It’s almost Halloween, and if you don’t plan on wearing an animal costume — or even if you do — you can still wear something in the season’s spirit. We think it’s the perfect time of year to wear animal-inspired jewelry designs. From big cats to small serpents, there are plenty of gorgeous pieces so you can get your festive fix.

1. Snakes and Serpents

[T&Co. Bangle][Bulgari Watch][Diamond Snake Ring][Boucheron Pendant]

Serpentine designs go back further than the popular jewelry motif. This ancient symbol can be traced back to ancient Egypt. The creature had many mythological mentions with different meanings in different cultures. To some the serpent represents wisdom, while to other’s it represents royalty or passion and desire.

At the height of the serpent’s popularity in jewelry making, the serpent represented eternal love, popularized by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a ring featuring an emerald serpent. This also happened to be the first Victorian engagement ring.

2. Big Cats

[Cartier Ring][LV Lion Charm][Panther Bracelet][Carrera y Carrera Tiger Cufflinks]

Perhaps the most famous big cat in jewelry is the Panthere de Cartier. Over 100 years, the jeweler has perfected the design and adopted the motif as its mascot. The panther represents elegance and ferocity, boldness and refinement.

In 1914, Louis Cartier commissioned a painting of a lady with jewels and a panther that would later be used for advertisements. Since then, the panther has been associated with the brand. The first panther-inspired design was a wristwatch with small spots meant to resemble the animal’s fur.

3. Equestrian Excellence

[Hermes Necklace][Le Vian Diamond Necklace][Hermes Bangle][Gucci Horsebit Bracelet]

Horses are more than a design motif to Hermes. The company, which features many equestrian elements in their designs, would not exist today if it weren’t for horses. The company was founded in by Thierry Hermes as a harness and saddle workshop for European noblemen.

The famous Hermes logo was created in 1950 as an homage to the company’s origins, featuring a horse carriage. The company continues to produce saddles and harnesses and the horse motif has carried into each facet of the brand’s identity, including jewelry.

4. Take Flight

[VCA Necklace][T&Co. Hummingbird Brooch][Cartier Brooch][Schlumberger Brooch]

Jean Schlumberger is most known for his beautiful and bejeweled interpretations of nature’s creatures. He worked for Tiffany & Co. from 1956 to 1970 where he designed some of Tiffany’s most memorable designs. Schlumberger is only one of the four Tiffany & Co. designers who had the privilege of signing their work with the jeweler.

One of Schlumberger’s most famous designs was “Bird on a Rock,” the mounting for the Tiffany diamond. The piece was a a gem-set bird, quintessentially Schlumberger in design, perched atop the 128.54-carat yellow diamond.

Everybody loves a good dash of color, but there is a beautiful, mysterious allure to a black gemstone. This unexpected trend has taken the market by storm: black stones have shown up in collections from the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels and Stephen Webster. Here are 6 different kinds of black precious stones to keep an eye out for the next time you go shopping for the latest addition to your jewelry collection.

Black Opal

While white opal is pretty common, stunning black opal is incredibly rare. (For more on the awesome rarity and jaw-dropping cost of black opal, check out our post on the Top 10 Rarest Gemstones.)

Black opal ranges from grey to black in color with the real ebony shades being the most desired. This gemstone also has flecks of vivid colors dotting and contrasting the black stone.

Black Diamonds

The name may sound like an oxymoron but black diamonds have their own distinctive luster and shimmering scintillation, albeit one different from its traditionally brilliant and clear counterparts. In recent years, black diamonds have increased in popularity.

One black diamond of particular note is the Spirit of de Grosogono. Tipping the scales at a whopping 312.24 karats, it is the world’s largest cut black diamond and the fifth largest diamond overall. The stone was set into a ring, mounted in white gold and 702 white diamonds that collectively themselves weigh 36.69 carats.

Black Pearls

Also referred to as Tahitian pearls, black pearls can only be cultivated by black-lipped oysters called Pinctada margaritifera. While most oyster’s interior shell (or nacre) is white or silver, this particular oyster’s nacre has a thick band of black. If a pearl forms near this black band, it will absorb some of the coloring and produce a black pearl. However this is so rare, it is estimated to happen in only one in every 10,000 pearls.

Black Sapphires

While most people think of that rich cobalt blue shade when they think of sapphires, there is (perhaps surprisingly) a black sapphire gemstone as well. Black sapphires absorb most of the light that enters it which makes the gemstone appear incredibly dark. Compared to other sapphires, black sapphires are comparatively inexpensive and are considered an affordable alternative to onyx or black diamonds.

Jet

Classified as a gemstone, but not a true mineral, jet is a mineraloid and also known as lignite, a precursor to coal also derived from decaying wood. And yes, the phrase “jet-black” derives from this extremely dark colored stone.Jet was a popular jewelry-making material in the 3rd century and rose again in popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th century when it was commonly used in mourning jewelry. Jet saw a resurgence again in the 1920s when it became the gemstone of choice for flappers’ long ropes of beaded necklaces.