Jewelry on parade: Cowgirl bling makes a bold, beautiful statement

By Ellise Pierce

Special to the Star-Telegram

Cowgirls stand out, and they stand up for what they want, in and out of the saddle. Likewise, you'll see very few cowgirls wearing dainty jewelry -- and why should they? Big and bold is always the cowgirl way.

Rare finds

Oklahoma City's Stacey DeGraffenreid weaves the past with the present in her one-of-a kind Love Tokens pieces, such as this elegant pearl and leather necklace, which comes with a sterling silver antique keepsake box. $583. Maverick Fine Western Wear. Free-form slabs of white buffalo -- from mines in Arizona and Nevada, and as rare as the animal itself -- are set in German silver in the shape of a flower, surrounded by tiny turquoise stones, in this exquisite black leather belt. "I want our concho belts to really show off the stone, not the metal holding it," says Paige Wallace, who makes her one-of-a-kind pieces in her McKinney studio. $650. National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Five strands of hand-rolled Heishe apple coral beads are paired with a Tequila Sunrise stone pendant of heavy-gauge sterling silver with a satin finish. "These stones are found in conjunction with gold mining," says Nezhoni owner Jo Deaton McKay. "Where exactly they're mined is shrouded in mystery." Pendant, $990; necklace, $1,200. Nezhoni Trading Post.

Two takes on turquoise

Equally elegant with a plain white T-shirt or a long black dress, Kingman mine turquoise earrings are made with black and white pottery shards, circa A.D. 900 to 1350, by Elegant Ranch. $298. Nezhoni Trading Post. Mocha-hued wood, sterling silver and Kingman turquoise make for a casual, wearable bracelet that'll make any cowgirl's arm happy. $340. Barse Jewelry.

Silver streak

For a slightly subtle chunky turquoise aesthetic, wrangle a Kingman mine turquoise pendant (top), encased in sterling and on strands of leather. $186. Barse Jewelry. Those who want to show off their affection for longhorns, bluebonnets and endless summers will want this hand-hammered sterling silver "Texas" cuff by designer Richard Schmidt from La Grange. $303. Maverick Fine Western Wear. Super lightweight, yet with a bold, heavy look, handmade Navajo "pearls" are strings of silver discs flattened into half circles then smoothed out. $350 for a 22-inch strand. Nezhoni Trading Post.

Looking for comments?