Some are really stylish!
Originating in Chiriquí province in Costa Rica, this frog pendant cast in gold dates back to around the 11th century. Frogs are frequently depicted in the gold work of Costa Rica and Panama. In this region, numerous species abound and would have provided inspiration for local artisans.
A more elaborate piece from Egypt, this bracelet features a doubled-headed snake. Bracelets like these were often worn in pairs, either on the wrist or on the upper arm. The snakes symbolize fertility and were intended to ward off evil.
René Lalique (1860–1945) is responsible for creating some of the world's most iconic pieces of jewelry. This exquisite corsage known as the Dragonfly Woman is one of his most spectacular, made in 1897–1898 and a masterpiece of the Art Nouveau period.
Solid gold bracelets in the form of snakes were among the most popular objects in ancient Greek and Roman jewelry. This Roman example dates back to the 1st century CE.
A stunning gold pectoral from the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region of Ukraine. Dated back to the 4th century CE and attributed to the Scythian civilization, jewelry like this followed an ancient Egyptian design and was often represented as a brooch. This example features an array of different animals, including wild boar.
Made form white jade (regarded as ancient China's most precious, intrinsically valuable stone), this butterfly pendant is representative of jewelry crafted during the Qing dynasty. This particular piece was crafted during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
A stunning example of the jeweler's art, this 19th-century European butterfly-shaped gold brooch is set with pearls, gems, and intricate fretwork. It dates back to around 1870.
French jeweler Eugène Feuillâtre (1870–1916) gave even René Lalique a run for his money with his elegant and graceful pieces. This extraordinary brooch in the shape of a moth was made in 1900 from gold, enamel, opals, moonstone, and diamonds. Feuillâtre was renowned for the beauty and quality of his enamel work.
The horse has inspired artisans for millennia, and equestrian-themed jewelry remains hugely popular today. Pictured is a pendant shaped as a horseman, made around 1860–70 in Austria and carefully crafted using gold, enamel, diamonds, and pearls.
Just look at the detail in the tail feathers of this rooster brooch from 16th-century Flanders. The bird is all enameled gold set with pearls, diamonds, and rubies. It is clutching a caduceus, the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology.
The delicate dragonfly with its transparent wings is one of the jeweler's favorite insects. Pause and take a look at just how much effort has gone into producing this early 20th-century matching pair of gold brooches set with rubies and diamonds.
The griffin is a mythical winged animal that could have an eagle head or a horned lion head. It's taken the form of a eagle on this gold armlet from ancient Persia. This example is missing the inlay of precious stones, but is still breathtaking in its design. The eagle griffin was associated with the Achamenid Persians, the ruling dynasty from 700 to 330 BCE.
A miniature lion squats down on this arched gold fibula (brooch), a piece of jewelry from the Etruscan civilization, a powerful clan that emerged in what is now central Italy sometime around the 6th century BCE.
Italian luxury goods brand Bulgari produced this handsome drop cut diamond and emerald snake ring in 1995, influenced by a 3,000-year-old design.
Primitive in its design but hugely symbolic in meaning, this bird-shaped Anglo-Saxon brooch was made in England around 500–550 CE and would have been worn by an individual of considerable influence. It's made of silver with gildings and garnets. Animal engraved ornaments symbolized protection and resembled the social status and the cultural significance of the Anglo-Saxon era.
Dating back to the late 4th–3rd century BCE, these ancient Greek hoop earrings feature antelope heads mounted on a circlet of twisted gold wire. They were made in Alexandria.
Mid-20th century jewelers tended to be more animated with their animal designs, as this 1950's frog-shaped silver brooch set with marcasite and emeralds testifies. The bejeweled amphibian appears as if crawling up a wall.
This splendid gold pendant or kolt features two sirin birds flanking the tree of life. The sirin is a mythical creature of Russian legends, and has a body similar to an owl. Jewelry such as this was symbolic of a family's wealth and worn throughout the 11th-12th centuries. The origin of the word "kolt" is probably Ukrainian, and is similar in meaning to earring.
Jewelry from India often features the peacock. Besides the bird's beauty and elegance, the peacock symbolizes the blossoming of love. This simple peacock ring dates back to 200–100 BCE.
The scarab (kheper) beetle was one of the most popular amulets in ancient Egypt because the insect was a symbol of the sun god Re. The example pictured here dates back to 1540–1069 BCE.
Likely originating from Java, Indonesia, this complex earring design is in the shape of a horse's head with floppy ears, with a floral ornament in between. It's made of gold and was probably crafted around 1300–1500 CE.
The jeweler who made this silver gilt mythological fish used an inlay of real kingfisher feathers and popped in a couple of pearls for eyes. The piece is mounted on a hairpin and is Chinese in origin, made in 1820 during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), the last dynasty in the imperial history of China.
An eagle relief shaped from onyx is centered within the silver-gilt frame of this cameo brooch, made in the 16th century by a Milan jeweler. The eagle has traditionally been a symbol of victory but can also illustrate power, strength, and courage.
This dove of peace was refashioned from a coin by unknown prisoners of war incarcerated during the last months of the Second Boar War, also known as the Anglo-Boar War. The pendant is dated back to 1902, the year the conflict ended. Most scholars today prefer to call the war of 1899-1902 the South African War, thereby acknowledging that all South Africans, white and black, were affected by the conflict and that many were participants.
Dating back to late 1920's France, this extraordinary perruche or parakeet necklace is made from frosted crystal glass beads and silver. It's shaped in the form of lovebirds in facing pairs. Its simplified, almost fetishistic design lends it a hint of exotic sophistication.
These contemporary diamond and ruby cuff links are designed to resemble a poodle dog breed. The valuable canines appeared on the market in 2010.
Another piece of jewelry inspired by a South African coin and a wild animal, these pure gold Krugerrand cuff links feature a springbok, a medium-sized antelope found mainly in southern and southwestern Africa.
A diamond encrusted cat peers out of its silver pendant frame, a contemporary take on the cat pendant featured earlier in this gallery.
Sources: (Medium) (Hancocks London) (Stoke Museums) (The Canadian Encyclopedia) (BBC)
See also: The cat's role in art history
The wonderful world of wildlife has inspired jewelers since antiquity. Mythical creatures as well as wild and domesticated animals have proved ideal subjects over the centuries, as they still do today. Birds, insects, and amphibians have also appeared as motifs on numerous rings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and other jewelry pieces. In fact, were it not for the animal kingdom, so much of our jewelry would lack life, sparkle, and imagination.
Click through and see how animals, real or imagined, have inspired jewelry.
Probably Spanish in origin and dated back to the late 16th–early 17th centuries, this delightful pendant in the form of a seated cat has a Baroque pearl for a body with enameled gold mounts and smaller pendant pearls. Felines in all their fabulous forms have featured in jewelry designs since antiquity.
Jewelry designs inspired by animals
Decorative pieces made to resemble wildlife
FASHION Jewels
The wonderful world of wildlife has inspired jewelers since antiquity. Mythical creatures as well as wild and domesticated animals have proved ideal subjects over the centuries, as they still do today. Birds, insects, and amphibians have also appeared as motifs on numerous rings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and other jewelry pieces. In fact, were it not for the animal kingdom, so much of our jewelry would lack life, sparkle, and imagination.
Click through and see how animals, real or imagined, have inspired jewelry.