a collage of dark academia jewelry
Book Fetish

Dark Academia Jewelry for Would-Be Dark Students

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Alex Luppens-Dale

Contributor

Alex Luppens-Dale won the “Enthusiastic Reader Award” all four years of high school. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her favorite genres are memoir, witches, and anything with cults. She lives in New Jersey. You can keep up with Alex's latest work at her website.

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It’s unsurprising that as a person who would literally always be in school if my finances allowed for it, I love dark academia in all of its forms. Whether it’s a realistic story of scholastic rivalry gone very wrong, like Donna Tartt’s classic, The Secret History, or something more mysterious and magical, like Catherine House, I am here for all of it, including dark academia jewelry.

I know that I am not the only one who has purchased a necklace and pretended that it’s a mysterious amulet with some connection to my burgeoning powers or secret past. Was I a teenager when this happened or was it, perhaps, last week? I’ll never tell.

Dark academia vibes are a little witchy, a little Victorian, and a little bit private school — at least to those of us who attended public schools. Titles like Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik allow me, a person with a documented love of course catalogs and new notebooks, to imagine myself back…even if I don’t necessarily want my extra school with a side of being hunted by supernatural beings or hunting monsters myself. But if that’s the price one has to pay, well, that’s fine. I have my pretend amulet and it sounds way better than student loans.

Bronze collar pins from Etsy accentuated with bronze raven skulls.

What says “dark academia” even louder than collar pins? Collar pins with raven skulls, that’s what. $27

Sword-shaped earrings that go through the ear, embellished with red stones.

Maybe you’re studying at a sword school or a place where you want to show the things that live in the walls that you can defend yourself with ear swords. $17+

a black brooch with an eye in the middle

Sometimes you’re not just a student at the school of dark magic — sometimes you’re the teacher. In that case, this brooch would be perfect for a special occasion or whenever you need to keep an extra eye on something. $49

a photo of a silver snake ring

This snake ring is adjustable…rather like the allegiances of some of your classmates. $49

A silver necklace with a death's head moth charm.

This necklace looks like it might get you initiated into a secret society. $17

A brooch that looks somewhat floral made of grayish crystal.

What a lovely brooch for the upcoming school social. What kind of stone is that? Cursed, you say? $28

Silver twig earrings from Etsy.

These silver twig earrings are to commemorate the bare branches that seem to tap on your window every night. $17

A set of Victorian-inspired rings from Etsy. Designs include flowers and a crying eye.

Here is a set of three rings to share with your new school friends or to keep for yourself. $31

Earrings from Etsy featuring the head of Michelangelo's David.

You can’t tell me that these David-inspired earrings aren’t giving serious The Secret History vibes. $14

Bronze necklace with beading that looks like pomegranate seeds.

With this pomegranate necklace you can just smile mysteriously when your roommate asks where you spent your winter break. (The underworld. You spent it in the underworld.) $23

A silver ring set with a black and white stone inlaid with a small black diamond.

This beautiful ring is my pick for “statement jewelry that carries a dark secret.” $128

A ring with the design of the top half of Medusa's head, including her snake hair.

This Medusa ring will stop them in their tracks. $101

A rectangular pendant with an image of Lucifer climbing out of the center.

Finally, a necklace featuring Lucifer so that you can either entrap him or declare your allegiance. $101

If you still can’t get enough dark academia jewelry and books in your life, check out our list of 8 Brilliant Dark Academia Books by Authors of Color. If you’re totally confused, try this explainer on what dark academia is.