What Is Memento Mori Jewellery?
Memento mori jewellery is jewellery that carries a reminder of mortality. The phrase memento mori translates as “remember that you must die”, but rather than being purely dark or morbid, its meaning is often deeply reflective. It invites us to live with awareness, to honour memory, and to recognise beauty in the fleeting nature of life.
For me, memento mori jewellery sits somewhere between art object, keepsake and personal symbol. It can hold ideas of remembrance, transformation, grief, curiosity and protection. A skull, bone, claw, tooth or vertebra can become more than an anatomical form. It can become a quiet reminder of presence, absence and the natural cycles that shape all living things.
Memento mori in contemporary jewellery
Historical memento mori pieces were often connected to mourning, memory and mortality. In contemporary jewellery, the tradition has evolved. Many people are drawn to memento mori jewellery not because it is macabre, but because it feels honest. It acknowledges that life is temporary, and that objects can carry emotional and symbolic meaning.
This is one of the central ideas behind my Curios Collection. The collection explores memory, nature and mortality through handcrafted sterling silver jewellery inspired by ethically sourced bones and natural curiosities.
Why bones, skulls and natural specimens?
Bones are often seen as symbols of death, but they are also structures of life. They hold shape, strength and movement. When cast into silver, their fine details become visible in a new way: small ridges, curves, hollows and irregularities that might otherwise be overlooked.
My interest in natural history, taxidermy and curiosity collecting has strongly influenced this work. Olivia Dryden Jewellery includes pieces cast from real natural specimens, including flowers, leaves, shells, bones and marine life, preserving intricate natural detail through traditional silversmithing techniques.
Is memento mori jewellery gothic?
It can be, but it does not have to be. Memento mori jewellery often appeals to people who love gothic jewellery, alternative jewellery, natural history, symbolic objects and unusual handmade pieces. But the meaning can also be quiet, personal and poetic.
A skull pendant might symbolise mortality. A bone and pearl necklace might speak to contrast: fragility and strength, softness and structure, life and remains. A claw holding a pearl might suggest protection, beauty and tension.
Memento mori jewellery by Olivia Dryden
My Curios pieces are handcrafted in Adelaide, South Australia, and are made in small quantities. Each design reflects my background as a contemporary jewellery artist and my ongoing interest in the relationship between art, nature and remembrance.
Rather than treating these forms as shock value, I approach them with respect. Each piece is intended to honour the original specimen and reveal the intricate beauty found within nature’s smallest details.
Explore related pieces
The Memento Mori Cross Brooch is a handcrafted sterling silver brooch made in Adelaide, South Australia by Olivia Dryden. It belongs to the Curios Collection, where natural history, memento mori symbolism and careful craftsmanship meet.
The brooch is formed from bird bone shapes arranged into a cross, creating a quiet symbol of memory, mortality and reflection. Cast in sterling silver, the bone forms become a lasting wearable object with a refined, slightly gothic presence.
Freshwater pearls add soft organic contrast to the sculptural silver form, balancing the darker symbolism of the cross with gentle lustre and natural variation.
Materials: Sterling silver
Process: Each brooch is handmade in small quantities using traditional silversmithing and casting techniques. The bird bone forms were originally moulded, then wax versions were arranged into the cross shape before being cast in sterling silver. Slight differences in texture, finish and pearl character should be expected as part of the handmade process.
Dimensions: 3.5 cm x 2.5 cm.
Explore more: View the Curios Collection or browse more brooches.
FAQ
Q1: What does memento mori mean?
A: Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning “remember that you must die”. In jewellery, it often refers to symbolic pieces that reflect on mortality, memory and the fleeting nature of life.
Q2: Is the Memento Mori Cross Brooch made from real bone?
A: The finished brooch is made from sterling silver, not bone. The design began with real bird bones, which were carefully moulded so their delicate natural structure and surface detail could be preserved. Wax forms were then created from those moulds and arranged into the cross shape before being cast in sterling silver.
Q3: Is the Memento Mori Cross Brooch suitable as a gift?
A: Yes. Each piece is packaged in an Olivia Dryden Jewellery branded velvet pouch and is suited to collectors who appreciate handmade jewellery with story, detail and meaning.
The Skull Pendant is a handcrafted sterling silver necklace made in Adelaide, South Australia by Olivia Dryden. It belongs to the Curios Collection, where natural history, memento mori symbolism and careful craftsmanship meet.
