Many of us want to find a perfect aesthetic fashion style. At least you guys do since you’ve gotten to this article. Today, I show you how to have a great Dark Academia wardrobe and how to find your matching Dark Academia jewelry pieces.
What Is Dark Academia?
Dark Academia is a fashion trend and aesthetic and made really popular in 2020. The aesthetic romanticizes knowledge and learning, books, old universities, architecture, and art. It should give a cozy feeling of melancholy and mystery. Dark Academia is inspired by the antics, sees purpose and beauty in poetry, art and philosophy, and has elements of goth in it.
The trend became popular during the pandemic in 2020 and through platforms such as TikTok. It‘s very possible that it got so popular through missing uni and school. Students are at home and so create a romanticized version of learning and living in old cozy university buildings. However, the dark and mysterious vibes Dark Academia has could be the negative effect and feeling that we have from quarantine.
Let‘s look at fashion. Dark academia is often connected with fall. That‘s why the looks are mostly in brown and nude colors and include pieces such as plaid skirts and pants, turtlenecks, wool sweaters and vests, trench coaches, and blouses.
Dark Academia Jewelry
The jewelry pieces in the Dark Academia style are mostly used minimalistic. Dark Academia has a calm and cozy atmosphere which is why the jewelry pieces shouldn’t be loud and bright. This doesn’t mean that jewelry in Dark Academia is always just simple and boring, but that it is calm and mostly in nude and brown shades. The exceptions are here gemstones and crystals.
Dark Academia jewelry is often vintage. Beautiful cameos, wire-wrapped stones, or lockets are some of the good Dark Academia pieces that are very often seen in vintage jewelry. The fashion style romanticizes through its jewelry the Victorian era from which most jewelry pieces are inspired. That’s why many Dark Academia jewelry pieces have details and decorations in them which makes the jewelry very special.
Other specialties are brooches and pocket watches. The Dark Academia style is very much inspired by the 19th century and so, you can wear brooches and pocket watches. Of course, as in every fashion trend, you can be more modern or more old-fashioned and wear these special pieces, if you find pretty ones.
Dark Academia Jewelry Materials And Colors
As said before, the Dark Academia aesthetic is warm, which is shown through gold jewelry pieces. Next to gold, the jewelry material can also be silver, copper, or black. The jewelry should adapt to the dark atmosphere Dark Academia has. Black can sometimes be plated over silver jewelry or is in stones or little details.
In your jewelry pieces, you can also have gemstones and crystals that aren‘t only in brown and black shades. Dark red, dark green, dark blue or other darker shades can be added beautifully to your Dark Academia outfit.
While the most seen jewelry materials in this fashion style are silver and gold, necklaces and earrings with small pearls, crystals, (jade) gemstones or Marmor ornaments can be a good accessory.
Dark Academia Motifs
In the Dark Academia aesthetic, there aren’t many motifs that show up in jewelry pieces. But some there are.
One motif is a more extended star. Often the pendant is in such a shape and gives you the feeling of comfort and mystery, because of the wide open stars, at the same time.
Another motif is a key or keys. These can also be seen as pendants to a necklace. The key, an old and rustic one, is connected to the doors and rooms of the great universities and architectures that are romanticized in the Dark Academia aesthetic. They also give a connection to the student life that the person who wears the jewelry wants to impersonate.
Dark Academia Watches
Since the Dark Academia jewelry is very minimalistic, you don‘t see many bracelets in that fashion trend. What you see more often are watches. Simple watches.
Typical of the old university aesthetic are watches with a simple clock and a black, brown, or dark leather strip. They give you an old-fashioned but stylish vibe. The watches can be new or even vintage. It‘s not bad at all if there are some traces of use and that you can tell that they are vintage.
Pocket watches are also a possibility. They might seem unusual to you, but are often stylish and work well in the Dark Academia style.
Dark Academia Earrings
When earrings are worn in Dark Academia, they are mostly simple ones. Small gold hoops work well, as well as dainty earrings. Small pearl earrings can be also worn. In Dark Academia fashion you sometimes see longer earrings that are elegant and have small details. These can be in silver, gold, or black.
