I confess. I’m a long time member of the gold jewellery fan club. Hell, I’m its treasurer. Bar a few times in my early teens — when the receiving of a certain piece of silver jewellery brandishing a heart-shaped pendant was all you could hope for — I’ve been wearing gold jewellery for as long as I can remember. That’s not counting my rose gold phase, one which burned bright and burnt fast for myself and countless others.
But despite my long-held love for gold, something had shifted within me and my wardrobe in recent months. It was near imperceptible. First, it was a pair of mixed metal earrings, then it was finding comfortability with cool-toned hardware on accessories, and before I knew it, I was picking up a necklace with a giant orb-like silver pendant on it. I wasn’t sure what was happening at first, but then it struck me: I'd become a lover of silver jewellery.
As I try to retrace my steps, I wonder: was it the aforementioned intermediary of the mixed metals trend that was my gateway to silver jewellery? Was it simply my tastes changing as my style matures? Or perhaps it was my way of getting a little more ‘bang for my buck’, considering silver jewellery generally retails at a lower price point than gold. Whatever my internal (and external) motivators, I’m definitely not the only one who has had this metallic epiphany. “I find silver is having such a moment,” shares Brooke Testoni, the founder of Sydney-based accessories brand, Rylan, who has recently added silver to her jewellery and bag hardware offering “It is funny because I have always been such a gold girl, but I’m really gravitating towards it.”
With the rise and rise of the ‘quiet luxury’ trend, which has urged many of us to gravitate towards subtlety, and pieces that seamlessly blend rather outwardly presenting, silver has really come into its own. Given its neutrality, silver jewellery is clearly the preferred metal among the poster people for quiet luxury, with the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Sofia Richie Grainge, and the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy — a timeless style icon who could very well be credited for the inception of the trend — all proving that cooler tones translate to ease of wear for the everyday. “I think silver is so fresh, casual, and cool,” adds Testoni. “I find it’s so great for the everyday when you don’t want to feel overly dressed. I feel gold can sometimes feel a little too blingy.”
But the earlier point about the affordability of silver jewellery compared to its warmer counterparts definitely counts for something considering the global tightening of belts in recent months. Due to rising costs, and the investment that good quality, responsible gold demands, people have begun looking at their precious accessories through an economical lens. According to Testoni, while silver hasn’t yet overtaken gold as the preferred metal, it’s getting close thanks to its slightly more palatable price point.
Whatever the motivation, the move towards cool metals has manifested beyond the fashion sphere, with silver and chrome hues becoming a clear favourite in the broader design world in recent months. It didn't take long for the authority on all interiors, Architectural Digest, to themselves forecast silver and chrome as one of the biggest home trends for 2024.
While general interest in silver begins to spike once again, interior designer and founder of AP Design House, Alexandra Ponting, has remained steadfast in her love for cool metals in the home for years. “I’ve always been a stainless steel girl, especially in kitchens. I’m a wannabe cook and love the practicality of stainless,” she says, explaining: “Its sharp architectural lines and beautiful reflections is something that pulls me to this material aesthetically.”
Acknowledging the hesitance that comes with a metal that’s often considered ‘industrial’ — “I find it scares my clients, as they immediately think of a commercial kitchen” — Ponting insists that, despite the fact that its trending now, cool tones are (and always have been) here to stay. “I have been using, and pushing for, stainless in all my projects for many years.”
However, while Ponting’s favoured silver, chrome and stainless steel accents are becoming popular, and looking like they may supersede the warm tones of copper and brass that have dominated interiors for years, she does insist on staying true to your own style, regardless of the trend cycle: “There is no right or wrong. Trends are fickle. I think you should always do what you love and what you are drawn to.” For Ponting, it’s “it’s all in the mix”. If you’re wanting to introduce cool metals into your space, she suggests looking to vintage Italian modernist furniture pieces from the ’80s and ’90s.
But no matter the pervasiveness of silver accessories, I’ll never part with my precious gold pieces, and neither should you. Instead, find harmony between the cool and warm, find their respective places in your wardrobe and your home, and know that, like the trending metals before it, both silver and gold will continue to go around, and come around once again.
