As part of our ongoing series featuring the abundance of special-edition luxury items released for Chinese New Year, we take a look today at the multiple equine jewelry pieces that have been hitting the market. For brands such as Hermès, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren, this year's zodiac animal is a natural promotion opportunity thanks to their equestrian heritage, but other companies that haven't spent much time at the stables aren't holding back.
Hermès#
Famous not only for its Birkins, but also its luxury horse-riding gear, Hermès has released the Gallop Collection of jewelry available exclusively through Harrods in London just in time for Chinese New Year. The collection's necklace, ring, and bracelet are studded with diamonds, and like almost every other piece of jewelry for the year of the horse, come in gold.
Ralph Lauren#
Another brand with built-in horse heritage, Ralph Lauren went all out for the holiday by releasing a special Chinese New Year collection that includes many products in the men’s Purple Label, women’s, watch, accessories, and jewelry categories that will be sold for a limited time across the company’s global flagship stores. For fine jewelry, the brand has released a special horse bracelet, opting for a silver diamond-studded piece with an auspicious red band instead of the more common gold.
Chow Tai Fook#
Known for its close attention to Chinese culture in various marketing campaigns, the Hong Kong jeweler is hoping to cash in on the massive gold sales expected for this Chinese New Year. This comes in the form of special gifts such as gold horse jewelry and statues, as well as the clearly investment-oriented present of gold bars with a festive horse decoration.
Tiffany#
After investing heavily in its China presence over the past year, the jeweler has come out with a simple, classic piece to celebrate the year of the horse. The brand is selling a special-edition 18k-gold charm to accompany the gold "Tiffany Twist" chain.
Boucheron#
The Kering-owned French jewelry house is heavily promoting its Pégase rings for the year of the horse on Chinese social media. The diamond- and sapphire-encrusted flying horse pieces are inspired by Greek mythology, but the company hopes that Chinese customers will see them from the Chinese zodiac perspective.
Gucci#
This year is particularly auspicious for Gucci, which decided to capitalize on its equestrian style by releasing multiple special-edition Chinese New Year products with its classic “horsebit” design. In addition to several China-exclusive bright red handbags designed specifically for the occasion, the company’s horsebit jewelry is also receiving attention for its relevance to the upcoming holiday. Offering a more abstract horse reference than the very literal designs created by other brands, global retailers such as Bloomingdales have been promoting the pieces for Chinese New Year.
Cartier#
Marie Claire China and other Chinese media outlets have included a rare Cartier diamond and emerald horse brooch in their year of the horse jewelry reports. However, this particular piece is going to be pretty hard to come by—it sold for $25,000 at Christie’s in New York this past December. With the rising number of Chinese bidders at international auctions, now is the right time to sell horse-themed luxury items: the brooch sold for more than double its high estimate.
David Webb#
The Manhattan-based high-end jeweler has caught the attention of Chinese media for his elaborate horse bracelets, which fit in with the holiday despite the fact that they were created long ago. Owned by horse-lover Elizabeth Taylor, the brand’s horse bracelet, which also comes in a dappled blue enamel version for $75,000, is a piece for a wealthy Chinese buyer serious about an auspicious investment.