Unlike the pieces cast from natural specimens, this skull was hand-carved from wax before being cast in sterling silver. The carved form gives the pendant a quiet, symbolic presence, connecting it to memento mori traditions and the long history of skull imagery in jewellery and personal objects.
Worn on a sterling silver chain, the pendant feels refined, slightly gothic and deeply connected to themes of memory, mortality and reflection.
Materials: Sterling silver
Process: Each pendant is handmade in small quantities using traditional silversmithing and casting techniques. The skull form is first carved by hand in wax, then cast in sterling silver and finished individually. Slight differences in texture, shape and finish should be expected as part of the handmade process.
Dimensions: Skull 0.8cm. 45cm length chain.
Explore more: View the Curios Collection or browse more necklaces.
FAQ
Q1: How do I clean the Skull & Cross Bone with Drop Earrings?
A: Avoid perfumes, lotions and harsh chemicals, and gently polish the sterling silver with a soft jewellery cloth. Because the earrings include a freshwater pearl or onyx drop, do not place the drop in silver dip. A silver dip may be used occasionally on the silver components only, following the product instructions carefully before rinsing and drying completely.
Q2: What does skull jewellery symbolise?
A: Skull jewellery is often connected to memento mori traditions, which reflect on memory, mortality and the fleeting nature of life. In this pendant, the skull form becomes a quiet symbol of remembrance and reflection.
Q3: Is the Skull Pendant suitable as a gift?
A: Yes. Each piece is packaged in an Olivia Dryden Jewellery branded velvet pouch and is suited to collectors who appreciate handmade jewellery with symbolism, story and a slightly gothic sensibility.
The Memento Mori Cross Pendant is a handcrafted sterling silver necklace made in Adelaide, South Australia by Olivia Dryden. It belongs to the Curios Collection, where natural history, memento mori symbolism and careful craftsmanship meet.
The pendant is formed from bird bone shapes arranged into a cross, creating a quiet symbol of memory, mortality and reflection. Cast in sterling silver, the bone forms become a lasting wearable object with a refined, slightly gothic presence.
Freshwater pearls add soft organic contrast to the sculptural silver form, balancing the darker symbolism of the cross with gentle lustre and natural variation.
Materials: Sterling silver
Process: Each necklace is handmade in small quantities using traditional silversmithing and casting techniques. The bird bone forms were originally moulded, then wax versions were arranged into the cross shape before being cast in sterling silver. Slight differences in texture, finish and pearl character should be expected as part of the handmade process.
Dimensions: Chain length: 45 cm.
Cross pendant: 4 cm.
Explore more: View the Curios Collection or browse more necklaces.
FAQ
Q1: What does memento mori mean?
A: Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning “remember that you must die”. In jewellery, it often refers to symbolic pieces that reflect on mortality, memory and the fleeting nature of life.
Q2: Is the Memento Mori Cross Pendant made from real bone?
A: The finished necklace is made from sterling silver, not bone. The design began with real bird bones, which were carefully moulded so their delicate natural structure and surface detail could be preserved. Wax forms were then created from those moulds and arranged into the cross shape before being cast in sterling silver.
Q3: Is the Momento Mori Cross Pendant suitable as a gift?
A: Yes. Each piece is packaged in an Olivia Dryden Jewellery branded velvet pouch and is suited to collectors who appreciate handmade jewellery with story, detail and meaning.
FAQ section
What does memento mori jewellery mean?
Memento mori jewellery is symbolic jewellery that reminds the wearer of mortality, memory and the temporary nature of life.
Is memento mori jewellery always mourning jewellery?
No. It can be connected to mourning, but contemporary memento mori jewellery may also represent reflection, transformation, protection or a fascination with natural history.
What materials are used in Olivia Dryden’s memento mori jewellery?
Many pieces are handcrafted in sterling silver and are inspired by bones, skulls, claws, teeth and other natural specimens.
Where is Olivia Dryden’s memento mori jewellery made?
Olivia Dryden Jewellery is handcrafted in Adelaide, South Australia.
Written by Olivia Dryden
Olivia Dryden is an Adelaide-based contemporary jeweller creating handcrafted sterling silver jewellery inspired by botanical specimens, ocean treasures, natural history and memento mori traditions. She holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design and was awarded a Helpmann Academy Fellowship, which enabled specialist taxidermy studies in London. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia and is stocked by selected galleries and retailers.
