Bridle Rosette Brooches

Bridle rosettes (sometimes called halter rosettes) are glass domes with pictures. They came in pairs, and were used, as you might expect, to decorate a horse’s bridle or halter. Today, lovers of vintage and estate horse jewelry enjoy these rosettes as brooches.   They’re substantial pieces that look great on the lapel of a blazer or coat.

Truly lovely, these rosettes featured all kinds of images.  Horses were an especially popular subject, and we’re lucky enough to have several examples in our collection.

This bridle rosette brooch features a liver chestnut horse with a bridle . It’s just about 1 3/4″ in diameter, and has a very substantial pin back.  You can wear this pin confidently, knowing that the clasp is secure.

Here’s another great bridle rosette brooch.  It has a vibrant dark red background – perfect for the holiday season! – and a spirited chestnut horse. This is a great piece of jewelry for the collector who has just started exploring vintage horse jewelry.  This brooch looks fabulous on a dark blue or navy background.

And here’s what may be our favorite bridle rosette brooch in the collection right now. Against a beautiful blue background is a chestnut horse with a blaze. He looks happy and alert, ready for adventure – full of an exciting, dynamic energy that is a joy to wear!

Horse brooches are a great gift item.  The nice thing about bridle rosette brooches is that they’re really reasonably priced.  Many in the EquestrianJewelry.com collection are under $100. So if you’re stumped searching for a great gift item for the horse jewelry lover on your list, consider bridle rosette brooches!

Brumbies are believed to have descended from the horses of European colonists, with some bloodlines joining in the mix from South Africa and East Timor. There’s a lot of Thoroughbred and Arabian blood in Brumbies, although you’ll also see a little draft horse stoutness.  When mixed all together, the result is a strong, passionate, durable horse.

Much like Mustangs, some people adopt Brumbies, train them, and find homes for them.  Other Brumbies remain wild and free, with all of Australia’s rugged outback as their pasture.

The Brumbie plays a critical role in Australia’s heritage and history.  There’s even a legend about the Brumbie that shows up in a distinctive piece of jewelry: the Brumby bracelet.

The Brumby Bracelet

Brumby bracelets have been a symbol of good luck for many centuries. No one is sure where the original Brumby bracelet was made, but we do know that the earliest bracelets were woven from the tail hairs of wild brumbies.

Today, bracelets are made of silver wire, gold wire, or other precious metals used to represent the brumbies’ hair. Not only does this make the bracelets easier to make, they last quite a bit longer.  A Brumby bracelet can have a place of honor in your horse jewelry collection.

People believe that the bracelet would protect the wearer against peril, sickness and misfortune. The knots are symbolic of life’s great forces: the sun, the wind, fire and water. The strands which circle through the knots represent energy which neither can be created or destroyed, and so, like the strands, is continuous. The movement of the knots along the strands combines life’s great forces with the ever present energy bringing strength to the wearer.

Elegant and appropriate for many settings, the Brumby bracelet is one of our best sellers. A great gift and a way to subtly showcase your love of horses!

What is white gold?

White gold is an alloy, which means it’s a combination of one or more metals.  In its natural state, pure gold is the warm yellow hue we all know and love.  However, when pure gold is combined with a white metal, you get white gold.  The metals that are most often combined with pure gold to create white gold are nickle, palladium, silver, copper and zinc.

Is white gold as valuable as pure gold? It’s difficult to put a value on all white gold as a whole. Much of jewelry’s value has to do with the design and artistry that went into creating the piece, as well as the value of any stones included in the piece.

The best white gold horse jewelry, such as this exceptional 14K white gold 3 snaffle bit ring, combines exquisite artistry with the finest metals and beautiful diamonds.  You can’t miss combining diamonds with white gold, and this ring would be a spectacular wedding or anniversary band.

White gold can be stunning when featured in pieces the combine other colors of gold.  White gold can be paired with pure gold, or rose gold, which is an alloy in which gold is mixed with a great deal of copper.  Horse pins often feature multiple colors of gold, and a great horse brooch can easily serve as your signature piece of jewelry.

What about white gold allergies? Many people worry that they’re allergic to white gold.  Very few people are allergic to the gold in white gold – it is the other metals that are involved that can be problematic.  If you’re sensitive to nickle, white gold can be problematic.  Talk with your jeweler about the alloy used.

Today, let’s talk about watch fobs.  What are watch fobs?

Watch fobs are designed to be worn with pocket watches.  Remember pocket watches? Back in the day before cell phones, people used to wear watches to easily tell what time it was.  One of the earliest forms of watch was the pocket watch.  A watch fob was a chain or ribbon, often accented with a decorative element, that would attach to the pocket watch and dangle from the pocket where the watch was kept.  That way, when you wanted to tell what time it was, all you had to do was pull on the watch fob, and voila – there was your pocket watch.

