As the season shifts and the air turns crisp, our thoughts drift towards quieter moments. The soft glow of candlelight, the scent of woodsmoke, the gentle ritual of choosing a jewel to wear. This time of year always feels a little enchanted to us. The light fades early, and with it comes a sense of introspection and connection to what has come before. It feels right to pause, to honour the turning of the year, and to celebrate the magic held in beautiful old things.
As October fades and the nights deepen, the old festival of Samhain arrives.
From the olden Celtic festival celebrated in the northern hemisphere from October to mid November, Samhain pronounced 'Sah-win' is the final harvest festival and marks the beginning of Winter. As the days grow shorter, leaves fall from trees and we are embraced by the darkness. It is the origin of many of our ancient rites around fire...
In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through.
The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities.
Once, fires were kindled on the hills to honour the turning of the year. The harvest was gathered, and people marked the time when the veil between the worlds grew thin, allowing the spirits of ancestors to draw near. Offerings were left at thresholds, and masks were worn so that mortals and wandering souls might pass safely among one another.
That ancient spirit lingers still, and at this time of reflection and transformation we are drawn to jewels that echo its quiet magic. Old cut diamonds flicker like candlelight, and antique gold glows warmly against the gathering dark. Each jewel a small ceremony, each piece a reminder that beauty and meaning endure through every season.
Mourning Jewels
In this season of remembrance, mourning jewellery feels especially resonant. These pieces were created to honour love that endures beyond parting, to keep a spirit close. They embody the tenderness of loss, yet also the strength of devotion, a tangible link between love and loss, memory and spirit. As Samhain celebrates both endings and beginnings, these jewels remind us that love, once kindled, never truly fades.
The Scarab’s Secret
Among our chosen treasures are carved scarabs, ancient emblems of rebirth and protection. To the Egyptians, the scarab symbolised the rising sun and the soul’s eternal journey. At Samhain, as the earth sleeps and prepares to be reborn, their meaning feels beautifully aligned. Each scarab, carved by hand, is a talisman for safe passage through change and the unseen realms beyond.
The Strength of Bloodstone
Bloodstone, with its deep forest green and red flecks, carries the quiet pulse of life continuing beneath the frost. Long prized as a stone of courage and vitality, it grounds and protects the spirit. As the Celts once lit fires to keep the cold and the shadows at bay, so bloodstone offers warmth and strength, a steady flame in the heart of autumn. Its deep green surface flecked with red recalls both Autumn’s fading life and the pulse of renewal beneath, mirroring Samhain’s balance between death and rebirth. Worn as a talisman, bloodstone anchors the spirit, strengthens the heart.
The Warmth of Garnet
Garnets, with their deep crimson glow, feel perfectly at home in the heart of autumn. Their rich, wine-dark colour recalls embers glowing low in the hearth, a symbol of warmth, passion and life carried through the cold months ahead. In folklore, garnet was thought to light the darkness and protect travellers on their journeys, making it a fitting stone for Samhain, when the nights lengthen and the path between worlds opens. To wear garnet now is to carry a little flame of vitality close to the heart, a reminder that even in the stillness of winter, the spark of life endures.
The Light of Citrine
Citrine carries the golden glow of late autumn sunlight, a touch of brightness as the days grow short. Long cherished as a stone of joy and abundance, it was believed to hold the energy of the sun, lifting the spirit and protecting against the encroaching dark. At Samhain, when we honour both shadow and light, citrine reminds us that warmth still lingers, and that hope, like the returning dawn, is never far away. Its honeyed sparkle feels like a promise whispered through the turning of the year.
Amulets and Talismans
Throughout history, people have worn amulets and talismans for protection, comfort and courage as they faced the unknown. At Samhain, when the veil between worlds grows thin, such charms feel especially meaningful. Each carries its own quiet power, a reminder that faith and intention can turn even the smallest object into something sacred. From tiny figas carved to ward off ill will, to bright red cornicellos calling in good fortune, to delicate crosses worn close to the heart, these charms speak of the universal wish for safety and blessing. Whether fashioned in gold, silver or stone, they are fragments of belief, symbols of light against the dark, still resonant with the same protective grace that has guided their wearers through the centuries.
A Ceremony of Light
At Samhain, people once gathered around the hearth to share stories of ancestors, lighting candles to guide loved ones home. We feel that same pull when candlelight touches the facets of an antique jewel. Each spark, each shimmer, becomes part of a ritual, a gentle act of remembrance and renewal.
These jewels are not merely adornments but keepers of memory, each one alive with the echo of ceremony and the promise of return. In their glow, we find the meeting of shadow and light, of what was and what is to come.
As the nights draw in, we invite you to wander through our Samhain Collection and discover the jewels that call to you. Each one holds a little of the season’s mystery, a flicker of candlelight, and a quiet sense of connection to the old ways.
This Samhain, may your jewels gleam softly in the darkness, carrying with them the whisper of ancient fires, the shimmer of candlelight, and the enduring beauty of all that connects us, between worlds and beyond time.
