Treasure hunting is in season. At least, that is how it appeared in New York for Fall Fashion Week September 5-12, 2013. Designers are spending quite a bit of attention on elements of the old world. Think about treasure chests full of gold coins, precious gems, and large crowns fit for a Queen. These are exactly the kinds of pieces being featured on the runway.

Sevan Biçakci is a Turkish designer with an affinity for this old world style. Almost all of his jewelry is cast in dark gold or bronze, and inlaid with large gemstones ranging in color from diamonds to topaz to jasper. Occasionally, he’ll feature an image behind the gemstone so that the facets glorify scenes of birds or Turkish buildings.

Also working with elaborate gemstones, Oscar de la Renta has a collection featuring luxurious, chunky turquoise. Featured in his Fall and Winter 2013 collection, de la Renta’s most impressive piece involves 5 iridescent turquoise gemstones quite large in size, set in gold and strung on a long gold chain. Appealing to the old world, treasure-hunting trend, de la Renta’s model wore a see-through hooded cape and jeans.

Dolce & Gabbana’s presentation this year was inspired by the treasures of the Santa Maria Nuova cathedral in Montreale, and the models featured a collection of ornate Byzantine cross earrings. But these weren’t the most impressive of the collection: one model wore an opulent Byzantine-inspired crown, complete with a multicolored array of gemstones in a variety of settings.

Perhaps the most impressive old world jewelry, however, was a headpiece from Alexander McQueen. With a gold-and-pearl-beaded headdress, the model looked nothing short of Queen Elizabeth I, even to the point of a gold and white dress.