Every time Catherine Allen (pictured) looks at the diamond ring on her hand, she is reminded of the power of jewelry and why she decided to become part of the industry.
On her 16th birthday, Allen’s father surprised her by revealing he had saved his late mother’s jewelry—specifically, her diamonds—for his four daughters. Allen could choose a setting for one of her grandmother’s diamonds and create a ring of her own.
“That was an eye-opening experience for me. It was my first real introduction to fine jewelry and craftsmanship, and it completely changed the way I viewed jewelry,” she says. “I still have that ring, and I wear it every day.”
What makes the ring even more meaningful is that her grandmother owned the Kentucky horse farm that’s been in Allen’s family for more than a century. Allen, who works as a school guidance counselor, is now cofounder (with her husband, Mitchell) of the Gilded Horse, a jewelry company whose necklaces, bracelets, and earrings all feature a horse’s head motif.
“Looking back, it’s a beautiful, full-circle connection between family heritage, horses, and jewelry,” she says.
Allen grew up in a blended family of six siblings—Allen calls them her best friends—in Lexington, Ky., surrounded by the rolling hills of bluegrass country. Horses were always around, she says, and they have influenced her for as long as she can recall.
During high school, she worked as a hostess at a local restaurant, where she learned how to talk to people from all backgrounds, stay calm under pressure, and build positive experiences for customers.
When she graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2013, with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and health promotion, Allen, then a soccer player, wanted to work in sports. She got her master’s degree in recreation therapy from Eastern Kentucky University in December 2015. The following May, she moved to Cincinnati with her new husband and took a job as a recreation therapist for a healthcare company.
Allen went back to school and earned a second master’s degree, in school counseling, from Xavier University in 2018. As a licensed guidance counselor for eight years, she says she’s learned how to help people grow, overcome challenges, and reach their full potential.
The Gilded Horse came about in 2024 when Allen was on maternity leave with her daughter. She’d asked her husband for piece of jewelry that represented both her home and her lifelong connection to horses—a fairly simple piece, to reflect her style.
“I am not a jewelry maximalist by any means—essentially the opposite,” says Allen. “I gravitate toward minimalism and wanted something versatile, something I can wear every day whether I was at work, the gym, or going on date night.”
While there were plenty of equestrian-themed pieces available, Allen says she and her husband couldn’t find jewelry that felt refined, elegant, minimalist, and versatile enough for daily wear. So they started their own brand.
The Gilded Horse’s best sellers are medallion necklaces in sterling silver with a beaded border and in solid gold, Allen says. Her personal favorites are the gold medallion necklace and the Classic Anchored pendant. She notes that the company will be adding to the Beaded Border collection later this month.
“Horses have influenced me in more ways than one for as long as I can remember,” Allen says. “The Gilded Horse exists to unite and inspire horse lovers around the world by celebrating the bond between horses and people.
“Our mission is to build a global community connected by a shared passion for horses, inspired by the values they teach us, and united through a luxury brand that celebrates the equestrian lifestyle.”
(Photos courtesy of the Gilded Horse)
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