Talk about scary. No menacing black cat, no cackling witch, can hold a dripping candle to the fear gripping us as we slide through the last few days before November Fifth. Faithful readers of Lynn Loves Jewelry know that we embrace a monthly theme here, but try as we might, we could not find any 18-karat gold drop box charms or platinum absentee ballot necklaces to mark this particular season. We are left with the task of scaring up (sorry!) jewelry that expresses the spirit of October 31st rather than the specter of Election Day.
If we were living 150 years ago, we would have had an easier time finding spooky jewelry. (And some politicians, let it be said, seem intent on casting us back to those dark days.) The Victorians loved macabre jewels—they wore mementos woven from dead people’s hair; they sported melancholy trinkets that might feature a bejeweled bat, or even a rat. Mourning rings engraved with details of the deceased were given out as souvenirs at funerals. (The Morgan Library has an example, gold with black enamel, that contains a lock of George Washington’s hair.) Urns and bereft maidens decorated bone brooches; angels flutter above headstones on sepia pendants.
It takes a courageous person to don those talismans today. (Full disclosure—I have been known to wear a memorial ring or two in my time—they are usually quite reasonably priced at antique shows, if you are wondering.) But you needn’t drape yourself in gloomy authenticity to add a bit of eerie fun to your Halloween ensemble. Why not celebrate All Hollow’s Eve with a pair of dangling spider earrings or a skull bracelet, a jaunty ghost charm, or even—because we searched!—an incredible pumpkin ring.
Here, our suggestions for jewels that will brighten your costume on Thursday night, and maybe even cheer you up in the days and months to come—no matter what happens next week.
