Made from a love of horses
The Burnished Horse grew from a desire to create horse hair jewellery that belonged in the world of fine jewellery — beautifully designed, carefully crafted and intended to last.
Behind the burnished horse
The Burnished Horse was founded by Diane Faulks, bringing together a lifelong connection with horses and a fascination with design, materials and making.
What began with the traditional craft of braiding horse hair has evolved into an exploration of what this remarkable natural material can become — braided, woven, interlaced, rope-twisted, inlaid and incorporated into precious-metal jewellery in increasingly unexpected ways.
Today, pieces are created in sterling silver, gold and platinum, often including diamonds and gemstones, with much of the specialist precious-metal work carried out by one of the UK’s foremost jewellery production houses.
A craft reimagined
Horse hair has been braided and woven for centuries. At The Burnished Horse, those traditions are brought together with contemporary design and fine-jewellery techniques to create pieces made for today — and intended to endure long into the future.
More than a keepsake
Your horse's hair is not simply preserved within the jewellery. It becomes part of the design — a beautiful material in its own right, and a connection to a horse that is entirely your own.
Overall best tradestand, 2016
Burghley best in show
Our first visit to the Burghley Horse Trials in 2016 became an unforgettable milestone when The Burnished Horse was selected from more than 600 trade stands to receive the event’s overall Best in Show award. Judged and presented by renowned cricket commentator Jonathan “Aggers” Agnew, the award was a wonderful recognition of the thought, craftsmanship and attention to detail at the heart of everything we create.
We are delighted to be returning to Burghley in 2026, ten years after that very special first appearance.