While all types of jewellery can be made with gothic elements or inspiration, there are some key jewellery pieces that emulate the gothic vibe.
Brooches
Inspired by Victorian jewellery, brooches are a great way to start your gothic jewellery collection. They are versatile pieces that can add a touch of gothic flair to your outfit. From an antique cameo brooch to a bejewelled uniquely shaped brooch, you can make a statement or add some subtle style.
Necklaces
To achieve a gothic necklace look, try stacking multiple necklaces of varying lengths. Choker necklaces are incredibly popular in gothic style, layered with large gemstone pendants on longer chains and plain but thick chains to fill in the gaps.
Rings
Wearing lots of bold, statement rings with large jewels is a staple for many gothic jewellery lovers. Some people even choose to wear a ring on every finger! Though that may be impractical for many, adding some interesting, gothic-inspired rings to your collection can help you achieve a toned down version of this look.
Author Jacqueline Wilson wearing her signature gothic rings. Source: The Guardian
Gothic jewellery trends and themes
Silver style
The preferred metal choice for many gothic loving jewellery fans is undoubtedly silver. From brushed and slightly blackened to highly-shined and polished silver, choosing cool-toned jewellery.
The popularity of silver in gothic jewellery comes from its ability to highlight intricate detailing, with the natural oxidisation process providing depth to pieces. Others say that it’s because of its likeness to moonlight.
However, if warm-toned metals like yellow gold jewellery suit your skin tone better, you can incorporate other gothic elements to help achieve this striking look. Look for darker, more muted tones of gold to help create a more gothic look.
Deep jewel tones
In keeping with the dark nature of gothic style, when choosing gemstones, look for deep, striking gemstones to achieve a gothic look this Autumn / Winter. Bold jewels will really stand out against silver settings, creating a striking look.
From blood-red ruby jewellery to inky sapphires as dark as the night sky, deep jewels can help to create a jewellery collection with depth and a touch of gothic style.
Following Queen Victoria’s extended period of mourning after her husband, Albert’s death in 1861, mourning jewellery grew in popularity, with black jet featuring highly in jewellery of the time. While black gemstones are more unusual, you can emulate this design with black stones, like onyx or rare black or salt and pepper diamonds.
Memento mori
Coming from the Latin phrase that translates to “remember you must die”, Memento mori was a popular theme in jewellery between the 14th and 17th century, and later in the mourning jewellery made popular by Queen Victoria.
While it may seem morbid, commemorative jewellery is still rather popular today. Though memorial jewellery of the 19th century sometimes featured lockets with hair of the deceased enclosed, which, unsurprisingly, has fallen out of fashion in contemporary jewellery making, commemorative jewellery featuring loved ones’ ashes is ever popular.
Instead, incorporating skulls or other motifs into your jewellery is a way to channel this memento mori in a more subtle and stylish way.
Victorian inspiration
Harking back to the era of gothic literature, gothic style has a tendency to draw inspiration from the Victorian period.
Key features of Victorian jewellery are intricate detailing on the metalwork and gemstones set with claw-like prongs.
Whether you’re seeking out Victorian-inspired or authentic antique Victorian jewellery, look out for filigree detailing on the metal work and rich symbolism.
Details like hands, hearts and serpents were all common in traditional Victorian jewellery, with strong sentimental symbolism attached. More contemporary adaptations of gothic jewellery may feature motifs like bats or skulls that have less sentimentality and links more closely to cultural symbols.
Celestial celebration
Alongside natural motifs, gothic jewellery often centres on celestial inspiration. From stars, moons and suns to zodiac and astrology.
You can incorporate elements of celestial style by choosing ethereal stones, like moonstone or opal gemstones, that reflect multicoloured refractions of light, creating a dream-like quality.
You could also take an astrological route, figuring out your birthstone and incorporating that into your gothic jewellery. Alternatively, zodiac symbols or the animals associated with the starsign, like scorpions for Scorpios or Lions for Leos, often feature in jewellery designs and can add a touch of the celestial to your jewellery.
Religious iconography
Gothic style often echoes religious iconography and architecture, perhaps taking inspiration from gothic architecture.
Incorporating religious inspiration is common in gothic jewellery, with crosses and crucifixes. However, a more subtle way to incorporate this inspiration could be through choosing gemstones that mimic stained-glass windows, with rich jewel tones.
Final Thoughts
While gothic jewellery tends to be on the darker side, combining subtle gothic features and accents with timeless designs and beautiful craftsmanship, gothic pieces can be added to your jewellery collection seamlessly and worn alongside contemporary items and antique finds alike!
