Gothic revival: Black jewellery, spikes, and romantic obsession

Long before it became a fashion code, Gothic was an aesthetic system born in the Middle Ages. Emerging in France in the 12th century, its architecture spread across Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries, marked by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, stained glass, and monumental structures such as Notre Dame Cathedral. In the late 18th century, the Gothic Revival began in England as part of Romanticism – a riposte to the measured rationalism of the Enlightenment. From architecture, the Gothic spirit seeped into visual art, literature, theatre, and eventually, fashion.

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In the Victorian era (1837–1901), particularly after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Gothic motifs permeated mourning culture. Mourning jewellery, often fashioned from the hair of the deceased or set with black stones, became a poignant emblem of loss.

By the 1970s and 1980s, from the remnants of punk, the Goth subculture took shape in England. Influenced by post-punk and gothic rock bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, and The Cure, it developed a distinctive style: black lace dresses, fishnet stockings, corsets, dark lipstick, silver pieces, crosses, chains, and sharp-edged adornments. Garments were frequently hand-cut and self-tailored, a choice that was at once economical and a declaration of individuality, as well as defiance of mass consumer culture.

In the 2020s, the Gothic aesthetic made a comeback on social media platforms such as TikTok, with offshoots like #softgoth, #coquettegoth, and #sadgirlcore. On the runway, the romantic Gothic mood was reimagined through black lace, sheer chiffon, classic silhouettes, and jewellery with a metaphysical edge. Designers including Simone Rocha, Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, and most notably Alexander McQueen, who wove the Gothic into performances both haunting and romantic, carried the style into the realm of high fashion.

Today, Gothic Revival is not merely a reconstruction of history, but a return to an aesthetic at once conflicted and haunting in the modern world. From black beads and witchcraft symbols to silver jewels and Baroque flourishes, it is wrapped in a darkly romantic spirit that is alluring, yet tinged with a chill.

The soul of Gothic jewellery lies not in its materials, but in the values they embody. An old piece of silver, an unremarkable black stone, can still command attention. These pieces may lack the sparkle of diamonds or the lustre of white gold, yet they are essential to completing a Gothic ensemble.

Fine, twisted filigree details often found in Gothic jewellery echo the stained-glass windows of European cathedrals from the 12th to 14th centuries. Inverted crosses stand as defiance against rigid dogma.

Black onyx, with its distinctive veining, is prized not only for its deep hue but also for its ease of carving, a favourite in Victorian jewellery. Set against black lace gowns, leather jackets, corsets, and rugged flared trousers, it adds drama and depth.

Goths do not choose their jewellery by chance. Silver, leather, chains, industrial metals, onyx, and garnet are often sourced from thrift shops. Silver’s tendency to oxidise and tarnish lends it a weathered beauty. Many within the community create their own bracelets, chokers, and rings from old keychains, bicycle chains, or even empty bullet casings. This do-it-yourself ethos reflects both individuality and resistance to fast fashion and mass production.

Cold silver pairs naturally with Gothic make-up: pale skin (sometimes dusted with white or light blue powder for an ethereal pallor), heavily lined eyes, and dark lips. It stands in deliberate contrast to the bright, fresh-faced ideal. Gothic style embraces the looks others turn away from: faded, shadowed, uncanny.

Notably, Gothic jewellery is genderless. Men and women alike wear earrings, chokers, and rings in both delicate and oversized forms.

The prominence of silver does not mean gold is rejected outright. Gold’s association with wealth runs counter to the Gothic rejection of blind consumerism, prejudice, and submission to authority. For this reason, gold is rarely part of the traditional Gothic mix.

Yet gold has never been entirely banished. In the Gothic world, beauty is never mere ornament; it is a statement and a challenge to societal norms, entrenched biases, and imposed ideals. Colour and material alone cannot define Gothic.

Goths do not wear black for the sake of it. They choose darkness as a way of confronting society’s own darkness. Jewellery becomes a declaration: beauty need not be easy, but strong enough to reach the truth, however thorned or unsettling.

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