Goth Jewelry - Part 2: Colors and Symbols

Hello Design Fans:

One might think the colors and icons appropriate for gothic fashion would be a short list (you know, black and crosses). But this certainly is not the case. I'll admit that for colors in my jewelry, I gravitate towards black and red, with an overall dark feeling. Yet it is clear that goth fashion includes any color at all, and can carry a kind of brightness. Hot pink, neon green, chalk white, and candy purple are hardly uncommon.

And of course symbols and icons might include crosses or fangs, but they also include iron nails, daggers, animals, and a great deal more. Some people prefer a sense of subtlety and maturity in their fashion that eschews standard symbols completely in favor of an overall impression.

Your choice of colors and symbols will be driven by the effect you want to achieve, of course; the meaning, mood, and overall statement. What does your inner goth say? For example, are you interested in something brooding, intense, and romantic? Or do you prefer something campy, energetic, and strange?

For the dark romantic mood, consider inspirations such as Victorian-era mourning culture, old silent horror films, and gothic cathedrals. Colors might include black, white, gray, silver tones, and deep or washed-out gem tones. Symbols might be crosses, bats, webs, ravens, chalices, and the Moon. The campy energetic mood might be inspired by icons from the 'Day of the Dead', voodoo, and the Mardi Gras-like afterlife in Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Colors might be glowing reds and purples, murky yellows, goopy greens, and brilliant orange. Symbols might be skulls, poison, dice, bugs, ... well, you get the idea.
 

There are no rules, which is part of the point of goth to begin with. If it works for you, then it works, period.

Jennifer

Image Credit:
Goth People - MarcUndRegina, Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons CC 2.5
Pink Scarf Goth - 74/365, Constantinb on Flikr, Creative Commons CC 2.0
Spider Web Agate Necklace - Lunar Blue Designs, Listed in our Esty store with matching earrings, Sept 2010