Memento Mori Jewelry
20th Century Unknown Fashion Rings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Dangle Earrings
15k Gold
Antique 18th Century British Georgian More Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary English Contemporary Fashion Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s British Georgian Solitaire Rings
Garnet, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1700s British Stuart More Necklaces
Diamond, 22k Gold
Antique 1850s Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century German High Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Silver, Sterling Silver
Antique Early 19th Century Unknown Georgian Pendant Necklaces
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Gold, 9k Gold
Late 20th Century Dutch Contemporary Cluster Rings
Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s Late Victorian Dome Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique 19th Century British Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1790s Georgian More Rings
Diamond, Gold
Antique 17th Century English More Rings
Diamond, Rock Crystal, 15k Gold
Antique 19th Century Chinese Revival More Bracelets
Silver Plate, Bronze
Antique 1840s Early Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 15k Gold
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About Memento Mori and Mourning Jewelry
Memento mori and mourning jewelry are often lumped together, but they’re actually quite different, if not in style, then in purpose. While memento mori pieces serve as reminders of death in general, each item of mourning jewelry was designed or customized as a remembrance of a specific person.
“Remember that you must die.” Translated from Latin, this is the meaning of memento mori, a message that spurred a style of jewelry. Dating as far back at the 16th century, memento mori jewelry is designed to remind wearers of their mortality, with designs that incorporate symbols of death like skulls and crossbones, coffins and snakes. Given the relatively short life expectancies for people at that time, did people need a reminder that they were going to die (and probably sooner than later)?
“Memento mori jewelry was rooted in deeply held Christian belief and the concept of a judgement day,” says Lindsay Salmon, part of the duo behind jewelry line Erica Weiner, which offers both original designs and antique pieces. “Wearing a piece of this jewelry is a constant physical and visual reminder that one day you will die, and when you do, you will be held to account for your sins. In other words, lead a virtuous life or spend an eternity damned to the fires of hell." She also says the jewelry tends to fascinate people, and it can be their entry point into the world of antique jewelry and collecting.
Salmon, a collector of mourning jewelry, says she wears her acquisitions often, which include an 18th-century full-body skeleton ring and a Victorian wide gold ‘In Memory Of’ band with a woman’s wedding band encased in the interior. (The Grand period of Victorian jewelry is most often associated with mourning jewelry.) “I have a beautiful Georgian mourning ring with lovely enamel work and amethysts that had had its original dedication removed, she says. “I bought the ring despite its missing information, and later had it engraved for my father.”
Find a range of antique and vintage memento mori jewelry on 1stDibs.
- What is a memento mori ring?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021Memento mori ring is a ring that is an artistic reminder of the inevitability of death. ‘Memento mori’ is a Latin term that means “remember you must die.” These rings typically either feature a skull, crossbones or skeletons to prompt people to remember the shortness of life. Shop a range of memento mori rings on 1stDibs.
- What does memento mori mean?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Memento mori means “remember that you must die” in Latin. A memento mori is an object which serves as either a warning or reminder of death. An example of a memento mori is a skull.