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Why I love… the CZ Roller Bead from Hiho Silver

Hiho Silver CZ Cherry Roller BangleMy Instagram, Youtube channel, Twitter feed and Facebook page regularly feature my Cherry Roller Bangle. I flipping ADORE this piece of jewellery from Hiho Silver. So much so that it hardly ever leaves my wrist, And when I say hardly ever, I mean I sleep, shower, cook, clean, work, dog walk, run (in a fashion), manage toddlers… everything, In this bracelet. And now the CZ Roller Beads add a little bit more sparkle to all of the above!

What’s a Cherry Roller Bangle?

I wrote a blog about the iconic design of the Cherry Roller not all that long ago because it’s a cracking story. The piece is unique to Hiho Silver and was designed by the team there. The original design combined sterling silver and rose gold vermeil to mimic the tones of the cherry roller snaffle. A bit created from stainless steel and copper. But you can read more about it here. Needless to say that this pretty bangle has become iconic in equestrian and country circles. More than that, it has inspired and entire collection of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings with roller bead detail, But it’s also inspired a range of other beads too. Including the CZ ones.

What’s a CZ Roller Bead?

The CZ Roller Bead is Hiho’s way to bling up (is that even a phrase?!) your Cherry Roller… or even Foxtail Bracelet. These sterling silver rollers are encrusted in CZ crystals that add shine and sparkle to the piece in a range of gorgeous colours including white, navy, pink, purple, turquoise and more. These beads can be switched for sterling silver or gold vermeil beads at the time of purchase, or can be retrofitted if you fancy it. Actually, Hiho has just introduced a create your own Cherry Roller feature, which shows all the options in more detail.

Why do I love them?

I’m not a huge fan of bling, I adore silver and diamonds but I find a lot of ‘bling’ rather cheap and tacky. And I don’t like that. I’ve had a Cherry Roller Bangle for about a year. Mine had a solid rose gold bead in the centre to start with, solid sterling silver beads either side, and 18ct rose gold vermeil beads beyond that. And I loved it. Bling hadn’t crossed my mind until I met up with Emma Warren, Hiho’s Queen Bee, a few months ago. She was wearing a beautiful cherry roller with a hint of a bling and it looked so special. I think because of the way the rollers have been designed, they add a touch of colour and a bit of sparkle, but they’re not ‘in your face’ – even the bangles with five CZ Roller Beads are still really classy and elegant. I’ve had the two sterling silver rollers replaced with purple CZ Roller Beads (see the pic) and I adore it. I love the way the crystals catch the light and the way they look different colours at different times of the day. And I love spinning them around the bangle’s ‘mouthpiece’ (also known as a shank I think?) too. They’re great for busy fingers!

Are the CZ Roller Beads robust?

Another thing I want to mention is how robust the CZ Roller Beads are. I’m not saying ‘smash them off anything – they’ll be fine’, but I bet they would be! Mine have a really hard life, despite my best efforts, but the way the bead has been designed means it’s really resilient. A bead with a true Hiho pedigree. It’ll take you from mucking out to going, play areas (yep – welcome to my life as a mum of toddlers!) to the pub, and it’ll look great in any situation.

I’d urge you to go and have a look at the Cherry Roller Bangle, and have a look at the CZ beads too. If you already have a Cherry Roller, you can get the beads switched and changed by sending back to Hiho (small fitting fee applies on top of product cost). Just contact them and have a chat with the Countess of Contentment.

 

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Eleven reasons to love the latest Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal

Hiho Silver Country Shows JournalWhy eleven reasons? I’m not entirely sure… but here goes. To be honest, there are more than eleven reasons to love the latest issue of the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal, but these are my top eleven. The best thing is if you read it yourself. I would love to know your favourite bit…

What is the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal?

Hiho Silver produces the Country Shows Journal. This online publication is produced at specific times of the year, for Hiho customers and fans to enjoy for free. There’s always a competition, some brilliant brand and product features, there’s usually some gin… and there’s always beautiful jewellery. The latest issue of the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal is no different, but is also bursting with fashion, style, an inside out horse (it’s OK, no animals were hurt!) and a lot more. So… my eleven reasons to love it…