Dark Academia Necklace
The most worn jewelry pieces in Dark Academia are necklaces. Especially for turtlenecks or wool sweaters, long necklaces with a pendant are a must-have for the Dark Academia style. The pendants can be oval, round, or rectangular, while they’re mostly small.
Vintage lockets, cameos, coin pendants, or wire-wrapped crystals are also great and unique necklace pendants that spice up your rather simple outfit. As said earlier, these unique and vintage pieces aren’t simple but they are often in nude or dark colors, which is what makes them just perfect for the antics-loving Dark Academia. Cameos are hard gemstone in relief with often a profile of a lady on it (see in the top right picture).
If it works well with your outfit, you can also wear black chokers with a stone pendant in the middle. Necklaces that you find in many stores are also mid-long chains that go together and then down, as a triangle.
Since Dark Academia jewelry includes black in the materials, necklaces chains made of fabric, and rubber with a longer pendant can match your look.
And although the jewelry should be minimalistic here, you do can layer necklaces. They should be thin and matching and not noticeable right away, but they can work well with a simple monochrome sweater.
Dark Academia Rings
Like other jewelry kinds in Dark Academia, a lot of rings should be simple. They can have big pearls or gemstones in darker shades in it. However, some wear big rings with a crystal or stone in them which match perfectly the Dark Academia vibe.
Especially when they shine a bit, the rings seem mysterious and give off a special feeling. In big rings are also often details and ornaments which match the architecture in Dark Academia.
Where To Buy Dark Academia Jewelry
The best way to get some precious jewelry pieces for your Dark Academia wardrobe is buy vintage. Ask your grandparents, your neighbor’s grandparents, your friends and family members. If you’re lucky, you get some great pieces that have are special and really look like as if they had been worn in those old universities. This tip might be obvious to you, but it just is the best one. And it’s free.
If you are less fortunate or can’t ask other people, go to vintage and second-hand stores. Here, as well as getting pieces from acquaintances, you do have to look a lot to find something that matches your style. But, it is definitely cheaper than buying new.
Having used and maybe dirty jewelry pieces fit in the Dark Academia style. So, you even have a bit more of autheticity. However, if you still want to clean some old pieces or if you even have broken pieces, there are some easy hacks on how to rewear your old jewelry pieces.
Haven’t been lucky there either? Online stores such as Etsy, eBay, or Depop have a wide range of second-hand jewelry pieces that can fit perfectly to your Dark Academia aesthetic, as well.
You can look at local jewelry second-hand shops or antique stores to get those beautiful cameos or precious ruby rings. However, they are often quite pricey because of the high value of the high-quality jewelry pieces. Maejean Vintage, the online site the shown jewelry pieces here are from, offers many beautiful and precious high-quality jewelry pieces that are mostly cheaper than in in-store antique places.
It’s more difficult to buy new Dark Academia jewelry pieces. But, En Route Jewelry is a possible store. They have some cute affordable jewelry pieces, and even a Victorian Dream Collection that includes for example a cameo necklace or black hearts earrings.
Another store that I want to show you is Sage Crystals Jewelry. The shop has some beautiful and simple jewelry pieces with crystals in them. Especially the darker crystals work great with a Dark Academia wardrobe.
Conclusion Dark Academia Jewelry
The Dark Academia aesthetic is set through romanticized learning in old university buildings, poetry, learning, and mystery. It still gives you a feeling of warmth and comfort which is portrayed through its fashion.
You should wear brown shades, in clothing as jewelry pieces. Silver, copper, gold, or black jewelry pieces work the best, biut darker colors, such as dark red or emerald, can also fill gemstones and crystals.
Dark Academia jewelry is very minimalistic and calm. Earrings are often not worn, as well as bracelets. Instead of that, you can wear a brooch and a leather watch. Long necklaces with a coin, oval or rectangular pendant are must-haves and beautiful vintage lockets, cameos or wire-wrapped crystals are also great pendants. The rings in Dark Academia are either simple or have a big pearl or gemstone in them.
