Gothic jewellery holds a lot of historical significance. When most people think of the word ‘gothic’ they think of dark colours, crosses and symbols of death, however there is much more to it then just that. You might not think it, but most jewellery in the 21st century has taken some kind of inspiration from it.

The gothic style has been a prominent force through the decades, inspiring architecture and also influencing how grief was expressed through jewellery. The earliest influence of these alternative styles date right back to the 1140s, and the gothic influence really started to rise around the 13th century, to early 15th century. This era was a symbolic reminder of life and death. Death and the inevitability of it, was extremely overwhelming for people. The plague had taken many lives, and because of this, there was a lot of anxiety around the topic of death.

Pearls were used to represent purity in jewellery and rings, brooches and belts. Some stories state that white pearls are tears shed by the gods. A famous painting by Johannes Vermmer which dates back to the 1600s is named ‘A Girl With A Pearl Earring’ and the pearl in this painting symbolises status, wealth and a sense of foreign beauty and mystique. We as a brand have numerous pearl related products on our website, and they seem to be a timeless accessory for a lot of people
 

Another symbol which was huge in gothic culture and also very significant in jewellery was crosses. The imagery used in gothic crosses represent all that is dark and mysterious. A regular cross in jewellery although may be thought to represent Jesus Christ also is a symbol of sacrifice, faith and victory over death. 

Coloured stones were also used alot in this style of jewellery. Red gems often represented the bloodshed of Christ and rubies also had the association with blood which was often a common element of gothic jewellery. White and black stones were also often used and a symbol of this time. 

Crescent moons have also been a popular piece in jewellery for hundreds of years. During the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras the crescent moon often represented spirituality and was considered to be an empowering feminine symbol. This is again still huge now with people and is another timeless piece that will always hold some kind of meaning to it. 

Gothic jewellery is mysterious and dark but it can be simple and elegant. It mainly embodies a sense of rebellion and the underlying message of all this jewellery was to cherish life, and this still lives on in our jewellery today and probably always will.