Gold, begone! How silver jewellery reclaimed the throne in 2023: glam is out and grit is in, as even luxury brands like Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Bottega Veneta embrace stealth wealth bling
- Sterling reputation? Silver jewellery fell out of fashion along with skinny jeans in the late noughties – but 2023 has seen a sudden embrace of clean, cool and metallic tones
- Searches for silver jewellery have tripled on second-hand e-commerce site Depop, while sales are up 26% at Monica Vinader, as mid-range brands lead a modern, minimal revival
Hands up if you have spent the last few years with either a “neck mess” – a tangle of rarely removed necklaces – or with rings adorning half your fingers and an earful of piercings. If your (gleaming, glittering) arm is up in the air then you are not alone: metallic jewellery – and lots of it – has become a pervasive look, with gold entirely dominating.
Now, however, the runner-up metal is set to switch places with the OG No 1.
Silver jewellery has been largely out of fashion since the late 2000s when, along with low-rise jeans and going-out tops, it was swept away in a fashion revolution. Its rehabilitation has been slow but, since early 2023, the renaissance of the precious metal has got well and truly in motion.
This was as true for mid-range brands (at Monica Vinader, sales of silver have increased by 26 per cent) as it has been in the luxury sphere. Even the second-hand market has felt the shift: according to second-hand e-commerce site Depop, searches for types of silver jewellery have been increasing by up to 300 per cent on a month-by-month basis.
“Silver feels sleek, chic and gives an ode to the noughties style that’s been trending,” says jewellery designer Astley Clarke. “We love how silver can instantly elevate a look, giving something more to jeans and a T-shirt. For a modern, minimal look go for simple pieces, or just one hero ring and hoop earrings; and for more of a bold, edgy vibe, we’d go for chunky pieces at different lengths and widths to maximise on the trend.”
The designer brands have paid attention: Bottega Veneta has a pair of sculptural, organic silver drop earrings that have featured in a number of high-end shoots, and Elsa Peretti’s creations for Tiffany & Co. have been bestsellers. Cartier now has more pieces available in white gold than it did last year, while Mejuri has had a clear focus on silver. And Isabel Marant arguably started the trend with a pair of sculpted chandelier earrings that fashion editors love.
