Martin Katz home to half-million-dollar gold horse
By Claire Harlin
Staff Writer
It’s no rare occurrence for clients of high-end jeweler Martin Katz to contract special, one-of-a-kind ornamental pieces worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.But Katz, who owns shops in Rancho Santa Fe, New York and Beverly Hills, recently decided to make a masterpiece especially for the Del Mar/Rancho Santa Fe community — and it just arrived this month.
Priced at more than a half-million dollars, a solid gold polo horse, fit with sapphire eyes and diamond hooves, is the highlight of the Martin Katz collection at its store located at 6016 La Granada in Rancho Santa Fe, and there is nothing else like it in the world.
“Everyone has been in amazement when they see it, so blown away,” said John Matty, the shop’s managing director.
Designed by Katz and crafted in the jeweler’s European Shop, the horse exhibits precise detail in texture — the tail is braided with diamonds and even the jockey’s straps are functional. To further set the piece apart, it is mechanical. The jockey’s arm moves to hit a ball with a mallet.
“When you go back and look at it again and again, you can notice more and more details,” said Matty. “If you were to go to a pony match on Sunday, this is what you’d see on the field.” For more information, visit
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