Materials
One piece, your surface.
Nothing is taken from a shelf. Your piece is cast to order in our workshop by lost-wax casting: molten 925 sterling silver poured into a mould taken from the original hand-carved model, then cleaned, hand-finished and given the finish you choose. The finish changes how the piece looks and ages; the nickel-free sterling silver underneath is the same.
Oxidized Silver
- Look
- Antique charm with modern weight. Deep charcoal settles into every recess while the high points stay bright silver, so each line of the carving reads like an engraving and the design gains depth you can see from across a room. The piece looks unearthed rather than freshly made, with the quiet, mystical character Sarnion is known for.
- Craft
- After casting and hand-finishing, the sterling silver is immersed in a sulphur patina, the same chemistry antique silversmiths used, which turns the surface a dense black. Our artisans then polish the raised surfaces back to bare metal by hand, one piece at a time, controlling exactly how much shadow stays in the detail. No paint and no lacquer: the darkness is in the silver itself, which is why it never flakes.
- How it wears
- A living finish and our customers’ favourite. The high points brighten with wear and the contrast deepens, so the ring grows more personal every year.
- Best for
- Detailed, sculptural designs: skulls, scrollwork, animals, mythology. The finish that tells the story best and the one that made Sarnion’s name.
- Care
- Wipe with the soft cloth in your pouch; do not use silver-dip solutions or polishing compound, which strip the patina from the recesses. Water and daily wear are fine. If the darkness ever fades more than you like, we can re-patinate it in the workshop.
Gold Vermeil
- Look
- Timeless golden brilliance: the rich, saturated colour of yellow gold that reads as solid gold on the hand, over the weight and detail of sterling silver.
- Craft
- Mirror-polished sterling silver electroplated with gold, then inspected by hand. Vermeil is a protected term: it can only describe gold over a solid sterling silver base, never over base metal.
- How it wears
- Holds its colour through regular wear while the sterling silver underneath keeps the weight and detail of the original casting.
- Best for
- Everyday gold looks without the solid-gold price; the classic choice for pieces worn often.
- Care
- Vermeil is a thick gold layer, but still a layer: put it on after perfume and lotion, take it off for sport, sleep and swimming, and clean only with a soft dry cloth, never a polishing cloth with compound. Stored in the pouch, the colour stays rich for years.
Polished Silver
- Look
- Bright, mirror-like white metal with maximum brilliance. Light runs across the surface from every angle; the design shows through form and shadow rather than contrast, which gives even heavy pieces a clean, sophisticated line.
- Craft
- Cast in 925 sterling silver and hand-polished in stages, from coarse compound through finer grades to a final rouge, until the surface reflects like glass. It is then electroplated with white rhodium, a metal of the platinum family, which seals the silver against tarnish and gives the finish its cool, bright white.
- How it wears
- Thanks to the rhodium layer it stays bright instead of yellowing in the drawer; a wipe with the soft cloth included in your order is all it asks. Rhodium is harder than silver, so it also shrugs off everyday scratches.
- Best for
- Those who prefer clean lines and timeless simplicity: signets, bands, minimal pendants and anything worn next to a watch.
- Care
- Rhodium keeps it bright for years; when it dulls, a minute with the polishing cloth included in your order restores the mirror. Take it off for pools and hot springs, and keep it away from bleach and abrasive cleaners.
Black Rhodium Plated
- Look
- Bold, modern and dramatically dark: a gunmetal sheen with a cool, almost liquid reflection. Detail reads through highlights rather than contrast, giving the design a stealthy, serious presence.
- Craft
- Mirror-polished sterling silver electroplated with black rhodium, a rare metal of the platinum family. Rhodium is harder than both silver and gold, which is why jewellers have used it for a century to armour precious metal.
- How it wears
- The rhodium layer shrugs off everyday scratches better than the silver beneath it. Over years, the edges you touch most may lighten toward silver, an effect many wearers come to prize.
- Best for
- Those who dare to stand out: modern, masculine designs that pair naturally with black steel watches.
- Care
- Clean with a soft dry cloth only; polishing compound would thin the black layer. Rhodium resists scratches well, so everyday wear is fine; take it off for pools and keep it away from bleach.
Rose Plated Silver
- Look
- Soft, warm and romantic: a blush-pink metal that is gentler than yellow gold and complements every skin tone. It gives silver designs a contemporary, luxurious warmth.
- Craft
- The sterling silver is polished to a mirror first, because plating magnifies whatever lies beneath it, then electroplated with rose gold, an alloy of gold and copper. The copper gives the colour its pink depth; the gold gives it its glow.
- How it wears
- A surface finish that stays rich for years on pieces worn with a little care, mellowing gently toward the silver at the points you touch most. The strength and detail of the sterling silver underneath never change.
- Best for
- Modern romantics: pendants, earrings, delicate rings and pieces chosen as gifts.
- Care
- Plating is a surface layer, so treat it gently: put it on after perfume and lotion, take it off for sport, sleep and swimming, and clean only with a soft dry cloth, never a polishing cloth with compound. Stored in the pouch, the colour stays rich for years.
Good to know
Every finish starts from the same 925 sterling silver casting, so weight, size and detail are identical whichever surface you choose; only the price of the plated and solid gold versions differs. Plated finishes are applied over solid sterling silver, never over base metal, and the silver underneath is nickel-free. Finishes are applied per order, which is why production takes a few days after you order. If you are between two finishes, Oxidized Silver shows the carving best and Polished Silver suits plain, geometric designs.
Care, in one paragraph
Every order ships with an anti-tarnish pouch and a two-layer polishing cloth. Store the piece in the pouch when you are not wearing it, keep plated finishes away from perfume, pools and abrasive cleaners, and give polished silver a minute with the cloth when it dulls. Oxidized pieces need nothing: the patina is in the metal, and wear only improves it.
Solid gold · Cast to order
The same design, cast entirely in gold
Most designs can be cast in solid gold instead of sterling silver: the same hand-carved model, the same lost-wax casting, a different metal all the way through. Choose the karat on the product page under “Also in solid gold”.
