Pets today get the treatment that many human beings would feel lucky to get. They no longer have to settle for a bi- annual visit to the vet. Today there are special pet hair salons, pet shrinks, pet life coaches, even pet astrologers. To keep pets wearing the latest fashion, there are countless special clothing shops for cats and dogs, often selling designer attire for our furry friends. Today there is even expensive jewelry made especially for pets – and lots of it.
Pet Jewelry
Of course, most people can’t afford this luxury, but those who can have a huge selection of pet jewelry stores at their disposal. And surprisingly, they are not only accessible to the Hollywood elite. Many pet jewelry shops are online shops. All you need is a credit card and you can have your Labrador bling blinging like the queen of England – quite literally. Many luxury pet jewelry shops sell fancy tiaras. A famous Thai designer named Riwin Jirapolsek designed a diamond tiara for his dog worth 4.2 million dollars, which featured over 100 karats of diamonds.
And he’s not the only one to go crazy with his pet’s adornment. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are perhaps the most well known pet owners to pamper their dogs with ravishing accessories set with the finest and most expensive gemstones. Paris Hilton even included a pet collar in her own jewelry line.
And we ain’t just talking collars. Pet jewelry today includes a vast array of products such as ruby and diamond harnesses, diamond leashes, golden ID dog purses, emerald pet charms, and the list goes on.
One might ask oneself why anyone would ever need such products. I certainly am. What pet owner would actually think his or her pet is benefiting from carrying around terribly heavy diamond and gemstone jewelry. Couldn’t the money spent on diamond collars and crystal harnesses be put to better use? Is there even clientele for such pet jewelry items? Well, surprisingly, or not so surprisingly – yes there is. And it is a vastly growing niche in the jewelry industry. Many pet owners care a lot about their pets’ appearance. The pet has become another means of presenting and flaunting one’s status. If your kitty has a diamond and ruby collar, it says something about your status. But it says some other things about you too.
Several animal rights activists have voiced their objection to the whole “pet jewelry” idea. “Don’t drag your pet into your silly vanity parades. If you want to romp about wearing a 2.5 pound diamond tiara on your head – go right ahead. But don’t use your terrier for that purpose. That’s not what he or she is there for.”
Well, perhaps the folks who choose to adorn their pets with these exorbitant accessories figure they’ll just schedule an appointment with the pet shrink if their pets should show signs of discontentment with their owners’ new jewelry gifts.
