From ancient gold jewellery to contemporary gems, we have been attempting to capture the beauty of the natural world in our art and ornaments for thousands of years. Animals have served as a source of inspiration for artists, who have discovered materials that may hold the key to their creation’s mystery in stunning stones and rare metals. Our understanding of our own natures is shaped by these projections, which allude to our ancestry and the transition from nature to culture.

The urge to interpret animals as symbols is related to our understanding of what it means to be human and this comprehension links historical works of art and societies. Animal representations served as allegories, artistic inspirations, or emblems of creation, supporting widely-held myths or beliefs. Through the use of wild animals as intermediates, these animal images help us to comprehend the interactions between humans and nature, as demonstrated by top jewellery houses like Cartier, Buccellati and Chopard.