Baby Vine Cherry Chocolate Garnet Ring

Silver is a precious metal that takes its name from the Latin word for shiny, argentum. After having been a resource of great value in Greece and Crete during Antiquity, silver was subsequently extracted largely in Spain, and later in central Europe. In the 19th century, thanks to numerous advances in production (including the technique of drilling by steam engines and the improvement of transport), many silver mines were discovered and exploited throughout the world. Today, silver is found in the form of veins and nuggets mainly in Mexico, Peru, Australia and China. In traditional jewellery-making, silver is often covered with a thin layer of rhodium which gives it a more homogeneous and stable colour over time. But today designers favour its natural colour and rarely "rhodium" their silver pieces. Instead, they set it with stones and allow it to oxidise for a modern and elegant look. Like gold, silver is malleable. It is therefore impossible to use it at 100% purity for the creation of jewellery. In France, silver is recognised as a precious metal from 800 thousandths of pure silver in the alloy. However, the silver most commonly used in jewellery is 925 thousandths, that is to say an alloy composed of 92.5% pure silver. Different hallmarks are used to classify silver according to its purity. The 925 thousandths silver is marked by a Minerva head. Alloys made up of 80% pure silver are represented by a head of Minerva followed by the number 2. Silver jewellery tends to oxidise on contact with oxygen in the air. This natural oxidation disappears quite easily with specific products for silverware. These must be applied with a soft cloth, then rinsed and dried. At WHITEbIRD, designer Sophie Buhai’s sculptural and often voluminous pieces inspired by the modernist tradition put silver in the spotlight. De Jaegher also use silver in their precious jewellery.

Garnet takes its name from the Latin malum granatum, “seeded fruit,” a reference to the pomegranate whose vibrant red seeds echo the colour of many garnet varieties. It is not a single gemstone but a broad family, each type with its own hue and identity: the purple almandine, the deep orange hessonite, the vivid pink rhodolite, and the green tsavorite, whose brightness can rival that of an emerald. Found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Madagascar, Tanzania and the United States, garnet deposits reflect the breadth of this mineral family. Its crystalline structure allows it to reflect light with remarkable intensity, a quality highly valued in jewellery. Across various traditions, garnet is associated with grounding, courage and emotional stability. Whether red, pink or green, its dense colour carries a sense of warmth and depth. Contemporary designers such as Anaconda, Fernando Jorge and Alighieri are drawn to its vibrancy and generous radiance — a gemstone capable of expressing both strength and softness, depending on its variety.