Call it the Beyoncé effect. Horseshoes, horse bits and other equestrian motifs are having a major moment in pop culture — and Cowboy Carter, the singer-songwriter’s eighth studio album, is one way to explain it. But the long history of equine motifs used by heritage brands such as Gucci and Hermès suggests that our collective fascination with horses and equestrian culture runs deep. Not only is the animal itself rife with symbolism (denoting strength, endurance and elegance), it’s also a stand-in for luxury and affluence. Like their counterparts in fashion, jewelers, in a show of support for the horse’s myriad luxe connotations, are off to the races.
But the long history of equine motifs used by heritage brands such as Gucci and Hermès suggests that our collective fascination with horses and equestrian culture runs deep.
Best Of: Animal Instincts
Although animal-themed jewelry has been a popular category of jewelry for centuries, some years see more bejeweled creatures than others. This year happens to be one of them. Our ramped-up fascination with jewels that place animals — winged, webbed, feline, lupine, ursine or serpentine — on gem-set pedestals may be a long tail of the pandemic, which brought nature-inspired themes to the fore, but based on the charming pieces BE’s designers continue to turn out, the category has legs (and quite possibly, hooves). Check out our favorite new animal jewels, and do yourself a favor: Go wild!
Made Well: Planet Green
Few gems inspire such universal adoration as malachite. An opaque, green-banded mineral, the hard stone is a designer favorite, especially when paired with yellow gold. Used as a gemstone, sculptural material and pigment for millenia, the mottled gem embodies the deep, rich green of mother nature. Said to be a catalyst for change and spiritual growth, it’s as eye-catching as it is protective. Frequent flyers will appreciate malachite’s reputation as a stone of travel. Don a stylish piece from the BE collection on your next trip, and you’ll boast style and substance in equal measure
