Gothic Skull Jewellery

Skull jewellery is the one gothic motif that never went anywhere, and ours is made to be worn rather than kept for Halloween. Small enough to sit under a collar on a weekday, detailed enough to be looked at up close.

Most of this collection is pendants: a skull on a box or foxtail chain, cast in 316L stainless steel and finished in silver, so the detail stays sharp and the metal stays the colour it started. Plated alloy skulls lose their edges and go dark in the recesses within a year. Ours don't. You can wear them every day, in the shower, and to bed. There are a couple of pendant chokers for a shorter fit, faux leather collars with skull hardware if you want something with a band, and a few pairs of skull earrings.

Pendant necklaces are sold by length in centimetres, from 35cm to 90cm, with the extender fitted if you choose it. Chokers are sized Small, Medium and Large by neck measurement with the 4 inch extender built in. The chains under the pendants run from 3mm to 7mm, and the skull sits best on a chain that's a touch heavier than you'd pick for a plain pendant, because it has some weight of its own.

Which skull piece should I start with?

A skull pendant on a 4mm chain at 50cm. It sits on the chest, hides under a shirt when it needs to, and reads clearly when it does not. The raven skull is the one for someone who wants a skull that is not a human skull. The horned skull is the loud one. Skull huggies at 14mm or 15mm are the smallest dose of it and go with everything. The 36mm skull hoops are the earring version of the loud one.

What length do I need?

Skull necklaces are sold at 35 to 90cm. 50cm puts the pendant on the upper chest, the traditional length for a skull. 45cm sits it at the collarbone. 55cm and 60cm hang it lower over a shirt. The optional 4 inch extender adds up to 10cm. Skull chokers come in Small (11 to 15 inch necks), Medium (13 to 17) and Large (15 to 19) with a 4 inch extender.

Which chain should a skull hang on?

Every skull ships on its own chain, 4mm to 7mm depending on the pendant. A cast skull weighs more than a flat pendant of the same height, so the chains are wider than you might expect. If you swap it onto a chain you already own, keep to 4mm or wider or the pendant will pull it out of line.

Will it tarnish or turn my skin green?

No. A cast steel skull has no plate to wear off and does not oxidise, so the detail in the eye sockets and teeth stays as cast. There is no copper in the steel, so no green mark.

Can I wear it in the shower?

The steel skulls, yes. Shower in them, swim in them. The eye sockets collect soap and hair product, so hold the pendant under the tap once a week and let it dry. The two faux leather skull collars are the exception and stay dry.

Is it hypoallergenic?

The steel, for most wearers, yes. The collars are fine against skin for most people but have plated hardware; wear them over a shirt if you react to costume jewellery.

Is a skull a good gift?

For anyone who wears black, yes; it is the safest gothic gift after a cross. A skull pendant on a 4mm silver chain at 50cm, in the black velvet pouch, with a gift box added on the product page where it's offered.