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Joshua Hendren

Contributing writer for Style by SCMP, specialising in jewellery, watches and pop culture


As the Year of the Horse approaches, the jewellery world is being drawn back to the majestic creature with which humanity has had one of its longest and closest relationships.
Lunar New Year begins on February 17, marking the end of the Year of the Wood Snake and the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse. In Chinese astrology, each zodiac year is shaped not only by its animal but also by one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. The relationship between the animal sign and its governing element is considered highly significant, influencing how that year is interpreted and how its qualities are understood.

The most recent Year of the Horse was in 2014 with the Wood Horse, preceded by the Water Horse in 2002, the Metal Horse in 1990 and the Earth Horse in 1978. The last Fire Horse year, which has a particularly intense reputation in parts of East Asia, fell in 1966.
In the Chinese zodiac, the horse is associated with qualities like speed, confidence, stamina and the ability to overcome obstacles, all of which have made it a meaningful symbol of vitality across centuries of Chinese culture. People born under the horse sign are often described as energetic and perceptive, with a natural preference for independence. Across Asia, the horse has long symbolised movement and promise, and featured in Tang dynasty sculpture and in Lunar New Year paintings, its forward gallop expressing optimism in good luck and a smooth road ahead.

Jewellery traditions – not just in China but around the world – have incorporated the horse in many forms. From the gold harness fittings of the Scythians, a nomadic culture famed for its horse-centred art, to Hellenic signet rings carved with steeds and chariots, the horse has been a consistent subject for jewellers. It has appeared on amulets worn for protection, on brooches that signal lineage or rank, and on small charms exchanged as wishes for luck.

As the next Year of the Horse draws nearer, equestrian motifs are appearing more frequently in recent jewellery releases. Some present the horse in figurative forms, while others approach it through mythology or symbolism.

Cece Fein Hughes, founder of London-based Cece Jewellery, takes her usual storyteller’s approach with her Wild Horse signet ring, created as part of her A Traveller’s Tale collection.
Designed in yellow gold, the piece is adorned with a piebald horse rearing in the moonlight, a scene drawn from a story within the collection about two lovers preparing an escape. Fein Hughes describes the ring, which is hand-painted with champlevé enamel and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, as connected to ideas of desire and freedom.

The classical world, which revered horses as the companions of gods and heroes, has also inspired Greek jeweller YSSO, founded by the mother-and-daughter duo Alexia and Stalo Karides. Their Aethon collection takes its name from one of the immortal horses associated with Ares, the Greek god of war, with a necklace and brooch shaped like a horse’s head.
Roxanne First, a London jeweller and favourite of Meghan Markle, meanwhile, has designed colourful charm necklaces, strung on cords with gold beads, that channel the playful side of horse iconography. Her resin charms spell out words like “Wild”, “Cowgirl”, “Howdy” and “Cowboy”, tapping into the pop cultural mythology of the horse as a symbol of mischief.

Founded by Danish sisters Joy Haugaard and Sarah Haugaard, New York-based brand Lionheart stands out for having an entire collection built around the horse. Its Legacy line spans pendants, medallions, earrings and rings, all centred on sculpted horse heads or profiles in gold, the motifs repeated at different scales, from small charms to larger statement pieces.

For Hermès, of course, the horse is not just a passing fascination but the foundation of the brand’s identity. The French maison began in 1837 as a harness and saddle maker, and today’s creative director of Hermès jewellery, Pierre Hardy’s latest Galop collection pays tribute to those early creations. The pieces take the clean lines of saddlery and reimagine them in rose gold and diamonds, capturing the silhouette of the horse through smooth, sensuous curves. The maison’s Haute Bijouterie 8 collection, meanwhile, offers a more fantastical interpretation, including the Color Icons bracelet, a stylised horse head paved with sapphires, garnets, spinels, amethysts and diamonds.

Another high jewellery take comes from Anna Hu, an Asian artist-jeweller known for her nature-inspired pieces. Her Ma Shang Feng Hou brooch – a tableau of white gold set with rubies, orange sapphires, cabochon emeralds and sapphires, yellow diamonds, brilliant-cut diamonds and pink sapphires – depicts a golden horse with a small monkey clinging to its back, symbolising the Chinese idiom ma shang feng hou, a wish for rapid success.

Other jewellers, like Jade Trau, based in New York, nod to the horseshoe, one of mankind’s oldest protective symbols. With her gold horseshoe pendant, trimmed with cobblestone pavé white diamonds, Trau presents the motif as a simple, modern talisman of luck.
Expect to see more equestrian themes trotted out over the coming months.


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Cece Jewellery’s A Traveller’s Tale is among the equestrian-themed collections being rolled out ahead of the Year of the Horse. Photo: Handout

Hermès Haute Bijouterie collection. Photo: Handout

Wild Horse pendant by Cece Jewellery. Photo: Handout

Galop Hermès double ring. Photo: Handout

Cowgirl cord necklace, from Roxanne First’s Bubblegum by RF collection. Photo: Handout

YSSO Aethon Dream adjustable cord necklace. Photo: Handout

Lucky Horseshoe brooch and pendant, from Lionheart’s Legacy collection. Photo: Handout

Ma Shang Feng Hou high jewellery brooch, from Anna Hu. Photo: Handout

Jade Trau Horseshoe charm. Photo: Handout

Lucky Horse ring, from Lionheart’s Legacy collection. Photo: Handout

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Mano Vintage Jewellery bracelet. Photo: Handout

Georg Jensen Vivianna Plume brooch. Photo: Handout

Georg Jensen Torun bangle. Photo: Handout

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Red grid and chevron enamel heritage hoop earrings, on display at the Hong Kong Palace Museum till February 2026. Photo: Handout

Sagiri Dayal Jewellery necklace. Photo: Handout

A 15th-century-inspired hexagon aquamarine and enamel ring. Photo: Handout

An aquamarine enamel ring. Photo: Handout

The Hong Kong Palace Museum, where artefacts from India’s Mughal dynasty are on display until February 2026. Photo: Handout

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Chaumet Jewels by Nature Dahlia necklace, set with round brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo: Handout

Rachel Boston Interval necklace with a natural marquise-cut diamond. Photo: Handout

Harry Winston Classic Winston ring with an oval-cut diamond. Photo: Handout

Chanel Embrace Your Destiny necklace, including pear-cut diamonds. Photo: Handout

Graff heart-shaped diamond bracelet. Photo: Handout

Graff emerald-cut diamond bracelet. Photo: Handout

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Tiffany & Co. Blue Book collection Arrow diamond bracelet. Photo: Handout

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Leviev cushion-cut fancy yellow diamond bracelet. Photo: Handout

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Anna Hu, Cece Jewellery, Jade Trau, YSSO, Roxanne First and Lionheart are among the jewellers embracing equestrian motifs


Anna Hu, Cece Jewellery, Jade Trau, YSSO, Roxanne First and Lionheart are among the jewellers embracing equestrian motifs.


Equine elegance from Hermès and others for the coming Year of the Fire Horse

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Anna Hu, Cece Jewellery, Jade Trau, YSSO, Roxanne First and Lionheart are among the jewellers embracing equestrian motifs

Anna Hu, Cece Jewellery, Jade Trau, YSSO, Roxanne First and Lionheart are among the jewellers embracing equestrian motifs