  • Harriet Edwards’ fashion feature. In her role as Hiho brand ambassador, Harriet styled the lovely Imogen Murray for the trot up at Burghley. Dressed in Musto, Dubarry, Joules, Mackenzie & George and Hiho, Imogen looked absolutely stunning… Harriet did an exceptional job. In this issue of the journal, Harriet also shows us some other potential trot up looks that made her shortlist. There wasn’t a look I didn’t like. Honestly.
  • The competition. Who doesn’t love a great competition? And this issue’s is, as usual, a complete corker. In this issue, Hiho has teamed up with Hyde & Hare and Teddy Edward to offer one lucky winner one heck of a prize haul. A new Foxley Bag from young British brand Hyde & Hare, who specialises in cowhide products, a £150 gift voucher to spend at Teddy Edward, and a Cherry Roller Bundle from Hiho. STUNNING.
  • The Cherry Roller options. I ADORE my Hiho Silver Cherry Roller and have upgraded and changed it as new beads have become available… and in this issue Hiho created an image to show all the options – from CZ roller beads in a range of colours to the World Horse Welfare Charity Bead, the Fairfax & Favor Bead, all the way through to the new solid gold and diamond 4 Star Bead, which launched at Burghley. Oh my. It’s a stunner.
  • Doris’s Burghley Picks. I adore the shopping villages at horse trials and this issue, Doris picked some lovely products that you could find around the tradestand village… but can also enjoy online and buy from the comfort of your chair.
  • Who doesn’t love a cocktail? And what about a gin one? Exactly. In this issue, the lovely people at Silver Fox Gin share a couple of delicious cocktails to enjoy, and there’s a brilliant story behind the brand too, and how it came to Hiho Silver Country Shows Journalbe.
  • Teddy Edward. Have you heard about this lovely British brand? I have heard so much about this brand, and it’s great to read a bit more about in the in the Country Shows Journal too.
  • Horse Inside Out. Before I started PR and marketing, I actually used to work at an event yard and then later as an instructor. As I went up through the BHS levels, I spent a LOT of time learning where the muscles and bones were… and attempting to compare a picture to a horse in motion was a bit tricky… but not with Horse Inside Out. With the ‘important bits’ painted on the outside of the horse, it’s a great way to understand how everything works together… and Gillian explains how it all works in the latest issue.
  • A Badminton recap. I love Badminton Horse Trials and I was so, so chuffed with how Hiho’s first sponsored best dressed at that trot up went. Sophie Callahan, one of Hiho’s brand ambassadors, commentated during the full trot up on Radio Badminton… and then wrote an article for the Badminton website, and here she relives it for us. It’s fab.
  • Sweet story. Rachel Bragg from Sweet Images Photography is a long term Hiho fan, so Hiho caught up with her and had a chat about her job, her favourite Hiho pieces and more. It’s a really great read.
  • Hyde & Hare is a new brand that produces a range of high quality cowhide bags that are real one offs. They are made from genuine cowhide that is completely natural and unique, and hasn’t been printed like many available. I love the feature about Piers Dickinson, the man behind the brand, and enjoyed finding out what Leonardo DiCaprio had to do with it… and there is something!
  • An Event Rider Masters update. It’s been such an amazing series for far and I can’t wait to see the finale at Blenheim…

So, there you go – eleven reasons to love the Hiho Silver Country Shows Journal… but I am sure you’ll find loads more. Have a read of it here, and don’t forget to enter the competition. It’s a really good one.

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Behind iconic design – Hiho Silver’s Cherry Roller Collection

Cherry Roller Bangle

Photo by Sophie Callahan Photography

You may have noticed that I adore Hiho’s Cherry Roller Collection. Well, it’s more than bog standard adoration. I wear the bangle and necklace each day. It rarely leaves my body… and I’ll tell you why.

Why is Hiho Silver special?

Being horsey, I knew, loved and was a customer to Hiho long before I worked for them. I always loved the way the company combined genuine equestrian detail into sturdy pieces of jewellery that looked gorgeous but wouldn’t disintegrate if you wore them on the yard! I have a bit of a thing about wearing the things you love and not just keeping them for best, so this ties in perfectly with that philosophy. Now, I just want to revisit the ‘genuine equestrian detail’ line. I’m horsey BUT I don’t really want to be covered in horse heads or twee jewellery. I’m very proud of my horsiness, very proud, but I want to give a nod to it with my jewellery rather than plastered in horse heads. There’s nothing wrong with horse head jewellery (I feel I am really picking on horse heads today!) and I have seen some beautiful pieces available (can you guess where?!), but I like the more understated horsey look. That is the kind of style that people who are horsey ‘get’ and people who aren’t admire because they see it as a beautiful piece of jewellery in its own right.

What’s the Cherry Roller Collection?

So, back to the Cherry Roller. Inspired by the bit bearing the same name, Hiho’s most popular Cherry Roller pieces combine sterling silver with rose gold vermeil (vermeil being a thick plating) or solid rose gold beads, but sterling silver only and sterling silver with yellow gold vermeil are also available. The combination of rose gold and silver is truly stunning, but for the horsey amongst you, you’ll also be well aware that a cherry roller snaffle combines stainless steel with copper, which creates the same dual colour look. By substituting the metal, changing the proportions and reviewing, revising and perfecting each element, the Cherry Roller Collection burst into life… and the first piece was the bangle.

I adore the bangle for many reasons. First up, it shows the iconic cherry roller design beautifully, with the curved ‘mouthpiece’ of the bangle following the wrist’s shape, and the clever hinged closure makes it easy to put on and take off, but secure when in place because of the clip. My roller has a solid gold central bead with Hiho engraving which I find myself spinning and admiring way more than I should. I wear it stacked with my Hiho Foxtail bracelet (that’s a whole other blog!) and I honestly never take it off.

Why is the Cherry Roller iconic?

It’s iconic because it’s unique to Hiho, it was created by them and can only be purchased from them, and it’s really led the way in combining precious metals in this space. I love it… and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t…

Have a look a the collection here – or go and see the team at the tradestand at any of the events they attend to see it in the flesh.

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