Mastery of Design: The Waterton Skull, 1680-1720

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today’s sparkly thing is a rather ghastly little number. Here, we see an enameled gold ring with a bezel in the form of a skull and cross-bones which has been set with rose-cut diamonds

The Waterton Skull’s exact place of origin is unknown, but it is European and dates between 1680-1720. This sort of jewelry was worn after the death as a loved one as a memorial, but also as a memento mori—essentially a token to remind us all that we, too, shall die.

Get ready for some more ghoulish jewels in the coming days as we head toward Halloween.