Chemical Attraction

Oct 26

The tantalizing pull of oxidized silver

As an olive-skinned girl, I spent years wondering why neither gold nor silver jewelry looked exactly right on me. Until a friend gifted me a circle pendant dangling off a blackened silver chain. I put it on and—voila!—it was instant chemistry. I had finally met my metal soulmate.

Oxidized jewelry is made by treating sterling silver with sulfides to speed up its natural tarnishing process. The resulting hue can range from light gray to gunmetal or even matte black. Like other patinas, oxidized silver is just a surface treatment and does not change the internal color or properties of the metal. But it does dial up the cool factor.

Besides looking great on olive or neutral skin tones, oxidized silver has a sexy, mysterious vibe and provides a dramatic backdrop for gemstones and diamonds. Now that you know how compatible you are with it, chances are you’ll be finding excuses to get next to it.

**Feeling Loopy**

Dangling from an oxidized chain, Sarah Richardson’s necklace featuring a matte-gold ring suspended inside a larger oxidized-sterling loop is hand-carved using traditional wax-carving techniques. To us, its uneven edges and imperfect circles evoke wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that embraces the beauty of imperfection.
Sarah Richardson Double Loop Pendant in Oxidized Sterling and Gold Vermeil, $159 at Sarah Richardson Jewelry

**Criss Cross**

Hand-fabricated in designer Nancy Newberg’s Los Angeles studio, this crossover ring pairs a yellow gold band with a diamond-embellished, oxidized-silver band. The light/dark tones make it an attention-grabbing statement.
Nancy Newberg Gold and Oxidized Silver Diamond Rolling Ring, $1,600 at Nancy Newberg

**Silver Fox**

Lika Behar’s earthy oxidized pendant is trimmed in 22K gold and sprinkled with pavé brown diamonds. It’s available at Salt Lake City-based Bennion Jewelers, the oldest jewelry store (since 1862) in the intermountain west.
Lika Behar Oxidized Sterling Silver Necklace With Diamonds, $995 at Bennion Jewelers
*This item is sold out.

**Gray Matter**

These oxidized sterling earrings manage to be simultaneously bold and minimalist. Handmade to order by metalsmith/designer Megan Auman in her studio about 90 miles west of Philadelphia, they add instant edge to an outfit.
Megan Auman Large Curve Posting Earrings, $110 at Megan Auman

**Twigging Out**

This whimsical, nature-inspired bracelet features interlocking twig branches in blackened silver and yellow gold. Part of designer Katey Brunini’s Vertebrae collection, it’s available at Denver-based Oster Jewelers.
K. Brunini “Vertebrae” Blackened Sterling O-Link Bracele t, $3,650 at Oster Jewelers
*This item is sold out.

**Lockdown**

This sterling chain-link necklace with diamonds has rock ’n’ roll written all over it. Not surprising, then, that it’s available at Worthmore Jewelers in Atlanta, which was named “Coolest Store in America” by InStore Magazine.
Diamond Chain Link Neclace, $1,569 at Worthmore Jewelers

**Mixed Emotions**

Featuring a 14K gold bar atop an oxidized sterling band, this mixed-metal ring can go anywhere. Designed and crafted on-site at Samantha Skelton’s shop just outside Pittsburgh, it flaunts the designer’s modern metalsmith skills.
Skelton Jewelry Mixed Metal Bar Ring, $225 at Skelton Jewelry

Editor: Samantha Durbin
Wordsmith: Maryann LoRusso

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