These skull beads are a fun and simple way to bring a little of the Halloween spirit into our jewelry designs. They are made of bone and are also referred to as Tibetan prayer beads. I read somewhere that they were used by monks to contemplate their mortality. Many bead suppliers carry these. I purchased mine from South Pacific.

Pictured in this article are a pair of earrings I made using these skull beads.

I accented them with 8mm limestone beads and 4mm goldstone beads. Limestone is thought to have powers of protection and longevity, and goldstone is believed to have mystic powers. So, I thought they would make a good combination along with the skull beads. Finally, I used gold-filled ear wires and head pins for findings and the same procedure I used for my basic bead earrings to assemble them.

Not only do the colors look nice together and go with most anything you wear, their combined symbolism is very powerful.