The Meaning of the Horse Pendant: Il Cavallo

Il Cavallo — The Origin

Il Cavallo was created for my mother.

She has always loved horses,not only for their beauty, but for the power they represent. Strength without force. Presence without noise.

When I began designing the horse pendant, it was never intended as a commercial piece. It was a personal gesture of love. 

While living in Rome in May 2025, I met Riccardo at Accademia Delle Arti Orafe, where we were both studying jewellery and goldsmithing.
Our friendship began through a shared love of horses.

At the time, I was in the process of making the horse pendant. When Riccardo learned this, he invited me to visit his home in Castel Gandolfo — surrounded by open land and home to his horses.

“You should see them in real life,” he told me.
“Study them properly — their movement, their muscle, how they carry weight.” 

                     

Studying Truth, Not Idealism

In art history, there is a story about Michelangelo — how he was granted rare permission by the Pope to study the human body so that his sculptures could move beyond idealism and into truth. To carve not what was imagined, but what was real.

That same philosophy guided Il Cavallo.

To sculpt a horse in gold without understanding its anatomy, the tension beneath the skin, the curve of muscle, the quiet intelligence in its stance — would be to create a symbol without soul.

The Rhythm That Shaped Il Cavallo

I visited Riccardo’s home on a weekend, surrounded by horses moving freely and a pace of life untouched by urgency.
What began as a single visit soon became many.

Understanding the body of a horse cannot be done in a weekend. It requires time, observation, repetition. For months, I returned, watching how horses shift their weight, how power rests rather than strains, how stillness can feel alive.

Later, we would return to his laboratory. His mother prepared lunch for us,  a simple, generous meal shared before returning to the bench. His dogs wandered in and out of the workshop. The tools bore the marks of years of use.

This is where Il Cavallo truly took form, not only at the workbench, but in the rhythm of life surrounding it. 

Il Cavallo Today

Today, Il Cavallo is the spirit animal of my business.
It represents strength held with restraint, movement guided by intention, and power expressed quietly.

It is part of my first collection — and the foundation on which everything that follows is built.  

 

 

Il Cavallo is now part of my first collection.
Created slowly, shaped through study, and crafted in gold with intention.

For those who recognise strength without force  
Il Cavallo is available to be worn.  

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