This is narrow one of my two Memento Mori skull rings at 4mm. Cast in sterling silver and given a brushed finish after oxidizing the recesses of the skull. Heavyweight, very comfortable.

Sterling

I made these Memento Mori rings for my older sister Jill, a famous poet and Professor who turned 50 this year. Well, I made the first one for her, the second because I wanted to make more knees, the third because I wanted to redo a jawbone. Skeletons are rad, even for nerds like me. And they look better the more you do.

While I was thinking about my design, I researched the history of Memento Mori jewelry. Memento Mori, literally translated as “Remember Death”, was a jewelry style popular in the 16th., 17th and 18th C. as a tribute to the deceased, and a reminder to live a just and moral life.

We McDonough girls have always said, “Life is one big party that starts right after high school”, a sarcastic misquote of someone who thought that less of a good time was a better plan. Well, from where I sit that seems like as true of a 21st C. restating of “Memento Mori “as any. Time friggin flies! Live every day to the fullest, as you see fit. If we had a sisters’ motto it would sound something like that.

So, here is my 21st C. Memento Mori ring collection. Each is carved in wax by hand and then cast using the ancient lost wax process. I then make a mold from which I can pull a wax copy of the original that can be resized to fit you and cast. The skull rings are given a dark patina and then polished and brushed down for a matte or satin finish. Enjoy! Live! 50 years pass in the blink of an eye.