Season after season, designers continue to show their fascination with exotic animal prints in their dresses (Diane von Furstenberg, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Paul Smith), tops (DKNY, Giambattista Valli, Ralph Lauren, RM by Roland Mouret), shoes (Calvin Klein, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Roberto Cavalli), bags (Balmain, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch) and scarves (Alexander McQueen, Carolina Herrera, Roberto Cavalli, Yves Saint Laurent). We wore them last summer, we are wearing them this winter and, weather permitting, we shall be wearing them as of Sunday, when spring officially starts.

I actually love animal print and over the years I have bought some really lovely pieces, which I still have and wear when suitable, like the gorgeous leopard print skirt I bought from Hobbs almost ten years ago (and still looks fabulous!), my beautiful snow leopard coat (not fur!), some scarves (one of my weaknesses), several handbags (another weakness and one that my little girl seems to have inherited, much to my husband’s dismay…) and my comfy cheetah print ballerinas, which I am wearing as I write this.

So when it came to sourcing new jewellery for the season, animal patterns were very much on the Caradiaz list. And we got some fabulous pieces, such as the Mowani necklace, a graduated chunky chain long necklace with leopard print links, the matching Mowani square bangle, the Namibia bangle also in leopard print pattern but irregular in shape, the super-chunky, barrel-shaped Maaje bangle in neutral with matching Maaje clip earrings and the striking (and very popular) rhodium-plated Sahara hoops.

Image: Mowani necklace & bangle