There they are in all their primitive elegance, my two favorite pieces of jewelry. Look at them, trying to shy away from my camera. My hare, looking coyly downward. And my steely-eyed owl resolutely ignoring me, like a celebrity who's spotted a paparazzo. That's all right. I'm secure. I know they love me.
They were designed by cult New York designer, Gerard Tully. Made of 18 carat gold with black diamond eyes, they're like two little gilded pieces of taxidermy.
Chic, shiny and slightly macabre, they touch all the right buttons for me.
The rings are part of his genius "Predator/Prey" series and in my set, the owl is the predator and the hare is the prey. (Other pairings include snake and field mouse, buzzard and egg, and frog and fly. Lest you be absolutely horrified, there are also pacifist options, such as bunny and carrot, squirrel and acorn, and zebra and blade of grass.)
When I wear them, I am acutely aware that it's either eat or be eaten. When I wear them, I suffer fools gladly. When I wear them, I feel invincible. When I wear them, I am ready to brave the school carpool lane and Sunday afternoon at Costco.
Not to put to fine a point on it, but when I have armored my fingers with these two sexy little beasts, I feel not unlike a pagan goddess in Hollywood. And if I squint very hard, the skyscrapers in downtown LA almost look like Stonehenge.
