At least once in a lifetime, each of us dreamed of becoming as cool and daring as the guys on motorcycles. Dashing through the streets with a roar, their very look inspires respect, admiration, and sometimes fear. Indeed, you wouldn't want to mess with a burly dude clad in leather, tattoos, and daring jewelry. Speaking about biker jewelry, it's the easiest way to stand in their shoes without actually buying biker shoes or a leather jacket (although having a cool leather jacket will never hurt).
Is Biker Jewelry for Everyone?
A lot of people will tell you that biker jewelry is only for bikers. They are not quite right. In fact, there are pieces intended exclusively for the members of motorcycle clubs and jewelry for everyone who has a free spirit and a sense of community. When it comes to the former, if you're not in a motorcycle club, you can't wear items featuring its colors. You may get in trouble if motorcycles discover that you use their emblem unauthorized. That being said, you are free to use any unbranded symbol or image referring to the biker community even if you don't have a two-wheeler. Some people are bikers at their heart, and that's enough to be eligible for a piece of biker jewelry.
What About Biker Symbols?
If we have to choose a single word to describe biker jewelry, it is going to be symbolism. 90%, if not more, rings, pendants, and bracelets feature one symbol or another. Bikers are proud of these symbols and the meaning they carry, so they tend to plaster them on everything that comes their way.
Some of the most powerful symbols common for the motorcycle community are:
- Skulls. As a multifaceted image, it represents protection and adversity, knowledge and wisdom, life and death. Above all, a skull is a patron saint that guards and keeps the Grim Reaper away.
- Crosses. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the majority of motorcyclists have faith in their hearts, hence they wear a cross as a symbol of their religion. Along with that, a cross is a striking symbol in its own right, and many choose it for the sake of fashion. Throughout its history, mankind has created a great many varieties of crosses Maltese Cross, Latin Cross, Budded Cross, just to name a few – and the biker community makes use of pretty much all of them;
- Iron Cross. This cross stands out against others, and not always for the right reasons. As Germany's highest military decoration, it became notorious during the devastating world wars of the 20th century. The people who stood at the origins of the biker movement went through these wars. They picked up Iron Crosses of defeated enemies as trophies and then took them home. For these ex-soldiers, the Iron Cross became a symbol of the trials they had to face, as well as the courage to overcome them. Later, the same symbol turned into a symbol of disagreement with the policy of the state and the spirit of rebellion. Bikers are rebels indeed, so the Iron Cross suits them to a T.
- Eagles. Eagles fly high. Eagles are mighty predators. Nobody can tell an eagle what to do or how to feel. It's no wonder that these birds are symbols of freedom. Freedom is an ultimate value for a motorcyclist, so it's natural that he or she associates themselves with this gorgeous bird of prey.
Metals Matter
When choosing biker jewelry, there can be only one correct choice sterling silver. Yeah, many trinkets are made of stainless steel but they will never feel as noble and worthy as silver. So argentums it is.
Surprisingly, biker jewelry hasn't always been crafted from noble metal. The vintage Mexican rings, which were the progenitors of modern pieces, were yellowish due to the fact that they featured brass, nickel, silver, and copper. It wasn't a conscious choice Mexican artisans melted down devalued coins and repurposed them. Over the course of their evolution, biker rings got rid of a fancy alloy, shed their yellow tint, and acquired their modern silvery look.
If for some reason you're not fond of silver, brass will do as well, although the selection of brass jewelry is rather scarce. Leather jewelry (necklaces and especially bracelets) is also the in thing, and various inlays (gemstones, wood, polymer glass, etc.) cannot be ignored either.
Silver-made and rich in symbolism, these rings, bracelets, necklaces, and pendants are looking forward to becoming yours.
