Are you mourning the loss of an equine friend? If so, you may consider purchasing or making a piece of horsehair jewelry to remember your animal.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What’s Horsehair Jewelry?
- How Much Does Jewelry Made Out of Horsehair Typically Cost?
- Different Types of Horsehair Jewelry You Can Buy
- Different Types of Horsehair Jewelry You Can DIY
Many people who suffer the loss of a loved one feel relief at having an item to hold or touch during moments of sadness. Those who lost human loved ones may wear pieces of cremation jewelry or thumbprint jewelry. Horse lovers suffering from the loss of a special animal may want a piece of horsehair jewelry to view and touch when missing their beloved equine.
Let’s learn about how to find or create a piece of horsehair jewelry.
What’s Horsehair Jewelry?
Horsehair jewelry involves rings, bracelets, pendants, and other items made from or with horsehair. In some cases, the horsehair stays exposed and becomes part of the structure of the jewelry. In other cases, the horsehair becomes encapsulated in the decorative piece.
You can hire a company to make a piece of jewelry for you out of the hair you provide or you can make the item for yourself. We’ll give you ideas for both types of projects.
How Much Does Jewelry Made Out of Horsehair Typically Cost?
Horsehair jewelry typically costs between $50 and $150. Of course, you have to consider a lot of variables to get the right piece.
You can customize jewelry, which means that a company will use the hair from your animal to create the piece of jewelry. Other companies make horsehair jewelry from any horsehair.
The price of horsehair jewelry also varies based on the type of materials used. Some involve simple designs that use only the hair of the horse and a clasp. Others have sterling silver pieces that encapsulate a tiny braid or strands of horsehair. You can also pay companies to create diamonds or gemstones from horsehair or cremated remains of your horse.
To save money on this project, you can always consider creating a piece of horsehair jewelry on your own. Keep reading to learn about DIY horsehair jewelry pieces.
Different Types of Horsehair Jewelry You Can Buy
Even if you don’t have access to a particular animal’s hair, you can still buy horsehair jewelry as a horse memorial gift. While some of these companies create customized pieces using the hair of a specific animal, others source the hair on their own. You may pay special attention to the color of the horse you wish to honor before ordering the jewelry as a gift.
If you can imagine a design, you can probably get it. Take a look at some of the more popular designs on the market right now.
1. Horsehair braid bracelet
Horsehair bracelets can be made with the hair you provide or from hair that the jewelry designer obtains. Some designs look as simple as a tight, single braid with a clasp on the end, while others have small metal designs, wooden beads, or pieces of leather.
Horsehair braid bracelets can look large and chunky or thin and delicate. You can put different colors of horsehair together to create a multi-colored braid.
If you aren’t sure that you would like the feel of a horsehair braid against your skin, you can always opt to have the braid embedded in a piece of leather or metal for a bracelet or a ring. These horsehair braids are typically thinner than the other options. They provide a nice commemorative piece that is less obvious than the larger braid alternative.
Horsehair braid bracelets can also be personalized with the name and death date of your horse. Some add symbols, such as wings or feathers, to the design to show that the braid was made to honor a horse’s life.
You can order horsehair braids through Etsy and other similar websites. The artisans give specific instructions on how to submit the horsehair for the customized piece, so make sure you follow them.
2. Lock of hair keepsake
A horsehair braid bracelet may not be the look you desire. If you would like a customized piece of jewelry that has a small snip of your horse’s hair, you may consider purchasing a locket or other similar item.
You can find many different styles of lockets that hold horsehair or hair of any type. Some have metal on both sides, so only the wearer knows what’s inside. Others have clear fronts that feature tiny clips of loose or delicately braided hair.
Some choose to have their small lockets engraved with the name of their horse to further personalize the keepsake. You may also wish to keep tiny samples of other animals’ hair inside the same pendant.
You can find many lock of hair keepsake types on the market if you aren’t a jewelry wearer. You may also wish to place a portion of your horse’s mane in a keepsake box, suncatcher, or pillbox.
3. Memorial diamonds
As cremation grows in popularity, more people choose to have gems or diamonds produced out of a tiny portion of their loved one’s cremated remains. If you recently lost a beloved horse, this may also provide an option for you. Memorial diamonds can come from the carbon extracted from cremated remains or hair.
Memorial diamonds can start at $3,000. The larger the diamond you wish to grow, the more it will cost. You can even request that the diamond be processed in a particular color and cut to a specific shape.
Growing a diamond or another gem is not a quick process. In fact, it takes approximately 24 weeks for the diamond to “grow” and another several weeks or months to cut the diamond and place it in the desired piece of jewelry.
If you don't mind the time and money involved in the process, a memorial diamond can commemorate the life of a human or animal friend.
4. Horsehair tassel
Small horsehair tassels, or shoo fly tassels, can be created to commemorate the life of a beloved horse. While these items may be worn as jewelry, they may also be used on keychains.
Horsehair tassels can be simple and include only the hair of the animal. They can also have small stones added to the design. Turquoise is especially popular in horsehair jewelry designs.
5. Locks of hair encapsulated in pendants
Are you looking for another option to display the hair from your horse? Several online companies will place a tiny snippet of your horse’s hair into a jewelry-grade resin. This resin can be any color, shape, and size you wish and added to any type of jewelry.
The hair can be seen through the resin, but it is a little less obvious than some of the previous examples we have provided.
If you need a touchstone to feel when suffering the loss of a beloved animal, these can provide comfort for a person in grief. Having such a stone constantly around your neck can give you much solace as you learn to navigate life without your beloved horse.
Different Types of Horsehair Jewelry You Can DIY
Are you dexterous and crafty? You can create many different items from horsehair. It just takes a little bit of patience, basic jewelry-making tools, and a YouTube video to complete.
If you recently lost an animal and you plan to complete a project on your own, make sure you save plenty of horsehair for the project. Once you get started, you may find that the process of creating something beautiful out of the hair of the animal you loved to be quite therapeutic.
Here are some DIY horsehair jewelry ideas to consider.
6. Horsehair braid
The most obvious DIY horsehair jewelry idea is a horsehair braid. There are many different types of braids to consider for this project.
The simplest involves a three-strand braid. Even though this type of braiding is easy to learn, it takes great skill to complete it without flyaway or messy strands.
Some use a kumihimo disk to make a kumihimo braid from horsehair. You can purchase them online and use them to make complex-looking braids.
Once you have completed the braid, you can use it to make a bracelet, keychain, or barrette. The tiniest of braids can be placed inside a locket or clear pendant. You can shape small braids into a heart.
7. Tailspin pendants
Tailspin pendants look similar to horsehair tassels. They look like a small ponytail, and they can vary in length depending on the design you prefer.
Tailspin pendants can be dyed in different colors, as necklaces or dangling earrings. As mentioned earlier, tailspin pendants can also be used as keychains or as a hanging decoration in your home or barn.
Other Ways to Remember the Life of Your Horse
Purchasing or creating a piece of horsehair jewelry undoubtedly offers a beautiful way to remember the life of a beloved horse. You can also consider other ways to commemorate the life of an animal.
Consider purchasing or creating a memorial stone for your horse, perhaps using a memorable quote about the loss of a horse. You can place this stone in your garden or near the barn. You can also use it to mark the burial site of your horse or the scattering site of your horse’s cremation ashes.
You may also consider having a special ceremony or funeral for your horse. Invite like-minded people who understand what it feels like to lose an animal. Display photographs of your horse and listen to music that reminds you of the special moments you shared.