Lionheart’s Expressive Gold Jewels Embody Luxurious Heirloom Chic

Lionheart charm necklaces embody the brand ethos of poetic self-expression.

Lionheart Jewelry

Inspired by noble legends of love, and jewelry’s power to express emotion through refined designs, precious materials and pure artisanship, New York-based LIONHEART produces distinctive and chic jewelry collections that look and feel timeless, and therefore ageless. Each Lionheart range is based on a thematic concept or symbol that resonates across generations and across cultures, and while some collections are inspired by the power of protective amulets and traditional talismans, others arise from LIONHEART Creative Director Joy Haugaard’s fascination with jewelry forms, materials, and poetic personal expression. Infused with a reverence for fine art, Danish modernism, and great eras in jewelry history, Lionheart is family-owned and captained by sisters Joy and Sarah Haugaard. Of dual Danish and Persian heritage, the LIONHEART ladies met with this writer to discuss their new collections, which will be presented at the COUTURE Las Vegas show May 27 to May 31, 2026.

Before describing those collections, it’s worth delving into LIONHEART’s origin story, which is a tale of artisanal excellence and the power of love. As Joy explained, “While I started working in the New York City jewelry business when I was 16, in my free time, I focused on developing a coherent brand aesthetic, and then I secured legal copyrights for an initial range. My first collection,” she reflected, “grew out of my husband’s retelling of the love story between Queen Cassandane and Emperor Cyrus the Great of the Persian empire. My husband is a great romantic,” she said with a smile. In fact, Cassandane was widely respected for her intelligence and status as Cyrus’s favorite wife and the mother of four of his children. Proof of her power: when Cassandane died in 538 BC, her passing prompted a six-day period of public mourning across the empire.

Core concepts of Lionheart jewels then and now, Joy ventured, involve personal expression, versatility and long-term value. “We sell almost everything we make separately,” she noted.“People can choose one of our handmade, proprietary gold chains and then pair it with one or more of our charms,” she proposed. “They may also add a Lionheart medallion or charm to a chain they already own. All Lionheart pieces are designed to be cherished for a lifetime and then passed down as heirlooms.” Embodying the layered, personalized Lionheart “look”, Joy typically wears multiple earrings, a wristful of golden bangles, and two or three necklaces gleaming with big bold charms. Stylistically, she’s a timeless and tasteful maximalist.

Joy copyrighted her fluted heart ‘Cassandane’ medallion designs in 2013, seven years before the LIONHEART brand was founded. “Each piece,” she explained, “is a weighty, precious medallion that looks and feels rich in texture, depth, and emotion.” With its delicate beaded borders and symbolism of love, light, good fortune and protection, Cassandane is alive with the Old World style and preciousness that characterizes every element in the LIONHEART range. Upon viewing Cassandane for the first time in 2013, Joy’s husband, Romeo Farid, who is an accomplished jeweler, secretly cast and polished all the pieces in 18-karat gold and stashed them in his safe. Fast forward to 2020, when, as Joy recollected, “After I recovered from a challenging illness, Romeo decided it was time for me to start my own brand. He literally quit my job for me, saying that it was time for me to follow my dreams.” With a smile, she recalls, “Then Romeo surprised me with the Cassandane jewels that he had made seven years before. I was blown away by his artisanship and loving support.” (The Cassandane range continues to grow with new designs and is celebrating its 13^th anniversary on the market in 2026.)

Born from Joy’ and Sarah’s passion to make beautiful; meaningful jewels that become heirlooms, the Lionheart brand is also built on their lifelong sibling loyalty. As Joy explained, “I named the brand after Astrid Lindgren’s classic children’s book, The Brothers Lionheart, which Sarah and I had read together while growing up. We loved it so much that Lionheart even became our code word for how close we felt as sisters.” Sarah had been living in Los Angeles for 10 years and had just recently moved into a new apartment when Joy informed her that she was starting a jewelry company called Lionheart. “When I told Sarah that our sisterly code word was the name of the brand,” Joy related, “she broke her new lease, packed up and moved back to New York so that we could work together.” (As Fate would have it, Apple TV is developing a series based on The Brothers Lionheart as this article goes to press.)

Along with Cassandane, other notable LIONHEART collections include the best-selling Seasons™️, which is patented and trademarked. In this innovative range, Each Seasons™️ charm comes with 12 interchangeable colored gemstone discs that can slide in and “color” the design, depending on one’s outfit or mood. While the Seasons™️ charm motifs include the evil eye, symbols of the zodiac, the Tree of Life, a Sun and Moon, etc., customers can easily switch the discs made of lapis lazuli, malachite, mother of pearl, turquoise and other gem materials.

Inspired by the complex beauty and rich textures of Byzantine art, the ‘Aurelia’ range is Lionheart’s ode to timeless golden jewelry forms and concepts. Aurelia, meaning “the golden one,” is characterized by soothing symmetry, concentric circles, and textural gold detailing. The overall effect of Aurelia jewels helps amplify the energy and beauty of the 21st century individual who wears them.