Watch fobs really had their heyday in the 1700′s.  Many were carved, elaborate pieces of jewelry.  They were so cool and so fashionable that people took to wearing multiple watches (some of which didn’t even work!) in order to wear multiple watch fobs.

Then, sadly, men’s jewelry styles became less flamboyant.  The watch fob went into hiding – only to be discovered by fans of vintage jewelry. Today, luckily,  watch fobs are worn by both men and women. They’re worn by fashion-forward folks who want a unique accent piece. If you’re interested in watch fobs, you can find both quality vintage pieces and great fobs from modern makers and designers.

Watch fobs are a great place to show off  your love of horses.  This watch fob features carved mother of pearl in the shape of a horse’s head – check out the flowing mane! If you’re looking for something beautiful and different to add to your horse jewelry collection, consider the watch fob.

What makes a great Father’s Day gift? I think if you polled 100 Dads and asked them that question, almost all of them would agree that the most fabulous presents are those that come from the heart and are personally meaningful.  Of course, you’ll always get that Dad who says all he wants is a new bass boat – but we’ll worry about him next year

We’re pretty sure that there’s a Dad out there who would really enjoy this Men’s Grooming Kit. It contains all of the essentials: scissors, razor, nail clippers, toothbrush, comb, and screwdriver. On the top, three tired hounds are taking a well-deserved snooze.  Add a little bit of elegance to Dad’s everyday with this gift!

Best of all, this kit is on sale! So is this Men’s Grooming Kit featuring a beautiful chestnut horse.

Another option, which is similar but not exactly the same, is this Portable Office. If your Dad loves Golden Retrievers -  maybe he even has a few of his own – he’ll love this gorgeous kit that contains a box opener, staple remover, pen, tape measure, and scissors.  These portable offices are very popular with Dads who spend a lot of time on the road: working out of a briefcase doesn’t mean having to go without the essentials – or the style!

Horse Jewelry For Father’s Day

Horse jewelry can make a great Father’s Day gift.  When you’re shopping for horse jewelry for men, you’ve got a range of options.  Rings are always popular, especially gold horseshoe rings.  Don’t forget about the old-school style of money clips! Horse cuff links are another great option, especially suited to the elegant Dad.

Make sure to let Dad know you love him.  That’s the best gift of all!

Equally dramatic was range of hats being worn to this year’s Run For the Roses.  There’s high fashion, I understand – but there were a few bonnets there that would have given even Lady Gaga pause. Why do people wear such outrageous hats? Maybe they think they’ll bring their chose horse good luck!

Horse Jewelry Spotlight: Keychains

Four leaf clovers are a traditional symbol of good luck.  They look great rendered in sterling silver, as you can see in this Sterling Silver Lucky Clover Key Chain. Key Chains can serve as beautiful accessories too. Equestrian themed silver keychains are a nice way to showcase your sense of style and your love for all things horse. Hunt caps, helmets, horseshoes and riding boots shine as silver charms, a lovely accent to your key ring. Key rings are great gift items; equestrian keyrings can be enjoyed by men or women.

(And if you really want to spoil your sweetie, you’ll buy a truck that goes with the keys that go on the keyring…after all, we all need a way to get to the barn!)

Tiffany, the famous jeweler, produced several classic keychains that are sure to be of interest to collectors of estate horse jewelry or antique horse jewelry. These keychains remind one of bits and bridles, of time spent in the saddle, and of course, the classic four leaf clover to bring good luck. You can see these keychains here.

Add a little fun, flash and style to your keyring! Shouldn’t your morning drive have some equestrian flair? Treat yourself!

With the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, how could we not spend some time talking about thoroughbreds? For many people, the thoroughbred is the image that comes to mind when you say the word “Horse” – long, tall, lean and fast, hooves churning up the track, ears back and tail flying, racing for victory. The thoroughbred is emblematic of so many great qualities: determination, heart, tenacity, desire.

To top it all off, thoroughbreds are really beautiful horses. This beauty translates well into horse jewelry.  Over the years, many talented artisans have captured the image of the thoroughbred in gold, silver, and fine jewels.

Vintage Horse Jewelry

Many pieces of vintage horse jewelry are of particular interest to the horse lover: if you like images of thoroughbreds racing, reverse painted crystal horse jewelry can be your delight. Images of thoroughbreds and racing go hand in hand: many horse pins and horse brooches feature the symbols emblematic of the sport of kings.

