For centuries, jewelry has served as a powerful language of symbolism, memory, and identity. Among its enduring motifs is the memento mori, a reminder of life’s fragility and the inevitability of death. This symbolism reached a deeply personal expression during the Victorian era, when mourning jewelry became both an intimate tribute and a cultural phenomenon. Hair lockets, black enamel rings, and symbolic motifs transformed grief into wearable memory, turning jewelry into a reflection on mortality and remembrance. In the late twentieth century, this tradition found new life through the work of Codognato in Venice, which revived the skull motif as a powerful symbol blending art, history, and mysticism. Their creations helped reposition the skull within high jewelry, not as a morbid image, but as a poetic reminder of life’s impermanence. Today, contemporary designers continue to reinterpret this legacy. Through the work of Lydia Courteille, Stephen Webster, Amedeo Scognamiglio, and many other jewelry artists such as Gaetano Chiavetta, Renato Cipullo, Cece Jewelry, the skull becomes a powerful narrative device linking historical symbolism with modern craftsmanship and artistic expression.
Speakers:
- Laura Astrologo Porché (Jewellery journalist)
- Lydia Courteille (Jewellery designer)
- Stephen Webster (Jeweller)
- Amedeo Scognamiglio (Jeweller)
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