Gold is having a monetary second. Silver is having a style one. I’m fifty-three, menopausal, and I’m not within the temper to babysit a wrist filled with gold bangles on a scooter in Koh Samui.
I’ve at all times been a gold woman. Till I wasn’t. It was as soon as like asking in case you’re a cat or a canine particular person. It’s an id. However someplace between the warmth, journey, and knowledge, I began reaching for silver.
Silver doesn’t shout. It doesn’t must. It gleams with confidence, very similar to my streak of white hair and my unapologetic refusal to decorate down when boarding a long-haul flight. And with gold costs exploding because of geopolitical chaos—howdy Trump-era tariffs—it’s not only a model selection, it’s a wise one.
Gold hit an eye-watering £2,300 per troy ounce final month. That’s the value of a flight to Milan and 5 nights in a boutique lodge overlooking the Duomo. Silver? A tidy £24.71 an oz.. That’s extra my form of cut price, and I’m not speaking about compromise.
Silver South East Asia
Jewellers throughout Southeast Asia are driving the silver wave. In my travels throughout Laos, Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam, I’ve curated my very own silver assortment. From delicate lotus leaf necklaces in Hanoi to daring, sculptural cuffs crafted in Luang Prabang’s backstreets, I’ve discovered items that scream class with out the price-tag trauma.
In Laos, I purchased a one-off silver bangle formed like a water ripple—a reminder of the Mekong’s movement and the truth that life, like style, at all times strikes. It’s giant, dramatic, and works simply as effectively with linen kaftans because it does with a silk night costume. In Thailand, I used to be drawn to earrings with lotus motifs, hammered by hand, worn within the markets, admired at seaside bars.
Silver is sensible. It doesn’t attempt to mimic gold, not like these unhappy gold vermeil imposters. It’s what it’s. Pure, clear, unfussy.
It gained’t soften you right into a puddle on a scorching day, and it doesn’t scream “rob me” if you stroll into a neighborhood meals stall.
And right here’s one thing I didn’t count on—silver seems to be higher on my mature pores and skin than gold ever did. Its cool, steely tones bounce off olive complexions with grace. It lifts the gray in my hair and brings a glow without having blush. It’s like discovering the right mild at golden hour—besides it’s silver, and it occurs every day.
Silver In The Metropolis
Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed up on the Torino Movie Pageant final 12 months in full silver regalia. Assertion earrings. Sculpted, unapologetic. She appeared divine. Olivia Colman did the identical on the British Unbiased Movie Awards. These ladies aren’t chasing traits; they’re the development. And so they’re sporting silver.
You see, silver isn’t nearly being thrifty. It’s sculptural. It’s design-led. With the value level far beneath gold, designers are freer. Larger. Bolder. I lately tried on a cuff so giant it might double as a belt. Designed in recycled silver by Anuka, it was mild on the wrist however heavy on influence.
It’s no marvel manufacturers like Otiumberg are seeing silver gross sales skyrocket—244% in a 12 months, to be actual. Even their bestselling gold designs now are available sterling silver. As a result of clients—particularly ladies like me—are mixing metals, embracing cooler tones, and refusing to be boxed into one treasured steel camp.
Mixing Metals
And why not? Sterling silver, 92.5% pure, is extra sturdy than that low-cost silver-plated stuff and lends itself to drama. The sculptural development is having a renaissance. Have a look at By Pariah’s Luna cuff or Ysso’s shell necklace paired with a leather-based twine. This isn’t your grandmother’s silver. That is wearable artwork.
Chunky rings. Spiralling bracelets. Hoops so outsized they seem like mini sculptures. American manufacturers are even raiding their archives—like Nina Runsdorf, who introduced again her ’70s kitchen-table creations and located Gen Z interns begging to borrow them. Now that’s multi-generational aptitude.
Silver fits each temper. It whispers on Monday mornings and roars on Friday nights. It’s quiet luxurious with out the nonsense. In contrast to flashy gold, silver is unassuming energy. Not making an attempt to impress. Simply being spectacular.
How To Clear Silver?
I clear mine with toothpaste, by the best way. Or a mild baking soda rub. I don’t swim with it. Chlorine’s the enemy. I retailer it in zip-lock luggage after I bear in mind. And after I neglect, a fast polish brings it again to life.
Silver tarnishes. Like all of us, it ages. However there’s magnificence in that patina. Actually, a barely oxidised ring on a sun-kissed finger has extra persona than any high-polish gold band making an attempt too onerous.
So what if silver was once the sidekick to gold’s main position? The supporting actress has stolen the present. For these of us navigating our trendy fifties, silver is much less about following traits and extra about embracing authenticity.
The White Lotus Design
This summer time, floral silver is blooming. Lotus leaves, water lilies, and outsized blossoms are sprouting from the wrists, necks, and ears of modern ladies from Koh Samui to London. Keira Knightley simply wore a Patrick McDowell silver floral cuff prefer it was plucked from a moon backyard. I wore mine to the fish market.
Silver’s rise isn’t momentary. It’s a mirrored image of a wider temper. We’re performed with being loud. We wish that means. We wish high quality. We wish jewelry that works with our life-style—whether or not we’re boarding a speedboat, sipping coconut water, or catching up on emails from a Balinese hammock.
I say, dig into that jewelry field. Polish up these forgotten silver trinkets. Pair them with linen, with denim, with kaftans, or tailor-made shorts. Silver’s not only for the younger. It’s for the daring. For the silver-haired. For individuals who’ve lived—and need their jewelry to inform the story.
