Year of the Snake: Jewellery to Celebrate the Chinese New Year 2025

On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the Chinese New Year will ring in the year of the Snake, specifically the Wood Snake, which has not presided over the calendar since 1965. In traditional Chinese lore, the snake is a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation, while the element of wood is centred on natural growth and renewal. All positive attributes for the year ahead, don’t you think? The snake motif is more ubiquitous in high jewellery than you might imagine, perhaps because of its ancient links to womanhood, feminine power and mythology. Or perhaps there’s just something a touch rock ‘n’ roll about wearing a venomous, curvaceous creature around one’s neck, wrist and finger! Whatever the case, let’s explore a selection of newly launched Year of the Snake jewellery to toast the year to come.

The ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians were known to fashion their own interpretations of serpents into jewellery. In these dynasties, snakes were a symbol of royalty, power and status, and were worn curled up the arm, wrapped into headdresses or slithering across the chest. In ancient Greece, the snake was associated with healing, wisdom and the god of medicine, while the Romans viewed the snake as a token of everlasting love. Historic cultures in Africa, the Americas, and India also found special meaning in the snake, whether it was rebirth, transformation, or desire.

Suffice it to say, interpretations of the snake in fine jewellery go far beyond its menace as a biting, venomous creature. Nothing demonstrates this better, at least in my opinion, than the uptight, closeted and sentimental Victorian-era brides who, inspired by the ring presented to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert, chose snake jewels as a symbol of eternal love. Of course, Prince Albert’s ring wasn’t without its gemmological perks! The ring he chose incorporated a snake with ruby eyes, diamonds in the mouth, and an emerald atop its head.

The jewellery world’s obsession with snakes has continued since then, reaching its peak (arguably) in the ultimate snake high jewellery collection: Bvlgari Serpenti. First launched in 1948, the Serpenti offering began more abstractly as a wraparound Tubogas bracelet watch. It didn’t morph into its more recognisable snake style until the following decade, but it has since remained a core part of the Bvlgari brand identity. In the most recent Bvlgari Aeterna High Jewellery Collection, for example, there was a Serpenti High Jewellery watch with a 12.41-carat emerald cabochon and a Terra Mater Serpenti necklace with the body of a great, diamond-set snake encircling a 63.86-carat cabochon emerald.

As a side note, Bvlgari is taking the Year of the Snake seriously! If you happen to be in or visiting Shanghai this month, you can discover the Serpenti Infinito exhibition, which blends the work of 19 international and Chinese artists with the new 2025 Serpenti collections. The brand has also debuted exclusive Serpenti Suites at its Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts for a 360-degree, fully immersive experience.

Elsewhere, Mikimoto has launched a limited edition Year of the Snake brooch, crafted in 18k yellow gold and platinum with an Akoya cultured pearl, green garnet accent, and a black spinel for the snake’s eye. Buccellati has also updated its Bubu collection of gifts and trinkets intended for newborn babies and their families to include a palladium-plated sterling silver decorative snake – perfect for a future CEO’s desk! And let’s not forget Fabergé, which has launched the Year of the Snake Surprise Locket with an egg-shaped outer shell concealing an 18k yellow gold King Cobra ready to strike.

These special edition pieces are no doubt tempting, but let’s not forget the snakes that appear in so many brands’ core collections. We have written about many examples here at KaterinaPerez.com, including Valentina Fine Jewellery’s Diamond Bamboo Pit Viper Snake ring in 18k white gold, Lionheart’s Nouvelle collection of cuffs, rings and pendants, the elegant Coiled Snake bangles by Ileana Makri, and the rather fabulous Orlov Serpentes necklace with 41.61 carats of diamonds in 18k white gold.

Basically, you don’t need to look too deeply into the archives of fine and high jewellery to find a snake or two… or ten. As evidence of this, we present to you a gallery of snake-inspired jewels below, which will see you through Chinese New Year, the next 12 months, and many more decades to come.