The Silver Jewelry Playbook
Sultry strong designs made me love the metal all over again
The recent streak of stories about silver did not convince me that the white metal was staging a comeback. They all started with the idea that silver was sweeping into vogue because the cost of gold soaring to $3,000 an ounce was transforming the yellow metal into more of a commodity—an investment shelter from the economic storm—than a material for jewelry.
Yet, there is a problem with this premise. If you want a gold jewel, silver isn’t a substitute. The two metals are as different as apples and oranges. Plus, I wasn’t seeing silver being worn in real life.
My mind only began to change about the reemergence of silver last month when I repeatedly spotted the work of Juju Vera on social media, which can simulate reality.
I took note of the emerging designer’s Petra Shell necklace ($595) on mega influencer Leandra Medine. I saw it in a few other places while scrolling Instagram including on the stylist Maeve Reilly. Let’s just say, I was influenced. I went looking for the necklace and the designer.
Juju’s silver had the kind of style that inspires women, including yours truly, to shop and shift focus. The essence of her collection also reminded me of Elsa Peretti who was the first person to make silver sultry in the 1970s.
Juju also jarred my memory about the creations of a few designers who feel silver in their soul. I am thinking of Jill Platner, Judy Geib and Ten Thousand Things. These independent creatives make silver now and have always done so. It shows in the excellence and creativity of their work. See a few of my favorite styles from each below.
ELSA PERETTI
When Elsa Peretti arrived at Tiffany & Co. in 1974, her collection focused on silver. She made the metal at once luxurious, fashionable and desirable. Several of her core pieces, which are available to this day, had already been featured in Vogue along with the fashions of her friend, Halston.
In the Vogue (December 1, 1972) spread above about Halston’s resort collection, Anjelica Huston (who is seated on the front right) is wearing Peretti’s Large Split Bone Cuff.
Tiffany sells the cuff today for $3,850. Several variations of the style are available for less.
The Elsa Peretti Mesh Bib Necklace ($2,500) resembles modern chainmail armor. This 26-inch piece drapes over the body and can be tied to various lengths.
The Elsa Peretti 2.6-inch Snake Earrings ($2,600) have a sculpted body that resembles the tail of a rattlesnake, the inspiration for the design.
For years, Elsa Peretti collaborated with photographer Hiro to create advertising campaigns that equaled, if not surpassed, the creativity of editorials. Each one is spectacular. This ad features her Open Bottle pendant ($2,000) and captures the mood of Positano, where the design was conceived.
JUJU VERA
Designer Julia "Juju" Ferentinos launched Juju Vera about this time last year. The Vera part of her company name is a tribute to her grandmother. A vintage vibe and the 1970s are guiding lights to the pieces that do carry an archival appeal.
The Petra Shell silver pendant necklace ($595) has rapidly become the “it” item of the summer.
The Juju Vera Thea Sterling Silver Necklace ($2,800) serves an architectural formality to silver and truly is an outfit maker.
The Athena Pavé Diamond Choker ($4,800) features an open back and a flat, textured surface. Its domed, oval center is covered in diamonds. With this piece, Juju has captured one of the most coveted silhouettes of retro style.
JILL PLATNER
A silversmithing legend, Jill Platner has been handcrafting designs from her Crosby Street studio in New York City since 1993. Her work ranges from one-of-a-kind Gallery pieces to everyday styles.
As well as being a bench jeweler, Jill is an artist and sculptor. Her line drawings are transformed into the hammered and hinged sterling silver 20-inch long Calypso collar above ($9,300) from her special collection of Gallery pieces.
If you live in Greenwich Village, as I do, you will spot Jill Platner’s jewels on people all the time. Her distinctive and substantial designs, like this Fly necklace ($4,500), are soft to the touch. It’s a quality that showcases the potential of silver.
The Jill Platner extra-large Flirt Hoops ($495) are hand-forged and hammered. Double-circles add extra flair to the design.
JUDY GEIB
From her Brooklyn studio, Judy Geib has been making jewelry at the bench since the late 1990s. All of her lyrical designs feel as if they sprung from an epic poem. Sometimes she reveals part of the creative process in her Instagram posts.
The Erewhon Tea-Length Necklace ($1,500) features silver flowers connected together on a 17-inch gold necklace. Judy often usually combines gold with her silver which gives the cool metal in a bit of warmth.
While the Erewhon name of the piece might remind you of the fancy Los Angeles grocery store, I suspect Judy is referencing the anagram of “nowhere” coined by British writer Samuel Butler in the late 19th century.
The Judy Geib Sun and Moon Chandelier Earrings ($1,960) twinkle with diamonds and gold details.
The Judy Geib Gold and Silver Cone Earrings ($1,100) play on shapes and solids.
TEN THOUSAND THINGS
If you want to know which designers were popular with editors during the 1990s, the answer is Ten Thousand Things. What’s astonishing is how they have remained favorites for decades with their perpetually fresh designs.
For over 30 years, Ron Anderson and David Rees have been working out ideas together that they craft by hand on the bench from their studio in New York City. To hear them talk about shapes and forms and the interaction of parts is to listen in on artists at work.
Eighteenth century jewelry styles inspired the Ten Thousand Things Small Georgian Chandelier Silver Earrings ($770).
The Studded Foxtail Chain Bracelet ($365) with freshwater pearls showcases the delicate details that Ten Thousand Things is known for.
The leaves of the Ten Thousand Things Wild Fern Long Earrings ($770) are infused with emotion, making the silver come alive.