With Halloween just around the corner, we've picked our favourite spooky jewels, but in the spirit of all things devilish, we've ditched the trad Top 10 in favour of lucky-for-some 13. From bones and skulls to bugs and beheadings, jewellery's taking a trip to the dark side.
1. Sporting a skinful of sparkly crystals and boasting limited edition status, Juicy Couture's toothy pumpkin has a lot grin about.
2. The skull is a classic jewellery motif which, at this time of year, is especially apt. Venessa Arizaga's 'Three's Company' bracelet take a wry look at a spooky staple.
3. Alexander McQueen's ruby-eyed ring is a surefire statement maker.
4. Bony digits are rarely a good look, but we'll make an exception in the case of Delfina Delettrez's skeleton hand bracelet.
5. With its allusions to Victorian mourning jewellery and that beady eye, Bottega Veneta's blackened silver necklace has ghostly appeal.
6. Stone's black gold Spider Spirit ring is sure to snare a few fans.
7. Every witch needs a familiar and Phillipa Holland's iridescent beetle necklace looks like the perfect pet.
8. Pamela Love's Pentagram brass cuff will cast a spell over all who wear it.
9. Dolce & Gabbana's spangled star earrings are just the thing for a magical night.
10. Gold plated silver, soft water pearls and, err… chicken feet. Nobody does quirky quite like Giselle Ganne.
11. Animal lovers look away now. Momocreatura's Stag Head earrings are not for the faint hearted.
12. Not sure if it's the graphic bat-shaped mounts or the blood red feathers, but something about these Eddie Borgo earrings is saying 'Dracula'.
13. Playing Frankenstein, but with precious materials and a top hat-wearing canine, Vicente Gracia gives us The Dog Book brooch. Weird? Yes. Compelling? Indeed. The perfect Halloween accessory? We'll leave that for you to decide…
Maia Adams
According to the African-American traditional folk magic practice known as Hoodoo, bones are like catnip to capricious spirits whose powers let them rain misfortune or bestow good luck on those who summon them.
Exploring this angelic / demonic divide, London-based jeweller Patricia Nicolas's latest collection - the aptly titled Rebellion and Bones - comprises a series of eye-catching pieces whose articulated construction and bone-based centrepieces are sure to win it an army of fans.
Featuring a mix of materials that includes chunky curb chains, gold plated bones, dainty stars, horse head charms, Swarovski pearls, neon cords and - our favourites - an on-all-fours skeleton and crystal encrusted safety pin clasps, the overall effect is, according to Nicolas "perfectly rock and roll".
When not working on her collections, or plotting new ones, Spanish-born Nicolas - whose family has been in the jewellery business since 1945 - writes a popular blog for Vogue Espana and was recently heralded by the magazine as one of Spain's new generation of It girls.
With a starring role in the Freedom at Topshop jewellery boutique also in the offing right now, it would seem that Nicolas' bones are most definitely of the 'good luck' variety.
