15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Taylor Swift is a fan of coin jewellery, an ancient style favoured by Bulgari and FoundRae – and worn by the likes of Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts
Taylor Swift is no stranger to meaningful jewellery – from the beaded friendship bracelets that become an ultimate symbol of girlhood and fandom at her concerts, to the famous Lorraine Schwartz watch choker, with the time set to midnight, that many fans interpreted as a nod to her Midnights album.
Lately Swift has got into coin jewellery, having been seen wearing pieces from the likes of Steven Battelle, Ben-Amun and For Future Reference. That was particularly so ahead of February's Super Bowl, where there is a coin toss to decide which team starts with the ball. Alas, Swift's medallions didn't bring
her boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs enough luck – sure they won the toss but they ended up losing the game.
Taylor Swift arrives at a Kansas City Chiefs American football game wearing a For Future Reference coin necklace. Photo: Handout
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That someone who sings about folklore, and weaves meaning and superstition into her art and wardrobe choices, would be
drawn to jewellery inspired by ancient coins and medallions makes sense. Coin jewellery has been worn by cultures around the world for thousands of years, and is believed to date to as early as the Hellenistic period of 323-30BC. At that time it was worn as pendants, bracelets and rings.
But beyond being symbols of wealth and status, per New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art – which holds pieces such as coin pendants and coin girdles from the Early Byzantine period (c. AD330-843) – coins and
medallion jewellery were also considered to be talismans, offering protection.
Alighieri's Il Leone medallion necklace is inspired by the works of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Photo: Handout
This is something that Rosh Mahtani, founder and creative director of jewellery brand Alighieri, leans into. Her pieces, carved first in wax and then cast in recycled gold, silver and bronze, are inspired by Dante Alighieri's writings – specifically about moments when courage is required.
'I have always been drawn to antique medallions from Roman times, and this inspired the very first medallion I created – Il Leone – for strength and courage. I love them because they feel like they've been dug up from the ground, from times gone by,' she says.
Il Leone medallion is still Alighieri's bestselling piece – one Mahtani has called the 'North Star' of her brand as the ultimate expression of this search for courage.
Il Leone medallion by Alighieri remains the brand's bestseller. Photo: Handout
'I created the Leone medallion as a reminder to myself to be strong in moments of self-doubt. It was one of the first pieces I made, in 2014. The textured medallion is inspired by the moment when Dante Alighieri finds himself in the selva oscura (dark wood) of the Inferno, confronted by a terrifying lion. Dante crumbles and has an existential crisis when his mentor and friend, Virgil, suddenly appears to reassure him and give him confidence. It is a turning point, where fear turns to self-belief,' she explains.
