An elk with a turquoise-tone heart

An elk head with full antlers, cast on a slide with a small turquoise-tone heart set at its center, on a 41.7-inch (106 cm) leather cord. Two finishes: silver-tone and bronze-tone. The antler spread is the design's signature — and its most un-western touch.

The styling leans Nordic rather than cowboy: symmetrical antlers, clean lines, a single small stone instead of heavy ornament. That makes it one of the few pieces in our catalog that reads as easily at a winter dinner as at a summer rodeo. The heart-shaped stone is small enough that most people notice the antlers first and the color second.

The numbers

Wearing it

Because the motif isn't strictly western, this bolo travels further than most: flannel and wool in the cold months, a linen shirt in the warm ones. The silver-tone version with grey or navy is the safest gift configuration we sell in the animal line — recognizable subject, small stone, no loud color. Echo the blue-green somewhere else on your person, or don't; the stone is subtle enough to sit alone. Read what turquoise-tone covers — and what it never covers at this price — in our stone guide, and see related pieces among our turquoise-tone bolo ties.

What to know before you buy

The heart is an imitation stone in a turquoise color; the supplier does not state whether the base is resin or a dyed composite, and we won't invent an answer. The slide is zinc alloy under a plated finish. Antler tips are the piece's most exposed points — check them first if a package ever arrives banged up, and we'll sort it out within the return window.

Buyer questions

Is this an elk or a deer?

An elk — broader antler beams and a heavier head than the deer bolo we sell, which is a slimmer gold-tone design on a chain.

What is the heart made of?

An imitation stone in turquoise color. Exact material unspecified by the supplier, which is why the specs table says so instead of naming a mineral.

Will the antlers snag on things?

They project less than they appear to in photos, but scarves and open-knit sweaters are the realistic risk. Keep the slide above the knit, not buried in it.