Interlace earrings in yellow gold and diamonds

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.

Le diamant est depuis toujours associé à la lumière pure : une matière née dans les profondeurs de la Terre, façonnée par la pression et le temps, puis révélée par la main du joaillier. Chaque facette résulte d’un choix, chaque reflet d’un dialogue entre la pierre et celui qui la travaille. Longtemps considéré à travers le prisme du diamant blanc parfait, il s’exprime aujourd’hui dans une palette beaucoup plus vaste. Les 4C — Colour, Clarity, Cut et Carat — restent des repères essentiels pour comprendre sa qualité, qu’il s’agisse de la couleur classée de D (incolore) à Z, de la pureté FL à VS, de la taille qui façonne l’éclat ou du poids mesuré en carats. Mais ces critères ne résument plus à eux seuls la beauté du diamant contemporain. Les créateurs et les collectionneurs s’ouvrent désormais à des nuances qui s’éloignent du blanc traditionnel : diamants bruns, jaunes ou gris, teintes givrées, pierres légèrement voilées, inclusions visibles… Autant de caractéristiques autrefois considérées comme imparfaites et qui deviennent aujourd’hui porteuses de charme, de singularité et de profondeur. Ces petites particularités révèlent l’histoire de la pierre : sa croissance, ses tensions internes, les minéraux qu’elle a traversés. Elles rappellent que le diamant, avant d’être un symbole, est une matière vivante. Qu’il soit parfaitement clair ou traversé d’un nuage délicat, le diamant continue d’incarner la précision, l’endurance et l’émotion. Une lumière qui ne cherche plus uniquement la perfection, mais la vérité de chaque gemme.