Cat Jewelry

Few people are as enthusiastic in their affection as cat lovers; since antiquity, jewelers have promoted this fancy for cats with jewels that pay homage to the feline. Later, many of the world's master jewelers would also stake their artistry on the cat by honoring its form with a myriad of cat-inspired creations. The subsequent text explores the cat's decidedly feline stamp on jewelry.

For at least 9,500 years, humans have loved cats. A Cypriot grave with a human and a cat is evidence of this animal's early domestication. More famously, Egyptians anciently revered the cat and were among the earliest people to pay tribute to the creature by carving amulets and other jewels inspired by the cat's form. Even today, jewels are made to depict the cat deities that were honored in ancient Egypt. Contemporary artisans are influenced by the appearance of cats on Egyptian tomb walls.

Ancient Egyptian jewelry artisans crafted cat jewelry that was worn as an amulet. Such amulets might have garnered the wearer certain protections. These jewels would certainly be worn to honor the beloved creature for which it was a crime, punishable by death, to kill. Young women of Egypt wore utchats, cat amulets that were thought to increase fertility. It was hoped that the woman would deliver as many children as the kittens depicted on the jewel.

As cats spread across India and into China, they began to be associated with magic and were very well revered across Asia. They were also honored in Rome and throughout the Roman world. Romans are popularly credited with introducing the cat to England. Cats would continue to be honored in Europe until the Middle Ages when they began to be associated with witch hunts; however, humans would not be able to withstand the charms of cats for long; cats found their way back into homes and their forms were once again translated into jewelry and art.

Whether worshipped or simply regarded as a lovable pet, cats have been carved into jewels of bone, coral, wood, and other natural materials. They have been cast in bronze, silver, and gold. The cat form can be found in jewels of each notable historic jewelry era and in many places around the world. Cat jewels have been made into necklaces, earrings, rings, pins, and even charm bracelets. Victorians admired cat's eye jewelry, but also employed cats in cameos; cats were carved into jet, a popular natural material known for its shiny black color.

Some of jewelry's most famous designers have also derived some of their inspiration from the feline form. In 1910, Carl Faberge designed a famous cat using jasper, emeralds, and gold. As recently as the 1990s, Paloma Picasso designed a silver cat pin for Tiffany's Graffiti collection. Cats were wildly popular as motifs among costume jewelry designers. Rhinestone cat pins and bakelite cat brooches are among the most popularly sought-after vintage jewels. Vintage cats jewels made from both precious and semi-precious materials continue to sell well at both traditional and online auctions

Cat jewels from historic eras are particularly collectible, but contemporary cat jewelry is also popularly sought after. Throughout time, people's love of cats has not diminished; instead, it has grown. Finding a cat charm or vintage jewel is easy today given the wide range of options via the internet. From lockets to lariats, cat jewels mark the ongoing appeal of the domestic cat.

Bastet Cat Pendant

Jewel of Atum-Ra Ancient Amulet

Bastet Pendant Medallion Necklace

Bastet Earrings
Collectible Jewelry Accessory Dangle Studs Jewel

Stunning pendants: cat cameo hand carved in blue agate and framed in 14k gold. 18mm x 13mm.

Cat Cameo - 14k Gold Blue Agate Cameo Pendant

Cat Cameos - 14k Gold Framed Blue Agate Cameo Pendant

Cat Cameos - 14k Gold Framed Blue Agate Cameo Pendant

Cat Cameos - 14k Gold Framed Blue Agate Cameo Pendant

Tiffany Cat Pendant

Mood Pendant Necklace
Cat

Diamond Cat Pendant crafted in Brushed Finish Sterling Silver, 18" Chain

Sterling Silver Diamond Cat in Heart Pendant
(.08ct tw)

Black Diamond Accented Coupled Cats Pendant/Necklace in Sterling Silver
(0.05 cttw) w/18" Chain

Sterling Silver White Cubic Zirconia Cat Pendant, 18"

Sterling Silver Cat Charm Bracelet

"Cat's Rule" Charm Bracelet

Sterling Silver Cat Bracelet.

Sterling Silver Lovely Kitty Kitten Cat Animal 3D Bead For Pandora troll European Story Charm Bracelets

Cute Cat Pugster Bead Fits Pandora Beads Charm Bracelet

925 Sterling Silver European Style Antique Silver "Kitty Cat" Charms/beads for Pandora, Biagi, Chamilia, Troll and More Bracelets

Golden Tabby Cat

Zig Zag Cat

Fancy Cat Silver & Enamel Earrings

Sterling Silver Cat

Silver Cat

Cat earrings

Mother of Pearl Cat Earrings with Yellow Gold Overlay

Vintage Sweet Cat Brooches And Pins

Cat with Crown Pin

Goldtone Metal Crystal Cat Pin

Multi-Color Austrian Rhinestone Silver-Tone Kitty Cat Brooch Pin

Platinum-Plated Swarovski Crystal Cat Brooch/Pin

Gold plated and hand enameled "black cat" pin or brooch

Time To Leave Cat

Time To Leave Cat

Round Cat Silver & Enamel Earrings

Round Blue & Green Cat Pendant w/ Necklace by Zarah

Sterling Silver Multi-Colored Mother of Pearl Shell Cat Dangle Earrings

Sterling Silver Multi-Color Mother of Pearl Cat Pendant Necklace for Women 18''