If you collect vintage horse jewelry, you can look for pieces at antique stores, flea markets, or estate sales. Treasures can show up in the most unlikely places, and for some people, the search is part of the fun.  Another way to build your estate horse jewelry collection is to find a company that specializes in vintage horse jewelry. This year’s trend toward rose gold is perfect for lovers of estate horse jewelry – many fine pieces feature rose gold!

Modern Thoroughbred Horse Jewelry

Modern design is having a powerful impact on the jewelry world. Horse jewelry featuring the bold lines, innovative styling, and fashion forward sensibility of modern design appeal to women of all ages.  Cuff bracelets are one of the hottest trends of the season, especially silver cuff bracelets featuring horses. We’re also fond of this diamond horse head pendant – the energy and dynamism of this piece evokes the passion and fire of the thoroughbred.

Let Your Teen’s Sense of Style Be Your Guide

The best horse jewelry for your teen is jewelry that she’ll actually wear.  Look at the jewelry she wears regularly. Choosing a piece in a similar style is generally a safe bet. And if she ‘likes’ something on Facebook? That’s a helpful hint for the gift buyer!

Be Realistic

Teenagers have lots of great qualities, but being prudent, careful, and responsible isn’t always on the list. With this in mind, pick out jewelry that can stand up to the wear and tear of life with a teenager.  No, this doesn’t mean you’re limited to cast iron horse jewelry! Simple select rings that have low or flush mounted stones; our Rider Ring collection is ideal. Quality counts. Make sure necklaces and bracelets that have secure clasps, so they don’t slip off and get lost.  That way you avoid heartache!

Put Her Name On It

Bangle bracelets and lockets are among the types of horse jewelry that can be engraved.  You can have horse jewelry engraved with your teen’s name, their horse’s name, or with a short, meaningful quote.  Another option is to have horse jewelry engraved with a date – perhaps graduation day or the first blue ribbon!  We’ve even seen text messaging language worked into engraved horse jewelry, which was cute – although it did make us LOL.

Everything Old is New Again

One of the strongest trends in teen jewelry is toward the unique and personal piece.  Vintage horse jewelry – sometimes known as estate horse jewelry – can be the answer.  Look for pieces that are fun and funky.  Romantic teens tend to love Victorian horse jewelry and Art Nouveau horse jewelry, both of which feature lush detail and elaborate design.

Sometimes when you’re feeling a little blah – or maybe it’s not you, but it’s someone you know and cherish that’s having a tough time – the best thing to do is give yourself a little gift. The nice thing about horse jewelry is that it can provide that instant little “pick me up” – simply looking at a new piece of horse jewelry for your collection can put a smile on your face. And is there any better way to cheer someone up than with a personal, thoughtful gift that says “I was thinking of you”?

We really like the Hoofprints on Your Heart sterling silver charm necklace for this purpose. It’s a simple piece, on the petite size, with half a dozen tiny hoofprints on a sterling silver charm.  Appropriate for any setting, this charm reminds us of the unconditional love we get from the horses in our lives.  Even when everything is going wrong, our horses love us – - and when everything is going wrong AND we have carrots in our pocket, well, then our horses love us twice as much.

The Hoofprints on My Heart design is also available on a pin and on a bangle bracelet.  The necklace is a big hit with younger horsewomen.  Teens are particularly fond of it.  The charm comes on a black silk cord, although for a more formal look, you could switch it to a narrow sterling silver chain. A great gift for yourself or someone you love – perfect to put a smile on their face!

In addition to the Horse Beauty pageant, Turkmenistan will be holding a national competition for carpet makers, jewelry makers, and sculptors.  Each group of artists are being encouraged to embody the horse’s beauty into art.

We can’t wait to see the entries, particularly where the jewelry makers are concerned. Great horse jewelry is all about capturing the beauty of horses, their grace, their passion, their majesty and power.

Cameo Horse Jewelry

When you buy horse jewelry for yourself – or as a gift for your sweetheart, as Valentine’s Day is less than a week away! – you want to choose only those pieces that you find personally beautiful.  A piece of horse jewelry must speak to you. You must enjoy looking at it, wearing it, and having it be part of your horse jewelry collection.

This beautiful double horse head cameo necklace certainly qualifies on every level. Carved from Italian agate,the necklace features hues ranging from deep navy blue to pure white.  Graceful and elegant, the pendant features a bit of whimsy: the flowing manes evoke an almost magical, otherworldly sense to the piece.  A delicate twisted wire bezel of 14K gold surrounds the pair. Great for horse lovers of every age, and absolutely romantic. The fine features, especially the pointed ears, of the horses reminds us of the Akhal-Tekke, and we’re absolutely sure that the judges in Turkmenistan would love this pendant.  How about you?