Nighthorse Reimagines Its Generational Jewelry Legacy

By Karen Dybis | April 11, 2025

The new Nighthorse fine jewelry brand is both a tribute to Ben Nighthorse’s legacy as well as a new beginning for the family-owned jewelry company with his daughter and grandson expanding upon its motifs and techniques for another generation.

Shanan Campbell, Ben’s daughter, and Luke Longfellow, Ben’s grandson, debuted Nighthorse in late 2024 in collaboration with Sorrel Sky Gallery, which has exclusive rights to sell Ben Nighthorse’s jewelry. Campbell owns Sorrel Sky, which has galleries in Durango, Colo.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and New York City..

Campbell calls the Nighthorse collection a celebration of her father’s work, which has devoted collectors worldwide. Nighthorse uses only 18k gold and platinum alongside gemstones and enamel inlay, which is done at the Nighthorse Studio in Colorado.

Nighthorse Valley bracelet — *The Nighthorse Valley of the Gems cuff bracelet ($30,000) employs one of Ben Nighthorse’s favorite motifs, the horse, along with polished lapis cabochons in 18k gold.*

Longfellow, a GIA gemologist based in New York City, says his goal as the primary designer at Nighthorse is to honor Ben Nighthorse’s original designs while adding new ideas, shapes, and technology.

An example of how Longfellow is reexamining his family’s jewelry legacy through his more contemporary lens is the Nighthorse Chain. Ben Nighthorse learned how to make necklace links by shaping silver around a Popsicle stick, Longfellow says.

He later taught Longfellow that same technique, hand-making a chain unique to him. The Nighthorse version uses two links from Nighthorse and Longfellow to cast an entirely new 20-inch chain in 18k gold or platinum.

“My grandfather taught me his processes—fabricating nearly everything, taking everything from a sketch, building it from hand,” Longfellow says. “The timing worked out nicely [for Nighthorse] because it was important for me to get my own experience in the industry separate from my family. I had to learn through other avenues. It’s been awesome to bring something to the table that’s different.”

Ben Nighthorse Luke Longfellow — *Luke Longfellow (r.) says his first jewelry lessons came from his grandfather, Ben Nighthorse.*

Ben Nighthorse started in jewelry after moving to Toyko in 1960 to train for the 1964 Olympic Games, where he captained the U.S. Olympic judo team. In Japan, he studied with a Samurai sword maker, learning how to laminate metals and create jewelry. He returned to the United States and established his own brand and jewelry techniques, focusing on motifs such as the horse.

Now 93, Ben and his wife, Linda, remain active in both jewelry companies. Linda runs the Colorado jewelry-manufacturing shop. Longfellow says it’s been fun to collaborate full time with his family after working solo for many years.

“Seeing my life’s work through the eyes of my daughter and my grandson and knowing it will continue to bring joy to people for years to come is deeply satisfying,” Ben said in a statement.

Longfellow says he seems reinvigorated with jewelry’s movement into the high-tech world and online retailing through this new project.

*The Nighthorse Rainbow Ring ($5,800) is inlaid with diamonds and opal and set in 18k gold. It honors Ben Nighthorse’s use of these gemstones as symbols of unity and harmony.*

“He reviews every piece and tell me what he thinks we should do. His feedback is so special to me,” Longfellow says. “What we’re doing now is interesting to him. We’re scaling things down. We’re making things more intricate. Because of technology, we can scan in one of his original pieces, find something we love about it, and pull elements from it. It’s creating something new from something familiar.”

Campbell says one of Ben Nighthorse’s long-term goals was to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Tiffany & Co., Boucheron, and Fabergé in creating name recognition, signature jewelry, and a family legacy so future generations could carry on their traditions.

“Since I was a little girl, this has been my entire world. He always told me this was someday all going to be yours.… His support in this process has really made it fun,” Campbell says. “We still have 1,000 of his designs in our archives, so this was always the long game for me. I really believe in what we’re doing.”

Top: Shanan Campbell, Ben Nighthorse, Luke Longfellow, and Linda Nighthorse Campbell are honoring the family’s jewelry past and present through Nighthorse (photos courtesy of Nighthorse).