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Ralph Lauren Equestrian bracelet in white gold with diamonds and emeralds. Rock On High jewelry is the latest brand expansion for W 80 BAL HARBOUR fashion houses from Hermès to Ralph Lauren. BY MARK ELLWOOD hen once it was set in stone that catwalk brands didn't dabble in baubles, those rules are now being broken by some of fashion's biggest names. Take Ralph Lauren, whose new gem range, heavy on black onyx and green agate set in white or rose gold, already has insiders raving. "Frankly, they nailed it," says stylist Rob Zangardi, who's responsible for keeping Jen- nifer Lopez and Rihanna red-carpet ready, and will likely lean heavily on this range. "They're not typical chandelier earrings, for example—they're Art Deco-ish 1920s, 1940s looks." Then there's Hermès, which unleashed creative director Pierre Hardy to design equestrian-themed pieces, like a diamond-set whip necklace and double hooves paved with diamonds; each piece in the aptly named Cen- taure collection is a nod to the marque's horse-mad heritage. Dolce & Gab- bana's new 80-piece jewelry range reflects the design duo's obsession with the opulence of Sicily (albeit with a liberal dash of Like a Virgin-era Madonna), replete with bejeweled crosses, black jade rosaries and even ceramic icons of the Virgin Mary. Bottega Veneta launched its jewelry line in 2006 but has expanded the range each year since then—the latest collection, inspired by magpie-like gem collecting British royal Queen Mary of Teck, includes colored gemstones for the first time. Masterminded by visionary creative director Tomas Maier, each of the 18-carat chains are handmade in his home town of Pforzheim, near Germany's Black Forest, over the course of more than a week; the style echoes Bottega's signature Intrecciato, as does the scoring that twinkles be- hind each cabochon-cut stone. Louis Vuitton is so committed to its new range of jewelry—a globetrot- ting assortment of statement necklaces and rings from creative director Lorenz Bäumer—that it will open a stand-alone store dedicated to the col- lection on Paris' Place Vendôme later this year. (Expect that jewelry range to expand, too, given LVMH's recent $3.7 billion acquisition of Bulgari.) Caption goes here