Victorian Carved Bone Skull Pendant with Diamond Eyes

A macabre reminder to live life to the fullest for one day you too shall die, memento mori jewelry rose to the height of fashion in the 16th through 18th centuries. Representing both life and death, the imagery of a skull, crossbones and even entire skeletons became commonplace on everyday jewelry serving not only as a reminder of one's mortality and self knowledge but also as a symbol of one's faith.  Predominantly adorned by those of wealth who could afford such niceties, many of these skull pieces were gussied up with enamel or set with precious jewels.  However, by the 19th century, skull iconography became less heavy and more lighthearted.  For some, the skull was still used as a form of remembrance, but more so for a lost loved one rather than a mortality reminder. But for others, they wore skull jewelry because, well, it was just cool!  Skull imagery was so popular it was often adapted into logos for fraternal organizations, used to create optical illusion art and even turned in