Two sparkly silver models have been released recently, Diamond Jubilee and Alpine.  Diamond Jubilee was released in October 2010, in a run limited to 2,010 pieces.  (Get it?)  Diamond Jubilee is a celebration of Breyer's 60th anniversary. 

The 60th anniversary gift has traditionally been diamonds, particularly after Queen Victoria celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary with the Diamond Jubilee celebration of 1897. 

Breyer kind of turns the tradition on its head, by presenting a model which has been decorated with diamond dust.  Actual diamond dust, as far as I have been able to ascertain.

(Diamond Jubilee was priced at only $50.  Diamond dust isn't actually all that expensive… drill bit heads are encrusted with diamonds to make them extra-drilly.  It just isn't dust from very high quality diamonds.  I suspect it might be dust from lab manufactured diamonds.  Let's hope so, because I would hate to think of a Breyer model encrusted with the dust of blood diamonds.)

Diamond Jubilee is the classic silver filigree pattern (with a silvery blotchy wallpaper-sorta-looking coat, white mane and tail, and white points).  It is on the popular American Saddlebred Stallion mold, which was created by Kathleen Moody in 2000.  This mold was also used to create Merlin, one of the most expensive Breyers ever sold at auction, as well as a number of other special celebration models over the years.

Alpine is the latest version of Esprit, the model created for the World Equestrian Games this past summer.  Alpine has the same basic coloring as Diamond Jubilee, albeit without the sparkly diamond dust. 

Alpine is a web special, one of those "the first hundred callers will get a model" offers.  Priced at $150 (and it doesn't even have diamonds!), only 250 pieces were created for this special release.  At least that $150 includes shipping and handling!

The Esprit model is really pretty, but I fear that it might be getting a little over-exposed.  I understand that it's the WEG model, and Breyer is justifiably proud of both the model and their WEG sponsorship.  But still…. We have seen an awful lot of Esprit this year!

Nevertheless, this is (to my eyes) one of the prettier Esprit variants this year has brought us.  And just in time for the holidays, too!

Traditionally the silver filigree models have done pretty well on the resale market.  For example, Silver Snow created a huge fuss in December of 2008.  This was back in the early days of these crazy web specials, and demand crashed the phone lines at Breyer headquarters.  In the end, the model (which cost about $100 at the time, if memory serves) has gone for $400-$500 on the resale market.

This also means that if you wanted an Alpine or a Diamond Jubilee, you will very likely be able to buy them on MH$P, eBay, and other places where fine Breyer horses are re-sold.  But be aware, you may have to pay a premium for them!  Demand for Diamond Jubilee wasn't tremendously huge at first, although the model sold out.  But demand and buzz on Alpine has been through the roof.