Inky metals are making their way back into jewelry, just as the temperature drops and darker color palettes reemerge in the fashion world.
David Yurman has unveiled its Midnight Ice collection, a 2015 fall/winter line that utilizes darkened sterling silver paired with gemstones.
Pieces in the collection borrow silhouettes from the brand’s earlier lines, among them Chatelaine and Renaissance, with retail prices ranging from $650 to $3,850.
Midnight Ice initially was being sold only at Neiman Marcus, where it was launched, but the collection now is available in all retail stores.
Black Caviar is Lagos’s new shadow-hued line. It’s made with smooth, black ceramic beads that mimic the brand’s signature sterling silver beaded look, “Caviar.” Pieces in the line are set with 18-karat gold stations, and some are also adorned with diamond pavé.
“I was looking for a way to interpret Caviar differently, and I like to experiment with texture, scale and colors beyond silver and gold,” said Lagos founder and Creative Director Steven Lagos. “I love the smooth finish of ceramic and the color choices it offers. Ceramic widened the design scope for us in many ways.”
Launched early last month, Black Caviar also is available at independent retail jewelers nationwide.
A darkened, oxidized sterling silver also is at play in Armenta’s New World collection for fall. Designer Emily Armenta was inspired by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca and his writings of “Duende,” the idea that one must go through pain to achieve greatness, the brand said.
This idea of light versus dark is illustrated in Armenta’s jewelry with oxidized silver paired with sterling silver or gold.
Jewelry in darker metals follows the “dramatic poetry” trend identified by Amanda Gizzi, director of public relations and special events at Jewelers of America, during a seminar at the JA New York Summer show. Jewelry that follows this trend has a very dark color palette that, in some cases, is combined with lighter, contrasting colors and can include design details such as wings and feathers.
“This is a play on women wanting to look beautiful but with warmer colors and textures,” Gizzi said during the session.